Parshat Lech-Lecha October 15, 2010 Rabbi Dahlia Kronish Parshat Lech-Lecha: What's in a Name?

In the final chapter of this week's parsha we learn about two name changes (Avram becomes Avraham and Sarai becomes Sarah) and the origin of Yitzhak's name. Both name changes appear in the context of a covenantal moment between Avram/Sarai and God and in between both we read about the commandments to circumcise boys at eight days old as a physical sign of this covenantal relationship. For the purposes of this text study, we will focus on Avram's new name.

ה וא-יקָּא עוֹד אֶת-שִׁמְ, אַבְם; והָיה ;And your name shall no longer be called Avram שִׁמְ אַבְהָם, כִּי אַב-הֲמוֹן גּוֹים נתתִּי. your name will be Avraham, for I make you the father of a multitude of nations. (Bereshit 17:5)

המון Explanation: the additional letter hey in Avraham's new name comes from the word (multitude). In this way Avraham's name now embodies the promise/covenant that he will indeed have many offspring.

Throughout this week's parsha, we learn that Avram is eager to have children. After all, the promise of offspring is the first in a list of promises when God instructs Avram to leave Haran and head towards Cna'an. Furthermore, in chapter sixteen (preceding the name change), we learn of the story where Sarai assigns her mistress Hagar to Avram with the hope of having a son through her. However, after Hagar gets pregnant, Avram gives Sarai the go ahead to treat Hagar as she so pleases, and Hagar escapes to the desert.

With this in mind, we read the following teaching: ר' יודן בשם ר' אלעזר שלשה הן שמבטלין :Rav Yudan said on behalf of Rabbi Elazar את הגזירה ואילו הן, התפילה והצדקה ,there are three acts that cancel the decree: tfillah והתשובה... tzedakah, and teshuva (prayer, repentance, and ר' חונא בשם ר' יוסי אף שינוי השם ושינוי ...(righteousness מעשה. שינוי השם מאבינו אברהם, ולא Rabbi Huna on behalf of Rabbi Yosi suggests that the list should also include changing your יקרא עוד את שמך אברם והיה שמך אברהם name and changing your action. Changing your (בראשית יז: ה), אברם לא מוליד, אברהם name we learn from Avraham Avinu as it says מוליד. ודכוותיה, שרי אשתך (שם שם ,your name shall no longer be called Avram“ /בראשית י"ז/ טו), שרי לא ילדה, ושרה ,your name is Avraham.” Avram did not birth ילדה... Avraham birthed. And similarly Sarai did not ויש אומרים אף שינוי מקום מאבינו אברהם, .birth, Sarah birthed ויאמר ה' אל אברם לך לך מארצך And there are those who say that we also learn וממולדתך (בראשית יג: א), והדר, ואעשך that change of place (can affect the decree) as לגוי גדול (שם שם ב). we learn from Avraham Avinum: God said to Avraham “go forth from your land, your birthplace” and it follows “and I will make you into a great nation.” Questions for discussion: – This source suggests that leaving his birthplace was the first step for Avram to be able to avert the decree of infertility and indeed birth children through his wife Sarai. If this is the case, why did God not make this happen for Avram and Sarai shortly after they arrived in Cna'an? – On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we affirm that teshuva, tzedakah and tfillah can avert the harshness of the decree. In this teaching, we learn that changing one's name can be added to the list. Do you think changing one's name or location are similar to or different from teshuva, tfillah and tzedakah? How so? – Usually, our parents choose our names. Furthermore, if we choose to change our names (to avert the decree, for example) we choose our own names. In Avram and Sarai's case, God chooses to change their name and what their new name shall be. How, nonetheless, can Avram's name change serve as an example for us today as Rabbi Huna suggests it should? – Do you know people in your life who have changed their names? How did this affect their identity?

In the source above (from Psikta D'Rav Kahana), we learn that changing one's name is a way to start a new. It is similar to teshuva. It comes with promise of renewal, change and possibility. With that in mind, please consider the following teaching:

בר קפרא אמר הקורא לאברהם אברם עובר Bar Kappara said: one who refers to Avraham as בעשה רבי לוי אמר בעשה ולא תעשה "ולא Avram transgresses a positive commandment (thou יקרא עוד את שמך אברם" הרי בלא תעשה shall...). Rabbi Levi says: a positive commandment "והיה שמך אברהם" הרי בעשה. (ירושלמי, .(...and a negative commandment (thou shall not “Your name shall not be Avram” this is the negative ברכות פרק א) ”commandment, “Your name shall be Avraham this is the positive commandment.

When reflecting on this source we are reminded of the way in which we are not allowed to ask a convert about his or her past. We are taught to focus on the person's present identity, not past identity. If the person made a significant life change, we need not remind him/her of the erroneous ways of his/her past. Perhaps from the example of Avraham we learn that if someone changed his name, reminding him of his past name might bring up a painful memory (such as the inability to have children).

Sometimes name are a connection to our past. Many of us are named after grandparents or great grandparents which links us to our family’s past and to the legacy of those who came before us. Accordingly, perhaps our names carry with them elements of our past that we do seek to remember and memorialize towards the future.

When we name babies, we do so at ceremonies that are full of optimism and hope. We pray that they will live to embody the essence of their names and that they live a life of Torah (learning), Huppah (marriage/love) and good deeds. When parents name their children, they do so while that God cut with Avraham and Sarah. Different than (ברית) bringing them into the covenant children, Avraham and Sarai get their new names directly from God. Similar to children, their names embody the covenant and the new possibilities that lie ahead.