[Avodah] Baruch Hu Uvaruch Shemo

[Micha Berger]

On Fri, Jun 26, 2009 at 11:22:51AM +0300, Akiva Blum wrote:
: 966. One should be mindful to carefully pronounce each word when responding
: "Boruch Hu U'voruch Shemo", and be especially vigilant to pronounce the letter
: "Vuv" of U'voruch. Piskei Tshuvos 124:11, Kaf Hachaim 124:29, Boruch She'omar
...

: Zev Sero : 

:> AIUI Shabtai Tzvi followers would deliberately omit the first vav
:> of "uvaruch", because without it the phrase adds up to the same
:> gematria as their leader's name. I don't know a source for this. 

: It's in Baruch Sheamar, written by Baruch Heleivi Epstein (of Torah
: Temima fame) on tefilla


There is something else going on too, like the propriety of blessing Him
and His Name. After all, once one refers to Shemo, then Hu must be very
specifically Hu, not the Or Ein Sof. But HQBH be'atzmo, the Ein Sof
Itself, how can it be blessed or changed in any way?

I was told this is why the Gra never said bhu"sh, using this rationale
as proof that the minhag was beta'us.

This is in distinction to the Brisker practice of being careful not to
say bhu"sh when trying to be yotzei -- including chazaras hasha"tz.

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             In the days of our sages, man didn't sin unless
micha at aishdas.org        he was overcome with a spirit of foolishness.
http://www.aishdas.org   Today, we don't do a mitzvah unless we receive
Fax: (270) 514-1507      a spirit of purity.      - Rav Yisrael Salanter