Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Do You Yah Hu?

Here is the text of an actual email I received a few days ago:

Dear Rabbi Rami,

I believe God is real, and that He wants us to know Him, and that to help us know Him He places signs and wonders in the world. Recently I read that one of God’s names in Hebrew is Yah, and that the Hebrew word Hu means “he” or “him”. That got me thinking about the internet provider Yahoo. I am wondering if this is a sign. Actually, I am pretty sure it is a sign. Yahoo means Yah Hu, God is He. What do you think about this?

Now before you think this person is insane, let me say that I, too, noticed long ago that Yahoo was Hebrew for God is He. OK? Now you can think this person is insane. No wait, not yet. First type in “yahhu.com” in your search engine and notice that it takes you to Yahoo. Yahoo bought Yahhu. Coincidence? I think not. OK, now you can think this person is insane.

No, no, wait, not just yet. I can’t get over the fact that Yahoo bought “yahhu.” They knew that Yahoo was Yah Hu. They knew! Don’t forget that. Don’t ever forget that. OK, now you can… no, not yet. Do you get it? Yahoo knew! So ask yourself this: Where did the name Yahoo come from? Certainly it is an expletive one uses when riding a real or mechanical bull in a rodeo or a bar, but is this what the folks at Yahoo were thinking when they chose the name? After all they bought “yahhu.” They knew!

I thought about emailing Yahoo and asking them about this, but I figured that would take too much time, so let me say that I for one doubt the rodeo/bar theory and choose to believe that Yahoo is in fact a clever use of Yah Hu. But what I want to know now is whether Yahoo is mocking God or affirming God?

Again I could ask the company, but would I trust their answer even if they offered one? Probably not, so why bother asking? Instead, let’s speculate.

I choose to believe that Yahoo is affirming God, and that Yahoo is a sign from God. The company’s slogan, “Do you Yahoo?” becomes a very important question. If you do Yah Hu you affirm the presence of God on earth. If you don’t you ignore the presence of God on earth, which could cause you spend eternity unplugged in hell.

But if you do Yahoo/Yah Hu, you may also be affirming Jesus as God, for the Hu that is Him could be the Him that is Jesus. Should Jews and Muslims Yahoo if in fact Yahoo is Yah Hu and the Hu that is Yah is Jesus? Is Yahoo really a Christian front group? And if it is what is their theology? Are they Catholic? Orthodox? Calvinist? Dutch Reformed? Isn’t Yah also “yes” in German and Dutch? Couldn’t Yahoo be a Dutch Reformed triple play: Yah Hu, God is He and He is Jesus, and Yes, Jesus is God? Couldn’t it? Huh? Couldn’t it? So maybe my emailer was right and because you mocked him you are wrong and are now damned and going to hell for denying God by using Earthlink or some other devilish internet provider rather than the God chosen Yahoo which is a sign of God in our day. Amen! Selah! ….. Sorry, I got carried away. You can call him insane now.

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