In life, you discover that people are called by three names: One is the name the person is called by his father and mother; one is the name people call him; and one is the name he acquires for himself. The best one is the one he acquires for himself. (Tanchuma, Vayak'heil 1)
The rabbis caution us, however, to use the power of our voices and our words wisely. We must make certain that we use the divine gift of naming in a moral, appropriate, and thoughtful manner. We must also reject feeling that we are destined to live with and exemplify only the names given to us by others. Our tradition teaches that through our own choices and actions, each of us can name and rename ourselves. By doing so, each of us can bring honor to God, to the bestowers of our names, and to ourselves.
(Rabbi Andrew Davids' D'var Torah, http://myjewishlearning.com/texts/Bible/Weekly_Torah_Portion/bereisht_uahc5762.shtml?p=3)
(Rabbi Andrew Davids' D'var Torah, http://myjewishlearning.com/texts/Bible/Weekly_Torah_Portion/bereisht_uahc5762.shtml?p=3)
(כט) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לֹ֤א יַעֲקֹב֙ יֵאָמֵ֥ר עוֹד֙ שִׁמְךָ֔ כִּ֖י אִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּֽי־שָׂרִ֧יתָ עִם־אֱלֹהִ֛ים וְעִם־אֲנָשִׁ֖ים וַתּוּכָֽל׃
(29) And he said: ‘Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast striven with God and with men, and hast prevailed.’
נשמה= שם
שם=340
ספר=340
The names of our children are the result of a partnership between our effort and God’s response. That is why the Hebrew word for ‘name,’ shem, has the same numerical value as the word for ‘book,’ sefer: 340.
Names are a book. They tell a story. The story of our spiritual potential as well as our life’s mission. That explains the fascinating midrash that tells us when we complete our years on this earth and face heavenly judgment, one of the most powerful questions we will be asked at the outset is, What is your name – and did you live up to it?
When the Torah says, “God created,” it doesn’t suggest that He worked with what He fashioned by labor, but merely that He spoke – and the very words describing the object came into being. God said, “Let there be light and there was light.” The Almighty merely gave it a name, and the very letters defined its atomic structure.
Names are not just convenient ways for us to differentiate between objects. Names are responsible for the differences between all things on this earth.
Names came before the existence of those things with which they would subsequently be identified. Names are not the offspring, but rather the parents of everything in the universe. Things really are what they are called. Or to put it more bluntly, they are what they are because of what they are named
שם=340
ספר=340
The names of our children are the result of a partnership between our effort and God’s response. That is why the Hebrew word for ‘name,’ shem, has the same numerical value as the word for ‘book,’ sefer: 340.
Names are a book. They tell a story. The story of our spiritual potential as well as our life’s mission. That explains the fascinating midrash that tells us when we complete our years on this earth and face heavenly judgment, one of the most powerful questions we will be asked at the outset is, What is your name – and did you live up to it?
When the Torah says, “God created,” it doesn’t suggest that He worked with what He fashioned by labor, but merely that He spoke – and the very words describing the object came into being. God said, “Let there be light and there was light.” The Almighty merely gave it a name, and the very letters defined its atomic structure.
Names are not just convenient ways for us to differentiate between objects. Names are responsible for the differences between all things on this earth.
Names came before the existence of those things with which they would subsequently be identified. Names are not the offspring, but rather the parents of everything in the universe. Things really are what they are called. Or to put it more bluntly, they are what they are because of what they are named
The Midrash teaches us that although prophecy no longer exists after the close of the Bible, there is one small area in which we are still granted a glimpse of Divine wisdom. It comes to us when we struggle to find the right name for our offspring.
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When Abram came to the realization of monotheism, his name had to be changed: “Neither shall your name any more be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for the father a multitude of nations have I made you” (Genesis 17:5). The change of identity required a change of identification.
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When Jacob, whose name came from the root word meaning “heel” – which so perfectly suited someone whose approach to the problems of life was always flight – suddenly realized he had to fight rather than flee, the angel informed him: “Your name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed” (Genesis 32:29). A traumatic lifestyle change brings with it a new personal descriptive.
