Name Changes in Torah - Sh'lach

אֵ֚לֶּה שְׁמ֣וֹת הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֖ה לָת֣וּר אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּקְרָ֥א מֹשֶׁ֛ה לְהוֹשֵׁ֥עַ בִּן־נ֖וּן יְהוֹשֻֽׁעַ׃

Numbers 13:16

Those were the names of the men whom Moses sent to scout the land; but Moses changed the name of Hosea son of Nun to Joshua.

בראשית י״ז:ה׳

(ה) וְלֹא־יִקָּרֵ֥א ע֛וֹד אֶת־שִׁמְךָ֖ אַבְרָ֑ם וְהָיָ֤ה שִׁמְךָ֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם כִּ֛י אַב־הֲמ֥וֹן גּוֹיִ֖ם נְתַתִּֽיךָ׃

Genesis 17:5

(5) And you shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I make you the father of a multitude of nations.

רש"י על במדבר י״ג:ט״ז:א׳

(א) ויקרא משה להושע וגו' . התפלל עליו יה יושיעך מעצת מרגלים:

Rashi on Numbers 13:16:1

(1) "And Moses called to Hoshea etc." - [Moses] prayed to G-d about [Hoshea] that [he] should be saved from the counsel of the spies.

רמב"ן על שמות י״ז:ט׳:א׳

(א) ויאמר משה אל יהושע נראה מכאן כי משה מיום היותו לפניו היה קורא אותו יהושע, וכן כתוב (להלן לב יז) וישמע יהושע את קול העם. והכתוב שאמר בענין המרגלים ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע (במדבר יג טז), למבראשונה ידבר, הודיענו כי זה הושע בן נון אשר בחרו במרגלים הוא אשר קראו משה יהושע. וכדברי רבותינו (סוטה לד:) שאמר יה יושיעך מעצת מרגלים, להגיד כי בעבור זה המעשה שהיה משה יודע שהוא עתיד ללכת עם המרגלים קרא לו השם הזה. או נאמר כי אז קבע לו משה אותו השם בפני העדה שלא יקרא שמו עוד הושע ויהיה שמו יהושע:

Ramban on Exodus 17:9:1

Moses said to Joshua: Apparently Moses called him Joshua from the day when he first began to serve him; evidently "Moses changed the name of Hoshea son of Nun to Joshua" (Numbers 13:16) is telling us that the Hosea selected to be among the spies is the one whose name Moses had changed. The Midrash says Moses changed his name to make it a prayer, "May God preserve you from the counsels of the spies," which tells us that Moses knew about the incident in advance. Or perhaps at that time Moses made the name change public so that from that time on everyone would call him Joshua instead of Hoshea.

הטור הארוך, במדבר י״ג:ט״ז:ב׳

(ב) ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע. לפי הפשט לכך שינה שמו בשביל שהיה שר צבא במלחמת עמלק ויצא לו קול בעולם בנוצחו את עמלק לכך שינה את שמו שלא יכירוהו:

Tur HaArokh, Numbers 13:16:2

(2) ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע, “Moses named Hoseah son of Nun Joshua.” According to the plain meaning of the text his name was changed, as he had been the commander of the army in the battle against Amalek. He had acquired an international reputation as a result of that encounter. Moses changed his name so that he would not be singled out as a target for the Canaanites. After all, they had never seen him, had only heard about him.

רשב"ם על במדבר י״ג:ט״ז:א׳

(א) ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע - לא עתה קרא אותו כן, שהרי כבר קודם לכן נקרא יהושע אלא כך פירושו: הושע בן נון שאמרנו למעלה שנקרא כן בבית אביו הוא אותו שקרא משה [יהושע] כשנעשה משרתו והפקידו על ביתו, שכך היה מנהגם כמו: ויקרא פרעה שם יוסף צפנת פענח. ויקרא לדניאל די שמיה בלטשצר כשם אלהיה.

Rashbam on Numbers 13:16:1

(1) And Moses called Hoshea son of Nun Joshua: This does not mean that the people from then on called this man Joshua. It means that the man who had been referred to as Hosheah son of Nun in his father’s house was the one whom Moses now referred to as Joshua. The change had occurred already at the time when Moses appointed this man to be his personal valet. It was customary to change the names of people who were promoted in rank. We find this the first time when Pharaoh changed Joseph’s name to Tzofnat Paneach (Genesis 41,45) We find it again in Daniel 1,6 when Nevuchadnezzar’s chief officer changed Daniel’s name to Belteshazzar. This had been a reference to a Babylonian idol so named. The first time Joshua’s name had been changed was in Exodus 24,13.

