Why does this web site use G-d and words like HaShem rather than the Christian terms?
G-d’s name is treated with unusual care in Jewish tradition. The divine name, YHWH (spelled with the Hebrew letters yud, hey, vav, hey) is never pronounced. Traditionally, Jews read the word “Adonai” (often translated as “the Lord”) whenever reading G-d’s holiest name in Torah or in prayer. However, “Adonai” is not G-d’s name. In Hebrew we find only consonants and the vowels are filled in by the readers. Jews understand that Moses and the high priest were the only ones who knew the full name. Among some traditional Jews, speaking even the word “Adonai” is avoided outside of worship or study. This “stand-in” for God’s name is itself replaced by “Ha-Shem” (“The Name”). The practice also has been extended to other Hebrew words associated with God. For example, the Hebrew word “Elohim,” which means “G-d” (the title, not G-d’s name), is pronounced “Elokim” outside of prayer and study. For the Jews who believe this it is not a burden but rather the result of a desire to respect G-d and honor