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When the children of Israel were redeemed from Egypt, the Midrash makes says it was in the merit of three things that the Almighty took note of their suffering and decided to ensure their survival. The Jews may have been imperfect in many ways, but overriding their sins was the fact that “they did not change their names, their language, and their mode of dress.” First and paramount was the fact that they maintained their attachment to their “true selves” by remaining loyal to their given names.
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If a person is critically ill, Jewish law suggests a powerful last resort: change the name of the individual in order to alter the decree. Adding the name Chaim, Hebrew for ‘life,’ is one well-known example.
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It is our custom to name children after those whom we deeply admire or seek to memorialize. To link a newborn with someone from the past is to bring together two souls in an inseparable bond of life.
(כה) אַל־נָ֣א יָשִׂ֣ים אֲדֹנִ֣י ׀ אֶת־לִבּ֡וֹ אֶל־אִישׁ֩ הַבְּלִיַּ֨עַל הַזֶּ֜ה עַל־נָבָ֗ל כִּ֤י כִשְׁמוֹ֙ כֶּן־ה֔וּא נָבָ֣ל שְׁמ֔וֹ וּנְבָלָ֖ה עִמּ֑וֹ וַֽאֲנִי֙ אֲמָ֣תְךָ֔ לֹ֥א רָאִ֛יתִי אֶת־נַעֲרֵ֥י אֲדֹנִ֖י אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁלָֽחְתָּ׃
(25) Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this base fellow, even Nabal; for as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and churlishness is with him; but I thy handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.
It is not our names that force us to be what we are. It is what we are that transmits itself in a profoundly prophetic manner to those entrusted with the holy task of choosing our names. It is a message from God entrusted to our name-givers in order to help us define our mission on earth.
So while we are far from being like Hurricane Sandy, we need to recognize that we will forever leave behind our names as a final legacy. Our names outlive us; let’s do everything in our power to make them be remembered for blessing.
So while we are far from being like Hurricane Sandy, we need to recognize that we will forever leave behind our names as a final legacy. Our names outlive us; let’s do everything in our power to make them be remembered for blessing.
It’s official: The name Sandy has been retired as a suitable name for tropical storms due to the horrific damage and the 72 deaths she caused on the East Coast.
Storm names are recycled every six years or so, unless they cause catastrophic harm. In that case, we just don’t want to take a chance on a repeat performance by another storm bearing the identical name.
Storm names are recycled every six years or so, unless they cause catastrophic harm. In that case, we just don’t want to take a chance on a repeat performance by another storm bearing the identical name.
Irving Bunim, of blessed memory, would tell a story about a brit milah that he attended. When the rabbi asked the father for the name of the boy, the father responded: “Avraham, Yitzchok, Yakov, David, Shlomo, Yosef.” The rabbi was astounded and asked the father: “why such a string of names?” The father replied: “Rabbi, I am a poor man so the child won’t have much of an inheritance. If he looks like my side of the family, he is not going to be too handsome. If he resembles my wife’s side of the family he probably won’t be that smart either. So, I decided, let him at least have a good name!” The tribes of Israel had good names, each one representing loyalty to God and to Jewish greatness. In the long night of Egyptian exile it would be the fact that they remembered their names – their ancestors, their traditions, their vision of the future – that kept alive their spark of hope for redemption. As long as they remembered their names they were part of the Jewish people and bound to the eternal covenant of being God’s people.
(ה) וַיּוֹצֵ֨א אֹת֜וֹ הַח֗וּצָה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַבֶּט־נָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה וּסְפֹר֙ הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים אִם־תּוּכַ֖ל לִסְפֹּ֣ר אֹתָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ כֹּ֥ה יִהְיֶ֖ה זַרְעֶֽךָ׃
(5) And He brought him forth abroad, and said: ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars, if thou be able to count them’; and He said unto him: ‘So shall thy seed be.’