מכילתא דרבי ישמעאל, מַסֶּכְתָּא דַעֲמָלֵק ג׳:ד׳-י׳

( ד"א וישמע יתרו, מתחלה לא היו קוראין לו אלא יתר, שנאמר (שמות ד) וילך משה וישב אל יתר חותנו, וכשעשה מעשים טובים הוסיפו לו אות אחת. וכן אתה מוצא באברהם, שמתחלה לא היו קוראין אותו אלא אברם, וכשעשה מעשים טובים הוסיפו לו אות אחת, ונקרא שמו אברהם. וכן אתה מוצא בשרה, שמתחלתה היו קוראין אותה שרי, וכשעשתה מעשים טובים הוסיפו לה אות אחת גדולה ונקראת שמה שרה. וכן אתה מוצא ביהושע, [שמתחלה היו קוראין אותו הושע, וכשעשה מעשים טובים הוסיפו לו אות אחת ונקרא יהושע,] שנא' (במדבר יג) ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע. ויש אחרים שפחתו מהם; יש לך ללמד מעפרון, שמתחלה היו קוראין אותו עפרון, וכששקל הכסף מיד אברהם פחתו אות אחת משמו, שנאמר וישמע אברהם אל עפרון וישקול אברהם לעפרן את הכסף, עפרן כתיב. וכן אתה מוצא ביונדב, שמתחלה היו קוראין אותו יהונדב, וכשבא לאותו מעשה, פחתו לו אות אחת ונקרא יונדב, שנאמר (דה"ב כ) בהתחברך לרשע פרץ ה' מעשיך. מכאן אמרו חכמים, אל יתחבר אדם לרשע אפילו לקרבו לתורה.

Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, Tractate Amalek 3:4-10

In the beginning, Jethro was called "Yether," viz. (Exodus 4:18) "And Moses went and he returned to Yether, his father-in-law," and when he "added" good deeds (to himself), a letter (vav) was added to his name. And thus do you find with Avraham. In the beginning he was called "Avram," and when he "added" good deeds, a letter (heh) was added to his name and he was called "Avraham." And thus do you find with Sarah. In the beginning she was called "Sarai," and when she "added" good deeds, a "great" letter (heh) was added to her name and she was called "Sarah." And thus do you find with Yehoshua, viz. (Numbers 13:16) "And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Yehoshua." And there are others whose name was diminished, e.g., Efron. In the beginning he was called "Efron," but when he took the money from Abraham, a letter was dropped from his name, viz. (Genesis 23:16) "and Abraham hearkened to Efron," "and Abraham gave the money to Efron." And thus do you find with Yonadav. In the beginning he was called "Yehonadav," but after "that deed" a letter was dropped from his name and he was called "Yonadav," as it is written (II Chronicles 20:37) "When you befriended Achazyahu, etc." — whence the sages ruled: Let one not befriend an evildoer, even to draw him close to Torah.

סנהדרין ק״ז א:ט״ז

ונקיתי מפשע רב שלא יכתב סרחוני אמר לו א"א ומה יו"ד שנטלתי משרי עומד וצווח כמה שנים עד שבא יהושע והוספתי לו שנאמר (במדבר יג, טז) ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע כל הפרשה כולה עאכ"ו

Sanhedrin 107a:16

David requested: “And I shall be clear from great transgression” (Psalms 19:14), meaning that my transgression with Bathsheba and Uriah will not be written in the Bible. God said to him: That is impossible. And just as the letter yod that I removed from the name of Sarai, wife of Abraham, when I changed her name to Sarah, was standing and screaming several years over its omission from the Bible until Joshua came and I added the yod to his name, as it is stated: “And Moses called Hosea, son of Nun, Joshua [Yehoshua]” (Numbers 13:16); the entire portion of your transgression, which is fit to be included in the Bible, all the more so it cannot be omitted.

