fbpx

Blessed Be the Name of God’s Glory

[additional-authors]
October 16, 2024
filonmar/Getty Images

Kippur, as in the name of Yom Kippur,
denotes atonement, a translation that as “at-one-ment,” can be read,
being for the sins that we’ve committed a great cure,
bilingually explaining why “Blessed is the name of God’s glory” can be said,
as all angels do allegedly, aloud,
after the first verse of shema when we’ve proclaimed that He is One,
all purified of sins to say this aloud allowed,
since on this day our sins will, by our God who’s One, be just like a Gordian knot undone.


In “A Day of At-One-ness: A Christian Translation: Yom Ha-kippurim: The Biblical Significance,” thetorah.com,  Baruch J. Schwartz writes:

https://www.thetorah.com/article/yom-ha-kippurim-the-biblical-significance

In English translations of the Torah, this day is called the “Day of Atonement.” This translation entered English Bibles centuries ago. And while the translators were all learned in the Hebrew tongue, they were also believing Christians—and so they naturally translated a Hebrew word according to its meaning in Christian theology. This expression—the Day of Atonement—is an example of this. The English word “atone” comes from tBlessed be the Name of God’s Glorywo words: “at” and “one.” To atone is to be “at one” with someone, to be of one mind and heart.[2] The early translators were saying that this is the day on which humans and God are reconciled—humans, who are constantly estranged from God, are finally reunited with Him in perfect fellowship.


Gershon Hepner is a poet who has written over 25,000 poems on subjects ranging from music to literature, politics to Torah. He grew up in England and moved to Los Angeles in 1976. Using his varied interests and experiences, he has authored dozens of papers in medical and academic journals, and authored “Legal Friction: Law, Narrative, and Identity Politics in Biblical Israel.” He can be reached at gershonhepner@gmail.com.

Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.

Editor's Picks

Latest Articles

A Ka’ak By Any Other Name

A symbol of hospitality, families bake batches for holidays, family celebrations and visits with friends and relatives.

The Story That Never Goes Away

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of slain hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, can’t stop speaking about her pain and the public love her body cannot always receive. She talks to the Journal about her son’s legacy and her new book.

Rosner’s Domain | A Dime-Store Abe: The Karhi Crisis

This week’s “Constitutional Crisis” is typical of the way the government operates. It issues a statement, or a tweet and then walks it back. Oops, we did not mean it. Or rather, we did, but we also meant to deny that we did.

Why Can’t We Be Friends?

If we want to see a less polarized society, both internally and beyond, we must emphatically reject the idea that political alignment is the predominant commonality for friendship.

Ruth-less, the Enigma of a Name

Jews spoke in two voices about Ruth, a kind of national schizophrenia, one with joyous chanting on Shavuos as the Book of Ruth was read; the other, removing her name from the chain-link of repeated names throughout the generations.

Honoring My Father: Saying Kaddish with Men

Saying kaddish every day tested my faith and commitment. It made me realize that there is no room for excuses. It taught me how to show up. It taught me that my voice can be heard, even when not expected.

The Yiddish Letter of American Liberty

Phillips’ letter – with its faith in Congress’ Declaration – now sits in display not far from the Liberty Bell and its inscription from the biblical book of Leviticus.

Searching for the Red Heifer

While there’s nothing wrong with keeping your eyes on the horizon for that magical heifer to appear, be sure to appreciate what you already have.

Broadening the Fight

If we agree that antisemitism is only one example of a widespread and pernicious instinct toward division and “other-ization,” then it becomes clear that we can only eradicate these animosities as part of a far broader effort.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.