{"id":99226,"date":"2022-11-20T06:11:53","date_gmt":"2022-11-20T04:11:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/?p=99226"},"modified":"2022-11-22T22:53:28","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T20:53:28","slug":"names","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/names\/","title":{"rendered":"Names"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cAnd whatever name the man called each living creature, that was its name\u201d<\/em><\/strong> (Bereishit<\/em> 2:19)<\/p>\n

From this pasuk, we learn that a person\u2019s name is the essence of his neshamah<\/em> (Oheiv Yisrael<\/em>, Shemot<\/em>, Parashat Zachor<\/em>).<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the man gave names to all the cattle and to the birds of the sky and to every beast of the field; but as for man, he did not find a helpmate that matched him\u201d<\/em><\/strong> (Bereishit<\/em> 2:20)<\/p>\n

The Radak<\/em> states that Adam called the creatures names in lashon hakodesh<\/em>. This was the language of mankind until the Generation of the Dispersal. The Ramban says that Adam gave names to the creatures so that they could be discerned by these names forever. He knew their characteristics and named them appropriately, each according to its nature.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour name shall no longer be called Avram, but your name shall be Avraham, because I have made you the father of a multitude of nations\u201d <\/em><\/strong>(Bereishit<\/em> 17:5)<\/p>\n

The Chizkuni<\/em> says that it is customary to change one\u2019s name when he rises in stature. We find this regarding Sara, Yaakov, Yitzchak, Yehoshua, Chananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.<\/p>\n

A person should be careful in choosing a name for his child, for a name can cause good or harm (Tanchuma<\/em>, Ha\u2019azinu<\/em> 7).<\/p>\n

\u201c \u05d0\u05e9\u05e8 \u05e9\u05dd \u05e9\u05de\u05d5\u05ea \u05d1\u05d0\u05e8\u05e5\u2013 Who has wrought desolation in the land.\u201d The word\u05e9\u05b7\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u00a0(desolation) can be read as \u05e9\u05b5\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea, meaning names<\/em>. From here we learn that the name of a person or place causes certain actions. We name our children after previous generations (Sechel Tov<\/em>, Bereishit<\/em> 46).<\/p>\n

How do we see that a name causes specific actions? Rabbi Eliezer cites the following passage (Tehillim<\/em> 46:9): \u201cGo and see the deeds of Hashem, Who has wrought desolation in the land.\u201d The word \u00a0\u05e9\u05b7\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea(desolation) can be read as \u05e9\u05b5\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea, meaning names<\/em>. From here we learn that the name of a person or place causes certain actions (Berachot<\/em> 7b).<\/p>\n

Rabbi Yitzchak says that there are four things which can rescind a harsh decree. One is a change of name, as the pasuk states (Bereishit <\/em>17:16), \u201cAs for Sarai your wife \u2013 do not call her name Sarai, for Sarah is her name.\u201d In the next pasuk, we read, \u201cI will bless her; and I will also give you a son through her\u201d (Rosh Hashanah<\/em> 16b).<\/p>\n

The Ritva<\/em> expounds: Changing a person\u2019s name converts him into a new being, free of sin. His previous sins are a thing of the past and have no bearing on him any longer.<\/p>\n

Even if a person is mired in sin, to the extent that he deserves severe punishment, he should never despair of Hashem\u2019s mercy and the power of prayer and teshuvah. He should increase his prayers and tzedakah<\/em> and change his actions. He should use strategies to arouse himself by means of changing his behavior, such as changing his name. This will cause him to act differently, like a new person. Changing one\u2019s place also has this effect (Beit Habechirah LaMeiri<\/em>).<\/p>\n

When a baby boy is circumcised, his father names him. He is not named randomly, but Hashem places the name in the mouth of his father, and it is immediately noted on the Heavenly Throne if he will be righteous (Emek Hamelech<\/em>, in the name of the Ari<\/em>).<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cAnd whatever name the man called each living creature, that was its name\u201d (Bereishit 2:19) From this pasuk, we learn that a person\u2019s name is the essence of his neshamah (Oheiv Yisrael, Shemot, Parashat Zachor). \u201cAnd the man gave names to all the cattle and to the birds of the sky and to every beast […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":99617,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1108],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-99226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-names"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99226\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rdpinto.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}