Mentioning the Name ‘Tzevaos’

[1] (Halacha 194)

Presented in honor of Yud Shevat - on which we study the maamarim of "Basi LeGani" that explain the Name Tzva-os - and the attribute of Netzach.

Question: Is it permitted to mention the holy Name 'Tzva-os' as is, or must one alter it and say "Tzvakos" and the like?

Answer: a. The Alter Rebbe wrote¹: Anyone who recites a bracha that is unnecessary is taking the Name of Heaven in vain, and it is as though he swore in vain, and it is forbidden to answer Amen after him. And although by Torah law there is no prohibition in mentioning the Name of Heaven needlessly except when one mentions it in idle matters that have no purpose, and not in the manner of a bracha even though it is unnecessary—nevertheless, by Rabbinic law it is forbidden even in the manner of an unnecessary bracha (but for a purpose it is permitted to mention it even in an optional matter).

b. With regard to mentioning "Yaaleh VeYavo" in Birkas HaMazon when one erred and did not mention it, it has been ruled that if he did not remember until he began the bracha of "HaTov VeHaMeitiv," he does not go back; and the Rema wrote²: 'And perhaps nevertheless one should say it among the other "HaRachaman" passages, as was explained above regarding "Al HaNissim," siman 187. And perhaps one should distinguish, for in "Yaaleh VeYavo" there is the mention of Names and one should not say it needlessly; so it appears to me, and so is the custom'.

And so the Alter Rebbe ruled in practice in accordance with the words of the Rema, and these are his words³: 'On Rosh Chodesh and Chol HaMoed, if he did not remember until he began the bracha of "HaTov VeHaMeitiv," in which case he does not go back—it is not the custom to say "Yaaleh VeYavo" among the "HaRachaman" passages as is the custom with "Al HaNissim," because in "Yaaleh VeYavo" there are mentions of Names, and they did not wish to say them without a purpose, even though⁴ there is no prohibition in the matter, for we say supplications and requests all day long that contain mentions of Names, and they only forbade mentioning the Name needlessly or in an unnecessary bracha'.

We thus learn that in general we make an effort not to mention the Name of Heaven, and therefore we do not say "Yaaleh VeYavo" when one forgot it and now it is out of place, because this is considered without a purpose, even though it is not needless!

c. With regard to the Name Tzva-os, the Mechaber wrote⁵ that the Name Tzva-os is one of the seven holy Names that may not be erased; yet despite this, the minhag of Israel is that when one mentions the Name Tzva-os in study and the like, one is not careful to refrain from pronouncing it as it is written.

d. And we find several explanations for this among the poskim: In the responsa Kinyan Torah⁶ he attributes this to the fact that when one writes part of the Name Tzva-os, it may be erased, as is explained in the Shulchan Aruch⁷: 'If one wrote "Aleph Lamed" from "Elokim," "Yud Heh" from the Name, or one wrote the Name "Yud Heh," it may not be erased. But "Shin Dalet" from "Shakai" and "Tzadi Beis" from "Tzva-os" may be erased'. [However, these matters require explanation as to why this law is connected to mentioning the Name].

e. And it is to be noted that in the letter from Rav Wosner to him⁸ it appears that he cites from him in a different manner, that the reason is because: 'In truth, "Tzva-os" is not a Name in its own right in any place, for it never appears anywhere except together with the Name Havayah, blessed be He, or the Name Elokim; and although we hold like the Chachamim in Shevuos (35b) that it may not be erased, and not like Rabbi Yose—nevertheless, in mere speech, where it is forbidden to mention the holy Name that precedes "Tzva-os" except by a substitute term, thereby the holiness of "Tzva-os" that follows does not take effect, since it does not appear there in its own right; and thus the conduct of our teachers, who were not careful regarding the above, is reconciled. And the word of Hashem is true in his mouth, and these are words pleasing to the palate'.

That is to say, the Name Tzva-os is not a Name in its own right, but rather is appended to another holy Name; and since in speech one does not pronounce the Name that precedes "Tzva-os" as it is written, consequently there is no problem in mentioning "Tzva-os."

f. However, the Rebbe explains this conduct in a different manner in the maamar of the 8th of Shevat 5743⁹: 'Regarding the Name Tzva-os, which is one of the seven Names that may not be erased, we find a matter that does not apply to the other Names: for with the other Names, one does not say them as they are, except at the time of tefillah and the like; whereas with the Name Tzva-os we do not find this. And the reason for this, simply, is because the word Tzva-os also has a mundane meaning, the hosts of a flesh-and-blood king—to the extent that by this name are also called the hosts of a flesh-and-blood king who is a non-Jew'.

If so, in practice the holy Name Tzva-os may be mentioned normally even when not at the time of tefillah.

¹ או"ח סי' רטו ס"ג ↩

² או"ח סי' קפח ס"ז בהגה ↩

³ שם בסי"ב ↩

⁴ כפי שהעיר המג"א שם בס"ק יא ↩

⁵ שו"ע יו"ד סי' רעו ס"ט ↩

⁶ ח"ג סי' קי אות ב ↩

⁷ שם ס"י ↩

⁸ שו"ת שבט הלוי ח"ט סי' ריז ↩

⁹ מאמר ד"ה ויהי בעצם היום הזה ש"פ בא (בלתי מוגה) תו"מ תשמ"ג ח"ב ע' 850 ↩

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