This haggadah uses several different terms and names for God.  They include Adonai (Lord), Shekhinah (the Jewish mystics' name for the Female Divine Presence embodied in creation), Ayn Hachayyim (Source of Life), Melech (King), and Ruach (Breath or Spirit).

Following a Jewish Renewal tradition, sometimes we render YHVH (the unpronounceable Name) as Yah, which is a very old name for God.  Yah sounds like an exhalation, which is appropriate since our tradition also names God as Nishmat Kol Chai, Breath of All Life.  Jewish tradition teaches that our Creator is beyond language: our words can only approach the Infinite.  May our use of different names remind us that our names are only substitutes; that God is beyond any words we can speak.

Further, let the variety of names encourage our variety in understanding/belief in a God, Divinity or Energy of some sort.  May we respect one another's ideology.

Following standard Jewish practive, the Hebrew letters of the tetragrammaton are implied by the abbreivation ָיְי to make it possible for you to recycle this haggadah post-Pesach if you want.

Velveteen Rabbi


haggadah Section: Introduction