Megillah 8b has Rabban Shimon state that, although there are translations in other languages, only Greek Torah Scrolls possess the sanctity of a proper scroll. Traditionally this is probably related to the Septuagint's composition, but scholars don't recognize the Septuagint as the version permitted for a Greek Sefer Torah. Nonetheless the way the Name itself was written in Greek is known - Iota Alpha Omega - so I would expect it to possess the same properties and restrictions as a Hebrew transcription. Has anyone commented on this?
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I'm trying to understand this -- Iota Alpha Omega is the translation or transliteration, and of the 4 letter name?– rosendsCommented 20 hours ago
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The four letter name, when written in Greek, becomes a three letter name, those letters being Iota Alpha Omega in that order– CoplestonCommented 20 hours ago
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what do you mean "when written" -- what is written, the sounds (transliteration) or the meaning (translation)?– rosendsCommented 15 hours ago
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1 Answer
This is from Hebrew Wikipedia
????? ??????? ??? ?' ????? ???? (??? God ?-????) – ????"? ???? ????? ???????? ??? ????? ?' ???,[11] ????????? ??? ????? ?????.[5] ?? ?? ??, ???? ??????? ??????? ??? ???? ????? ????? ???? ???.[12] ????, ??? ???? ???? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ????? (???? '???' ?? ???? ?? '????') ???? ?????.[13]
Here is the English translation of the passage:
"Words that are used as names of God in foreign languages (such as 'God' and 'Allah') – Maimonides (the Rambam) writes that their status is like that of kinuyim (epithets or substituted titles), and not actual names of God.[11] Regarding kinuyim, there is no prohibition against erasing them.[5] Based on this, the commonly accepted opinion among the halachic authorities is that there is no prohibition in erasing these names.[12] However, Rabbi Yair Chaim Bacharach holds that if the name is written in Ashuri script (the traditional Hebrew script), such as 'God' or possibly even 'Allah' written in Hebrew letters, then it is forbidden to erase it.[13]
REFERENCES
5 ???? ???? ????"?, ??? ????, ????? ????? ?????, ??? ?', ???? ?
'
11 ???? ???? ????"?, ??? ??????, ????? ??????? ???????? ??????? ???, ??? ?"?, ???? ?'
12 ?"?, ???? ???, ???? ??"?, ???? ?', ???? ??? ?"?; ???? ?????, ???? ?"?, ???? ??? ?'
13 ??"? ??? ????, ???? ?"?
So it seems that the Rambam has ruled that there is no prohibition in erasing foreign language translations of the name of Hashem. If it is written in Ashuri script then Rabbi Y C Bacharach forbids erasure.
answered 20 hours ago
