Q. The counter in the kitchen was wet with a sticky substance. Somebody placed an open sidur facing down on it, the letters got stuck to the counter and when the sidur was picked up we ended with a shem glued to the counter. What do we do now?
A. Rambam (Yesodei HaTorah 6) notes "One who erases one of Hashem's holy names transgresses a negative commandment as the verse states regarding idol worship, 'And you shall eradicate their name from that place; you shall not do so to Hashem your G-d.' Tur and Shulchan Aruch (Y.D. 276: 9) rule accordingly. However there are diverging opinions if Hashem’s names that were written or printed without the intention of becoming holy are included in this prohibition or are only forbidden rabbinically (Tashbatz 1: 177, Chidushei Chasam Sofer - Shovuos 35, Igrois Moishe Y.D. 1: 172, Shach Y.D. 276; 12, permits erasing when needed for fixing a Sefer Torah) Assuming that the name that stuck to the counter top is the Tetragrammaton or four-lettered name, Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit"a advises to try out first with a similarly glued blank paper, to see if it can be peeled off with a razor, by steaming with vapor or by gluing on to transparent tape and then pulling it off the counter. If this cannot be achieved you may have to cut the piece of laminate the name is attached to. There are two other leniencies that may be employed when combined together, such as removing the paper indirectly or g'romoh, as when pouring water on other areas of the counter, with no intent to erase the name (Noda Beyehuda II: 17) and using the services of a Gentile (Chazon Nachum O.H. 1:6:12, Kodesh Lashem p. 125 quoting Besomim Rosh and Maharsham)
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit"a
Important Numbers
