Whether the Divine Names at Gibeah Were Sacred or Common

Yalkut Shimoni on Nach 76:7

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

All the [divine] names stated regarding Gibeah of Benjamin: Rabbi Eliezer says they are common [secular, not the holy Name], and Rabbi Yehoshua says they are sacred. Rabbi Eliezer said to him: But does He promise and not perform? Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: What He promised, He performed; but they did not inquire whether they would prevail or not prevail. In the end, when they did inquire, He agreed with them. All the names stated regarding Gibeah of Benjamin: Rabbi Eliezer says they are common, and Rabbi Yehoshua says they are sacred. Rabbi Eliezer said to him: But does He promise and not perform? Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: What He promised, He performed; but they did not inquire whether they would prevail or not prevail. In the end, when they did inquire, He agreed with them. All the names stated regarding Naboth are sacred; those regarding Micah are common. Rabbi Eliezer says: Regarding Naboth they are sacred; regarding Micah, some of them are common and some are sacred. "El" is common, "Yah" is sacred -- except for this one, where "El" is itself sacred: "all the days that the house of God was in Shiloh" (Judges 18:31).

Themes

Divine NamesProphecyTribes

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