3rd commandment: Do not take God’s name in vain

Have you ever caught yourself saying “Oh my gosh” instead of using the actual word “God”? We might do this without thinking, but this habit actually traces back to the third commandment, “do not take God’s name in vain.” In this episode, we dive into the implications of this commandment to uncover how we, as individuals, have the power to infuse the mundane with the sacred.

Big Ideas

1. In Judaism, items are considered holy not because of their intrinsic value but because we relate to them as sacred. 
2. Being careful to treat God’s name as sacred allows us to increase the amount of sanctity in the world. 
3. We have the opportunity to use our power to infuse the routine actions of our daily lives with spirituality.

Essential Questions

1. What makes God’s name holy?
2. What are ways that we can infuse the mundane acts of our daily lives with meaningfulness?
3. How can we ensure that a focus on sanctity and holiness does not lead to the neglect of ethical responsibilities? 

video Transcript