Shem HaMeforash (שֵׁם הַמְּפֹרָשׁ): The Explicit Name

The 72 Names of God

The Shem HaMeforash (Hebrew for “the explicit name”) is a supreme, hidden name of God. It is viewed as a source of immense creative and protective power.

Origins and Derivation

The 72-letter name is extracted from a mystical reading of the biblical text. Each of the three verses in Exodus 14:19–21 happens to contain exactly 72 letters in the original Hebrew. Kabbalists devised a method called boustrophedon (alternating reading directions):

1. The first letter of verse 19, the last letter of verse 20, and the first letter of verse 21 are combined to form the first “name.”
2. The second letter of verse 19, the second-to-last of verse 20, and the second letter of verse 21 form the second, and so on.
3. This process generates 72 triads of letters, which are considered both names of God and the names of 72 distinct Kabbalistic angels.

How the Names are Used

The Shem HaMeforash is deeply integrated into practical Kabbalah, Hermeticism, and ceremonial magic

• Meditation and Mantras: Kabbalists use these three-letter triads as mantras or focal points for meditation. Each combination governs specific spiritual energies, such as healing, inner peace, prosperity, or protection.
• Amulets and Talismans: The names are frequently inscribed on amulets or hung in homes to ward off negativity and attract divine blessings.
• The 72 Angels: Practitioners often work with the specific “Birth Angels” associated with the 72 names. Each angel has a specific dominion over certain dates, times, and human virtues.

Broader Context

While the 72-letter name is the most popular, the term Shem HaMeforash can also historically refer to other profound, unpronounceable names of God, such as the Tetragrammaton (the 4-letter name YHWH) or a 42-letter name of God. In ancient Temple Judaism, this explicit name was so sacred that only the High Priest was permitted to utter it aloud on Yom Kippur, and even then, his voice was drowned out by the chanting of the other priests.