WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Parashat Lekh L'kha

Cheshvan 8, 5785 / November 9, 2024

Torah: Genesis 12:1 - 17:27

Haftarah: Isaiah 40:27 - 41:16

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This d'var torah is offered in memory of my uncle, Merwin Erenbaum, whose yahrzeit falls on Saturday, November 9, corresponding to 8 Cheshvan. Y'hi zikhro liv'rakhah - May his memory be a blessing.

This d'var torah is offered in memory of my zayde, Sam Flom, whose yahrzeit falls on Sunday, November 10, corresponding to 9 Cheshvan. Y'hi zikhro liv'rakhah - May his memory be a blessing.

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah and a speedy and safe return of all the hostages being held by Hamas.

This d’var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for all who have been wounded in the terrorist attacks and in fighting against the terrorists, as well as innocent non-combatants caught in the crossfire.

This d'var torah is offered in memory of the first Jews to die in the Shoah, the victims of Kristallnacht, November 9-10, 1938.

This d'var Torah is offered in honor of my family members:

Jacob Slome - US Army - WW1

David Flom, MD - US Army - WW2

Merton Flom, OD, PhD - US Navy - WW2

Abraham Kronzek - US Navy - WW2

Leo Kronzek - US Army - WW2

Joseph Kronzek - US Army - WW2

Ira Erenrich - US Army - WW2

Martin Flom - US Air Force - Korean War

Hans Schack - US Army - 1950s

Merwin Erenbaum - US Army - 1950s

and every veteran who honorably served in the armed forces of the United States of America. Don’t forget to fly Old Glory on Monday, 11/11.

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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. On November 11, we'll be at BT Chagigah 12b, page 17 of Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) Volume 3:

  '... א"ר לוי כל הפוסק מדברי תורה'

"R. Levi said: "Whoever interrupts his study of the Torah ..."'

Volume 3 of Ein Ya'akov is now available and downloadable on Google drive at:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1symdqiuA-HHe7pqOezMo_zp79eTpNakc/view?usp=sharing 

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WHAT’S IN A NAME?

"When Avram was 99 years old, the Lord (Y-H-W-H) appeared to Avram and said to him, 'I am God Almighty (El Shaddai). Walk before Me and be blameless.'" Genesis 17:1

In "Guide for the Perplexed", Rambam (Maimonides) writes that, contrary to what we might think, God has only one name - the Tetragrammaton which we do not pronounce but read instead as "Adonai" - Lord. Such "names" as Dayan (judge), Shaddai (almighty), Tzaddik (righteous), Chanun (gracious), Rachum (merciful), and Elohim (chief) are descriptive of God's actions, rather than actual names. It is dangerous, Rambam tells us, to think of these as names, for that leads to error. On the other hand, claiming that these are "attributes" may create the belief that there is a plurality within God, or worse, that there is more than one God. God cannot be subdivided in this way, according to Rambam, for God has no limits. Any attempt to describe God must fail because human language, and of course human beings, have limits.

Abram's Journey from Ur to Canaan (József Molnár, 1850)

To be clear, this discussion does not apply to the names of human beings. Consider Avram, whose name means "exalted father". God tells him, "You shall no longer be called Avram, but your name shall be Avraham, for I make you the father of many nations." (Gen. 17:5) Indeed, in the Torah, names bestowed by God are destiny. But for those of us less fortunate than Avraham (or Sarai, whose name becomes Sarah, or Ya'akov, who becomes Yisrael), we create our destiny through our own actions. How we live determines how we are called, even after we die.

Rabbi Shimon taught: "There are three crowns - the crown of Torah (i.e., being a teacher, though one may be unworthy), the crown of priesthood and the crown of kingship (both of which are hereditary). But the crown of a good name excels them all." Avot 4:17

For good or ill, we make names for ourselves, and it is by those names that we are known.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom

Rabbi Emeritus

Temple B'nai Hayim

"שתיקה כהודאה דמיא"

"Silence in the face of wrongdoing is consent.”

BT Yevamot 88a

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