Parashat Vaera
January 11, 2024
by Rabbi Eric L. Wasser, EdD., High School Talmud Teacher
The Book of Names?
Dear Friends,
Last Shabbat we began the second book of the Torah, which is often referred to as the Book of Exodus. Nonetheless, a more accurate translation of the beginning of the new book is taken from the opening Hebrew words ואלה שמות (v’eyleh shemot) or These are the Names. Sefer Shemot goes to great length to list the names of all seventy of Yaakov’s descendants, who make their way down to Egypt, a solid two hundred and ten years before the Exodus. As such, the Torah teaches explicitly that not only is each Jewish individual important, but implicitly, that Hebrew names are an essential part of Jewish identity. In fact, generations into brutal slavery, one of the reasons offered for the salvation of the Jews, is that despite rampant and understandable loss of identity, B’nei Yisrael was redeemed through the merit of maintaining their own Hebrew names.
In Romeo and Juliet Act II Scene II, when playwright William Shakespeare asks the question, “What’s in a name?”, Juliet shares the famous adage that a “rose by any other name will smell as sweet.” Shakespeare suggests that while names themselves are a convention to distinguish things or people, names themselves do not have any worth or meaning. Judaism respectfully disagrees with the world’s foremost playwright!
Here are a few random thoughts regarding the significance of names in Jewish tradition:
May we all be inspired to fulfill the ideals of our own gifted names as we continue to serve Hashem in joy; to learn, to teach, and to do. Together, we will complete our holy mission and make God’s name great again!
Shabbat Shalom.
Dear Friends,
Last Shabbat we began the second book of the Torah, which is often referred to as the Book of Exodus. Nonetheless, a more accurate translation of the beginning of the new book is taken from the opening Hebrew words ואלה שמות (v’eyleh shemot) or These are the Names. Sefer Shemot goes to great length to list the names of all seventy of Yaakov’s descendants, who make their way down to Egypt, a solid two hundred and ten years before the Exodus. As such, the Torah teaches explicitly that not only is each Jewish individual important, but implicitly, that Hebrew names are an essential part of Jewish identity. In fact, generations into brutal slavery, one of the reasons offered for the salvation of the Jews, is that despite rampant and understandable loss of identity, B’nei Yisrael was redeemed through the merit of maintaining their own Hebrew names.
In Romeo and Juliet Act II Scene II, when playwright William Shakespeare asks the question, “What’s in a name?”, Juliet shares the famous adage that a “rose by any other name will smell as sweet.” Shakespeare suggests that while names themselves are a convention to distinguish things or people, names themselves do not have any worth or meaning. Judaism respectfully disagrees with the world’s foremost playwright!
Here are a few random thoughts regarding the significance of names in Jewish tradition:
- The Torah reiterates the names of those who descended to Egypt to acknowledge these foundational individuals, who became the progenitors of the nation of Israel.
- Ashkenazi tradition sees naming a new child as a way to preserve family memories by honoring deceased relatives and keeping their legacy and their names alive. Sephardim, on the other hand, name children after living relatives or community elders, again a clear homage to wisdom and respect for that beloved individual.
- Lubavitch Hasidim often name their children after the Rebbe and his immediate family, which is why you will find so many Menachem Mendels and Chaya Mushkes running around Crown Heights.
- Most importantly, Ecclesiastes shares a powerful chiastic verse teaching that ט֥וֹב שֵׁ֖ם מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן ט֑וֹב (tov shem mishemen tov – a good name is better than precious oil), thus referencing the importance of personal dignity.
May we all be inspired to fulfill the ideals of our own gifted names as we continue to serve Hashem in joy; to learn, to teach, and to do. Together, we will complete our holy mission and make God’s name great again!
Shabbat Shalom.