Annie & Eric

HAPPY HANUKKAH!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE NEW FAMILIES! Welcome Cecilia, Faith Nichole and Nathaniel!

CONGRATULATIONS TO HEATHER & SHAWN, GREG & SUSIE and BOB & DIANE!!! Welcome Sophie, Preston and Brayden!!! Whew, the Abrazo chicks sure were busy!

L'Shanna Tova, ya'll! Happy New Year! May your name be inscribed and sealed for a sweet and good year!

CONGRATULATIONS to the newest family! Welcome Gabriella!! What a beautiful family!

Welcome Nathan Joel!!!! Congratulations Adam and Beth!! :D

I received this recently from the URJ (Union for Reform Judaism) (I get weekly emails from them on various topics). I thought this midrash was relevant for all PIW! ------------------------- A story about emunah, confidence, trust, is told about the Chasid (Orthodox Jew) who sought advice from his Rebbe because he and his wife were childless: The Rebbe counseled the Chasid to go home and pray daily and, within a year, a baby would be born. The Chasid did so for a year-then two years, then three, and still no baby. One day the Chasid stopped at an inn. He and the Jewish innkeeper began chatting and very soon the innkeeper confided his sorrow that he and his wife had no children. "My Rebbe assured me that I would have a child," said the Chasid. "Go to see him." The innkeeper went and received the same advice as the Chasid. The next morning, he prayed; then he went to buy a crib. A year later, the Chasid revisited the inn and was delighted to see a baby lying in the crib. But he was also troubled. He returned to his Rebbe, complaining: "You gave him the same advice you gave me, yet he has a child and I have none." "Ah," replied the Rebbe, "but he went out and bought a crib!"

CONGRATULATIONS to the new Rat family!!! :lol: :lol:

Congratulations to the adoptive parents and birthparents! She's beautiful! Welcome, Victoria!

What a wonderful idea!

Congratulations Tony and Linda and Andrew!! Welcome Ayanna!! Congratulations Kristen and Rich! Welcome Alexander! Whew!! What an exciting weekend!!

What a tragic ending to a short life. We are praying for Eduardo and those who love him. May he rest in peace.

CONGRATULATIONS JOE AND NANCY! Welcome Neveah!

Congratulations on the birth of your son, Efrain and Bridget! Can't wait to see the photos! You, your son and his birthparents are in our prayers.

Congratulations to the new family! Wonderful news!! We are praying for the adoptive parents, their son and his birthparents.

Congratulations to Lance, Lisa, Kayleigh and Meg! WELCOME Brennan!! What a wonderful family! Our prayers are with you all.

Congratulations, Kim and Joe!!!

CONGRATULATIONS STEPHEN AND JESSICA! Yay! A BABY GIRL!!!

CONGRATULATIONS ANDY AND EWA!!! AND WELCOME LILY CATE!

Great article! and very timely I love Anne Lamott; she's a wonderful writer --

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! What a beautiful son! and I love the name! Our prayers are with the mom, her son and his birthparents.

WELCOME BABY GABRIEL!! Congratulations Cameo and Denny! What a touching, beautiful story! God's plans are wonderful, indeed!

We are praying for this birthmom and her son!

CONGRATULATIONS Rhonda and Kody! What a handsome little man! Our prayers and best wishes are with you and Logan's birthparents!

Hi Elizabeth! Glad that your "Jewish roots" are giving you a reason (or excuse!) to celebrate!! It's funny you bring up the G-D issue, as we just discussed this in one of the theology classes I take with our Rabbi. This is a really interesting topic on which there is a LOT of information! Some people believe that once you write the name of God down, at some point it will be erased or destroyed. That is, if you write it on a blackboard you will have to erase it, or if you write it on a piece of paper, you may have to discard or destroy it one day. And erasing or destroying God's name may not be permitted (Deuteronomy 12:3-5) and at the very least is disrespectful. Some also analogize it to the tradition/belief that you should not ever tear/burn/destroy a Torah scroll because it contains the name of God. (Although I believe there are halakhic (or jewish legal) ways to get rid of a Torah once it has become unusable -- it may be that you have to bury it?). Fascinatingly, some Jews believe that since writing on a computer is not permanent, it cannot be destroyed. But once it is printed out, it can be. Therefore, you are permitted to write God's name on a computer, but if it is printed out you must protect that piece of paper. http://www.mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/name.htm In addition, some people believe that God's name itself has power. http://us.geocities.com/changes1611/name41.html For example, if you say God's name, you will be able to perform (or will have God perform) certain acts. There is also a belief that the High Priest (Gadol Kohen) was the only one allowed to know and speak God's true name, (which may have had 72 letters) on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetragrammaton. God gives Moses a name that can be translated as "I AM the ONE I AM" or "I AM Whatever I need to become" OR "He Who Causes To Exist". Exodus 3:13. Subsequently God says that the Jews may call him by a four-letter name, the Tetragrammaton (Greek for the 4 letters). Exodus 3:13. Jews do not pronounce the Tetragrammaton. Instead whenever Jews read the Tetragrammaton in a prayer, they substitute the word "Adonai" which means My Lord. http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Names_of_...nai/adonai.html When referring to God outside of prayer, Jews usually call God "Hashem" which means "The (ineffable) Name". Jews do not agree on the "true" pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton, which has apparently been lost. Ancient Hebrew did not include any vowels, and so there is disagreement over how to pronounce it. The word evidently fell out of use following the destruction of the Temple. The Tretragrammaton has been translated into English as YWHH or Yahweh. There many names for God in the Torah. http://www.bibletopics.com/BIBLESTUDY/154.htm Some believe that each of these names represents the way in which He reveals himself through His behavior toward the world. For example, the Patriarchs knew God as El Shaddai (Genesis 35:9-14), to indicate that He could exercise His mastery over nature and perform miracles or "Elohim" when He exercises strict judgment (Genesis 15:2-8). The Tetragrammaton represents His mercy and compassion. Now back to your question. Should you write G-d or God? Some people find that it is more respectful of God to not write His name (for the reasons stated above - it will be erased, etc.). But others who may agree that God's name shouldn't be pronounced, do not agree that you must write "G-d", since the word "God" is an English translation of a Hebrew word, which is not even one of the names of God in the Torah. So to make a long, long story short - whether you write God or G-d, is up to you. But some people will disagree with you either way! Sorry to have gone on and on, but I find this really interesting! If anyone else has other thoughts about the use of G-d, please chime in!