Sotah 11b:12-13

It is taught in a baraita according to the one who says that they were a woman and her daughter, because it is taught in a baraita: With regard to Shiphrah, who is referred to in the verse, this is really a reference to Jochebed. And why was she called Shiphrah? Because she would prepare [mishapperet] the newborn. Alternatively, she is referred to as Shiphrah because the Jewish people increased and multiplied [shepparu verabbu] in her days, due to her assistance. The baraita continues: With regard to Puah, who is referred to in the verse, this is really a reference to Miriam. And why was she called Puah? Because she would make a comforting sound [po’a] as she would remove the child from the womb of the mother. Alternatively, the word Puah is related to one of the verbs that describe speaking, as she would speak [po’a] through divine inspiration and say: In the future, my mother will give birth to a son who will save the Jewish people.

אור החיים על בראשית ל״ה:י׳:א׳-ב׳

(א) לא יקרא שמך וגו' כי אם ישראל. צריך לדעת מה נשתנה יעקב מאברהם כי הקורא לאברהם אברם עובר בעשה (ברכות יג.) אבל הקורא לישראל יעקב אינו עובר. והגם שרז"ל (שם) אמרו כי יעקב אהדריה קרא, ולמה לא נלמוד ממה דאהדריה ליעקב הגם שאמר בו לא יקרא ואהדריה כמו כן באברהם. (ב) ואולי כי לצד ששינה ה' דברו הטוב האמור ביעקב מהאמור באברהם במה שאמר שמך יעקב כי לא היה צריך לומר כן כי מה חידש בזה באמרו שמך יעקב אלא ודאי שנתכוין לומר שם קבוע הוא לך, אלא שצריך לדעת טעמו של הקב"ה למה באברהם הקפיד על אברם ועל יעקב לא הקפיד. ויראה כי יש טעם נכון, והוא למה שקדם לנו כי שמות בני האדם הם שמות נפשותם וה' שם שמות בארץ ודרשו ז"ל (שם ז.) וכו'. והנה יעקב יהיה שם נפש שהיתה לו ולזה הגם שניתוסף בו רוח אלהים הנקרא ישראל לא מפני זה אבד הראשון והרי ישנם לראשון גם שני ויכול הוא ליקרא יעקב ואין ראוי שיעקר שמו הראשון לחלוטין, מה שאין כן אברהם כי גם אחר שינוי שמו לעילוי לא נעקר שם הראשון כי יש בכלל אברהם אברם ולזה יצו האל לקרות לו בתמידות אברהם ואין עקירה לראשון כי בכלל אברהם אברם. ואולי כי זה רמז הכתוב בדברי הימים (א' א') אברם הוא אברהם, וכפי זה אומרו לא יקרא שמך עוד וגו' פירוש לבד אלא גם ישראל. גם דייק באומרו לא יקרא שמך עוד ולא אמר לא יקרא עוד שמך כמו שאמר באברהם (לד י"ז ה') והבן:

Or HaChaim on Genesis 35:10:1-2

(1) לא יקרא שמך יעקב כי אם ישראל, "You will not be called Jacob but Israel, etc." We need to understand the difference between when G'd renamed Abram and when he renamed Jacob. Berachot 13 states that anyone who calls Abraham Abram nowadays violates a positive commandment, whereas it is permissible to refer to Jacob as either Jacob or Israel. Although our rabbis in the Talmud there point out that the Torah itself refers to Israel as Jacob after G'd renamed him, in view of the fact that we ignore the words לא יקרא when it comes to Jacob, why should the same rule not apply to Abraham and we should have the choice of calling him by either name? (2) Perhaps the very fact that G'd limited the good news when He renamed Jacob by saying: "your name is Jacob," made this change of name qualitatively different from that of Abraham at the time. There had been no need for G'd to repeat "your name is Jacob." Who did not know this? Surely what G'd meant by this was that Jacob's permanent name would remain Jacob, but that on some occasions he would be referred to by an additional name, i.e. Israel. Why would it bother G'd that we should not refer to Abraham's original name? I believe there is a very good reason. We have to remember that names describe the nature of its bearers' souls, their essence. The Talmud Berachot 7 illustrates this point. Jacob's essence then is described by the name Jacob. Whenever he enjoyed a large measure of Holy Spirit he was referred to as "Israel." There is certainly no reason why Jacob should be deprived of his original name on account of an occasional infusion of רוח הקודש. It was quite different in the case of Abraham who retained all the letters of his original name in his expanded name also. This is why G'd commanded to call him only by his new and expanded name Abraham. By doing so one did not deny his original name at all. Perhaps Chronicles I,1 26 refers to this when it states: "Abram is Abraham." When the Torah said: "your name shall not be called, etc," the meaning is that it should not be called exclusively Jacob but also Israel. This is exactly parallel to Genesis 17,5 where Abraham's name was changed.