(ד) מוֹנֶ֣ה מִ֭סְפָּר לַכּוֹכָבִ֑ים לְ֝כֻלָּ֗ם שֵׁמ֥וֹת יִקְרָֽא׃
(4) He counteth the number of the stars; He giveth them all their names.
"He counts the numbers of the stars; He gives a name to each of them." Since the beginning of time, the stars have captured mankind's imagination. They hold the secrets of creation, and of the future. They are a road map to the navigator, a challenge to the astronomer, and a symbol of quest to the explorer.
Those sparkling lights in the vast darkness seem so small, yet we know they are not. Their numbers reach infinity, but all are special to God, and "He gives each a name." Each has its unique purpose, and no two are exactly the same.
- h there are more than 1022 known stars in the universe, each star is unique. Every star has different properties with many variables in its makeup. These variables include the total number of atoms, exact chemical composition, size, temperature, and motion. Thus, each star has a unique spectrum. As the chemical composition changes, the spectrum changes.
Those sparkling lights in the vast darkness seem so small, yet we know they are not. Their numbers reach infinity, but all are special to God, and "He gives each a name." Each has its unique purpose, and no two are exactly the same.
- h there are more than 1022 known stars in the universe, each star is unique. Every star has different properties with many variables in its makeup. These variables include the total number of atoms, exact chemical composition, size, temperature, and motion. Thus, each star has a unique spectrum. As the chemical composition changes, the spectrum changes.
Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin 37a:
לפיכך נברא אדם יחידי, ללמדך שכל המאבד נפש אחת ... מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו איבד עולם מלא וכל המקיים נפש אחת ... מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו קיים עולם מלא. ... לפיכך כל אחד ואחד חייב לומר, בשבילי נברא העולם.
Some stars show obvious color and brightness differences. Others require spectroscopic study to detect their particular identity or fingerprint. All the heavenly bodies pursue their assigned paths; each has its name and place, and each has its role in the great procession of space
לפיכך נברא אדם יחידי, ללמדך שכל המאבד נפש אחת ... מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו איבד עולם מלא וכל המקיים נפש אחת ... מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו קיים עולם מלא. ... לפיכך כל אחד ואחד חייב לומר, בשבילי נברא העולם.
Some stars show obvious color and brightness differences. Others require spectroscopic study to detect their particular identity or fingerprint. All the heavenly bodies pursue their assigned paths; each has its name and place, and each has its role in the great procession of space
(א) פרק א: בבאור כלל חובת האדם בעולמו - יסוד החסידות ושרש העבודה התמימה הוא שיתברר ויתאמת אצל האדם מה חובתו בעולמו
Rav Tzadok Hakohen Tzidkat Hatzadik 154:
כשם שצריך האדם להאמין בהשם יתברך כך צריך אחר כך להאמין בעצמו
Rabbi Akiva tatz – the thinking Jewish teenager’s guide to life, pp. 79-80 – since god has given us the tools we need to ful ll our task, clearly looking at our special tools is a means to discover it.
If you were placed on a building site with a bag of tools by an intelligent foreman, all you need do
is look around and see what is being built in your immediate vicinity and what tools you have been given and you will know immediately what you should be doing. Obviously, you have been given exactly the tools you need for the job; life is not a joke – you have a task to accomplish and you have de nitely been given all you need to accomplish it. A careful examination of your place in the world and your personal character tools will give you a clear picture of who you are and what you must do ...
Rav Matisyahu Solomon:
In this idea of knowing and focusing on one’s positive traits, Rav Yeruchom presaged a recent development in the eld of psychology. Though they obviously don’t base their idea from a con dence that a perfect God gave each of us our precise role and the tools to perform it, the founders of the Positive Psychology movement have found that a shift of focus onto our strengths – something that is for most of us by no means natural – leads to far greater success in life (as they de ne success).
