Came across this cry for help on a tree in Jerusalem the other day. The dash in G-d is common practice in orthodox Judaism. The custom of substituting the word “God” with G-d in English is based on the traditional practice in Jewish law of giving God’s Hebrew name a high degree of respect and reverence. When written or printed, God’s Hebrew name (and many of the stand in names used to refer to God) cannot be erased or destroyed. There is no prohibition in Jewish law against writing out or erasing the word “God” in English. However, many Jews have afforded the word “God” with the same level of respect as the Hebrew equivalents. Because of this, many Jews substitute “God with G-d so that they can erase or dispose of the writing without showing disrespect to God. (see http://judaism.about.com/od/judaismbasics/a/Why-Do-Some-Jews-Spell-God-G-D.htm)
I took this picture of “cactus graffiti” 9 years ago in Italy. I was struck by the text; was this just an act of vandalism or was it disclosing a deeper revelation?