מגילה י״ג א:י׳-י״ב

ויהי אומן את הדסה קרי לה הדסה וקרי לה אסתר תניא ר"מ אומר אסתר שמה ולמה נקרא שמה הדסה על שם הצדיקים שנקראו הדסים וכן הוא אומר (זכריה א, ח) והוא עומד בין ההדסים רבי יהודה אומר הדסה שמה ולמה נקראת שמה אסתר על שם שהיתה מסתרת דבריה שנאמר אין אסתר מגדת את עמה וגו' ר' נחמיה אומר הדסה שמה ולמה נקראת אסתר שהיו אומות העולם קורין אותה על שום אסתהר בן עזאי אומר אסתר לא ארוכה ולא קצרה היתה אלא בינונית כהדסה ר' יהושע בן קרחה אמר אסתר ירקרוקת היתה וחוט של חסד משוך עליה

Megillah 13a:10-12

The verse states: “And he had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther” (Esther 2:7). She is referred to as “Hadassah” and she is referred to as “Esther.” What was her real name? It is taught in a baraita that the Sages differed in their opinion as to which was in fact her name and which one was a description: Rabbi Meir says: Esther was her real name. Why then was she called Hadassah? On account of the righteous, who are called myrtles [hadassim], and so it states: “And he stood among the myrtles [hahadassim]” (Zechariah 1:8). Rabbi Yehuda differs and says: Hadassah was her real name. Why then was she called Esther? Because she concealed [masteret] the truth about herself, as it is stated: “Esther had not yet made known her kindred nor her people” (Esther 2:20). Rabbi Neḥemya concurs and says: Hadassah was her real name. Why then was she called Esther? This was her non-Hebrew name, for owing to her beauty the nations of the world called her after Istahar, Venus. Ben Azzai says: Esther was neither tall nor short, but of average size like a myrtle tree, and therefore she was called Hadassah, the Hebrew name resembling that myrtle tree. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa said: Esther was called Hadassah because she was greenish, having a pale complexion like a myrtle, but a cord of Divine grace was strung around her, endowing her with a beautiful appearance.

ברכות י״ג א:ד׳-י״ב

״אַבְרָם הוּא אַבְרָהָם״: בַּתְּחִלָּה נַעֲשָׂה אָב לַאֲרָם, וּלְבַסּוֹף נַעֲשָׂה אָב לְכָל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ. ״שָׂרַי הִיא שָׂרָה״. בַּתְּחִלָּה נַעֲשֵׂית שָׂרַי לְאוּמָּתָהּ, וּלְבַסּוֹף נַעֲשֵׂית שָׂרָה לְכָל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ. תָּנֵי בַּר קַפָּרָא: כָּל הַקּוֹרֵא לְאַבְרָהָם ״אַבְרָם״ — עוֹבֵר בַּעֲשֵׂה. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהָיָה שִׁמְךָ אַבְרָהָם״. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: עוֹבֵר בְּלָאו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְלֹא יִקָּרֵא עוֹד [אֶת] שִׁמְךָ אַבְרָם״. אֶלָּא מֵעַתָּה הַקּוֹרֵא לְשָׂרָה ״שָׂרַי״ הָכִי נָמֵי? הָתָם, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר לְאַבְרָהָם: ״שָׂרַי אִשְׁתְּךָ לֹא תִקְרָא אֶת שְׁמָהּ שָׂרָי כִּי שָׂרָה שְׁמָהּ״. אֶלָּא מֵעַתָּה הַקּוֹרֵא לְיַעֲקֹב ״יַעֲקֹב״ הָכִי נָמֵי?! שָׁאנֵי הָתָם דַּהֲדַר אַהְדְּרֵיהּ קְרָא, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַרְאוֹת הַלַּיְלָה וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב יַעֲקֹב״.

Berakhot 13a:4-12

Having mentioned the changing of Jacob’s name, the Gemara addresses the changing of the names of Abraham and Sarah. What is the meaning of changing Abram’s name to Abraham? As it is stated: “Abram is Abraham” (I Chronicles 1:27). The Gemara explains: Initially he became a father, a minister, and prominent person, only to Aram, so he was called Abram, father [av] of Aram, and ultimately with God’s blessing he became the father of the entire world, so he was called Abraham, father of the masses [av hamon], as it is stated: “I have made you the father of a multitude of nations” (Genesis 17:5). Similarly, what is the meaning of changing Sarai’s name to Sarah? The same concept applies to Sarai as to Abram: Sarai is Sarah.” The Gemara explains: Initially she was a princess only to her nation: My princess [Sarai], but ultimately she became Sarah, a general term indicating that she was princess for the entire world. Also, with regard to Abraham’s name, bar Kappara taught: Anyone who calls Abraham Abram transgresses a positive mitzva, as it is stated: “And your name will be Abraham” (Genesis 17:5). This is a positive mitzva to refer to him as Abraham. Rabbi Eliezer says: One who calls Abraham Abram transgresses a negative mitzva, as it is stated: “And your name shall no longer be called Abram, and your name will be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations” (Genesis 17:5). The Gemara asks: But if we consider these obligatory statements, then from here we must infer that one who calls Sarah Sarai also transgresses a positive or negative mitzva. The Gemara answers: There in the case of Sarah, it is not a general mitzva, rather the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Abraham alone: “And God said to Abraham, your wife Sarai, you shall not call her name Sarai; rather, Sarah is her name” (Genesis 17:15). In contrast, this is stated regarding Abraham in general terms: “Your name shall no longer be called Abram.” Again, the Gemara asks: But if that is so, one who calls Jacob Jacob, about whom it is written: “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel” (Genesis 32:29), also transgresses a mitzva. The Gemara answers: It is different there, as the verse reverts back and God Himself refers to Jacob as Jacob, as it is written before his descent to Egypt: “And God said to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob, and he said, ‘Here I am’” (Genesis 46:2).

מגילה ט״ו א:ב׳

כדעולא דאמר עולא כל מקום ששמו ושם אביו בנביאות בידוע שהוא נביא בן נביא שמו ולא שם אביו בידוע שהוא נביא ולא בן נביא שמו ושם עירו מפורש בידוע שהוא מאותה העיר שמו ולא שם עירו בידוע שהוא מירושלים

Megillah 15a:2

The Gemara answers: As taught by Ulla, as Ulla said: Wherever one’s name and his father’s name are mentioned with regard to prophecy, it is known that he was a prophet the son of a prophet, and therefore his father’s name is also mentioned. And wherever his name is mentioned but not his father’s name, it is known that he was a prophet but not the son of a prophet. Similarly, wherever his name and the name of his city are specified, it is known that he was from that particular city, and wherever his name is mentioned but not the name of his city, it is known that he was from Jerusalem.

ליקוטי מוהר"ן נ״ו:ג׳:ח׳

(ח) וְזֶה זוֹכִין עַל־יְדֵי עֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה. כִּי הַתּוֹרָה הִיא שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ־ בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, וְהַשֵּׁם הוּא הַכְּלִי שֶׁל הַדָּבָר, שֶׁבְּהַשֵּׁם הַזֶּה נִגְבָּל הַחִיּוּת שֶׁל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (בראשית ב׳:י״ט): נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה הוּא שְׁמוֹ, שֶׁבְּהַשֵּׁם נִגְבָּל הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהַחִיּוּת שֶׁל כָּל דָּבָר. וְעַל כֵּן כְּשֶׁקּוֹרִין אֶת הָאָדָם בִּשְׁמוֹ, הוּא מְזֻמָּן תֵּכֶף אֶצְלוֹ, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁבְּהַשֵּׁם נִגְבָּל כָּל הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהַחִיּוּת שֶׁלּוֹ.

Likutei Moharan 56:3:8

(8) We merit this through Torah study. This is because the Torah is the Name of God, and the name of a thing is its vessel; within this name is contained the life force of that thing. As it is written, “living soul that is its name” (Genesis 2:19)—contained in the name of each thing is its soul and life force. This is why when we call a person by his name, we gain his attention immediately, because his total soul and life force are contained within his name.