The problem is that most of us do not nd it very easy to recognize our strengths. For this reason these psychologists have generated a list of character strengths that are widely valued across many cultures. They found that even people who are not fully conscious of their strengths if they are presented
with this list of 24 possible strengths can usually nd between two or ve such characteristics. This discovery can feel like an epiphany as they recognize that such a strength feels authentic (“this is the real me”), is associated with excitement when using it, and rapid learning in themes associated with that strength. (Christopher Peterson The Handbook Of Positive Psychology, pp. 137-162). This list
is found on their website http://www.viastrengths.org and could be a useful tool to start searching for these character strengths
כשם שצריך האדם להאמין בהשם יתברך כך צריך אחר כך להאמין בעצמו
Rabbi Akiva tatz – the thinking Jewish teenager’s guide to life, pp. 79-80 – since god has given us the tools we need to ful ll our task, clearly looking at our special tools is a means to discover it.
If you were placed on a building site with a bag of tools by an intelligent foreman, all you need do
is look around and see what is being built in your immediate vicinity and what tools you have been given and you will know immediately what you should be doing. Obviously, you have been given exactly the tools you need for the job; life is not a joke – you have a task to accomplish and you have de nitely been given all you need to accomplish it. A careful examination of your place in the world and your personal character tools will give you a clear picture of who you are and what you must do ...
Rav Matisyahu Solomon:
In this idea of knowing and focusing on one’s positive traits, Rav Yeruchom presaged a recent development in the eld of psychology. Though they obviously don’t base their idea from a con dence that a perfect God gave each of us our precise role and the tools to perform it, the founders of the Positive Psychology movement have found that a shift of focus onto our strengths – something that is for most of us by no means natural – leads to far greater success in life (as they de ne success).
The problem is that most of us do not nd it very easy to recognize our strengths. For this reason these psychologists have generated a list of character strengths that are widely valued across many cultures. They found that even people who are not fully conscious of their strengths if they are presented
with this list of 24 possible strengths can usually nd between two or ve such characteristics. This discovery can feel like an epiphany as they recognize that such a strength feels authentic (“this is the real me”), is associated with excitement when using it, and rapid learning in themes associated with that strength. (Christopher Peterson The Handbook Of Positive Psychology, pp. 137-162). This list
is found on their website http://www.viastrengths.org and could be a useful tool to start searching for these character strengths
Poems by Walterrean Salley :You Are Unique - Poem by Walterrean Salley
He could've made two—
Another just like you.
But, then, He took
A second thought,
And said, 'Just one would do.'
And so, for your loveliness—
Your uniqueness too—
There is no other
Quite like you.
There's just no other quite like you
He could've made two—
Another just like you.
But, then, He took
A second thought,
And said, 'Just one would do.'
And so, for your loveliness—
Your uniqueness too—
There is no other
Quite like you.
There's just no other quite like you
(ז) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, מַרְבֶּה בָשָׂר מַרְבֶּה רִמָּה. מַרְבֶּה נְכָסִים, מַרְבֶּה דְאָגָה. מַרְבֶּה נָשִׁים, מַרְבֶּה כְשָׁפִים. מַרְבֶּה שְׁפָחוֹת, מַרְבֶּה זִמָּה. מַרְבֶּה עֲבָדִים, מַרְבֶּה גָזֵל. מַרְבֶּה תוֹרָה, מַרְבֶּה חַיִּים. מַרְבֶּה יְשִׁיבָה, מַרְבֶּה חָכְמָה. מַרְבֶּה עֵצָה, מַרְבֶּה תְבוּנָה. מַרְבֶּה צְדָקָה, מַרְבֶּה שָׁלוֹם. קָנָה שֵׁם טוֹב, קָנָה לְעַצְמוֹ. קָנָה לוֹ דִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, קָנָה לוֹ חַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא:
(7) The more flesh, the more worms. The more possessions, the more worry. The more wives, the more witchcraft. The more maidservants, the more lewdness. The more man-servants, the more theft. The more Torah, the more life. The more sitting [and studying], the more wisdom. The more counsel, the more understanding. The more charity, the more peace. One who has acquired a good name has acquired for himself. One who has acquired words of Torah has acquired for himself the life of the World to Come.