bob wrote:
I asked you specifically what name would be most appropriate when referring to the person whose name always seems to offend someone, and you suggested Yeshu, but went on to explain that it is reputedly a slur (an insulting play on words).... I have adopted Yeshua.
It is true that, after mentioning the name of a hideously evil person (such as Hitler יש"ו), Jews often append the abbreviation יש"ו, as I have just done; this abbreviation is a shortened form of יִמַּח שְׁמוֹ וְזִכְרוֹ yimmaḥ sh'mo v'zichro (“may his name and his memory be wiped out”), although more correctly the abbreviation should actually be written ימש"ו. The original wording of the curse was simply יִמַּח שְׁמוֹ yimmaḥ sh'mo (“may his name be wiped out”), abbreviated to ימ"ש, and it occurs in this form in the Scriptures—
יְהִי־אַֽחֲרִית֥וֹ לְהַכְרִ֑ית
בְּד֥וֹר אַ֝חֵ֗ר יִמַּ֥ח שְׁמָֽם׃

“May his end be to be cut off;
in an later generation, may their name be blotted out.” (T'hillim 109:13)


It is, however, a complete coincidence that the three letters of the abbreviation יש"ו (i.e. yod, shin, vav) happen to be the same as the consonants of the name יֵֽשׁוּ Yéshu, and in speech no-one would ever actually say “Hitler yéshu”—it would always be spoken in full as “Hitler yimmaḥ sh'mo v'zichro” (or just “Hitler yimmaḥ sh'mo”).

Having said that, I wonder if “Bob” might care to explain to me where the letter A in “YeshuA” comes from, because the name of the person he is referring to isn’t spelt “JesuAs” in any text I have ever seen.

Finally, “Bob” may find my Post #6 of the thread entitled “Questions” in the “Noahide Forum” useful.


http://mordochai.tripod.com - פרופ' מָרְדֳּכַי בֶּן-צִיּוֹן, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל