Parshat Shemot; Exodus 1:1-6:1 by Rabbi Denise L. Eger
OneÂ’s name is a very intimate aspect of individual identity. Most people were given their names by their parents and thus others define an aspect of the self. Jewish tradition and naming is rich indeed. Ashkenazic Jewish tradition has it that we are named after those who in our family are already deceased while Sephardic Jewish tradition can include naming after those who are alive. But our names are more than just something by which to call us, names can reveal our character that we grow into, aspire to, or fight against. In the most loving scenario when named for an ancestor our family seeks to bring the memories and yes, even perhaps the characteristics of that loved one into the present.
Some of us are lucky enough to be able to name ourselves. Perhaps we weren’t given a Hebrew name at birth or we want to change our name, due to illness or other life changing event. Some of us, who are Jews by choice, get to seek out the Jewish name that will accompany us on our spiritual journey. When meeting the challenge of naming one’s self, we can choose our name in a variety of ways. We might find a biblical character whose story we are drawn to or who has traits that we want to emulate. We might find a Hebrew words whose meaning gives meaning to our life—such as Or, light, or perhaps Emunah, faith. We might want to preserve naming ourselves after a family member whose words or life enriched our own. Each of these are important in the process of naming.
Why talk about naming? Because our Torah portion that begins the new book of the Torah, Exodus in Hebrew is called Shemot—Names. Our portion begins…. Eleh Shemot (Ex. 1:1) “These are the names of children of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob….” The new book of the Torah and the new portion begins with a list of the names of the sons of Jacob and including Joseph who was already in Egypt. Thus our story shifts from the patriarchal and foundational stories of the Jewish people to the pivotal story of our enslavement and subsequent liberation from Egypt.
But that the book of Exodus in Hebrew is called Shemot—Names can be understood at yet another level. Even though much of the focus of the story in this book of the Bible is on the story of enslavement, Moses’s rise to leadership and the story of the Passover and exodus from Egypt, the miracles of the Sea of Reeds, the wandering in the desert, the revelation at Sinai, the sin of the Golden Calf, and the building of the Tabernacle in the desert, this is really a story of finding out who we are as a people. Thus knowing our name is critical—who are we? We are Israel, the Jewish people, who will be freed by the hand of God from servitude in Egypt to bind ourselves to God through the covenant at Sinai.
The power of knowing ourselves through our name is great. And the story of the book of Exodus begins with the list of names so that we can, not only know where we came from but who we are as a family and a people.
If you do not have a Hebrew name, this is a good week to find one. Ask a relative who you were named for, find your Bar/Bat Mitzvah certificate, ask a parent or sibling. If you donÂ’t have a Hebrew name there are many books that will help you including, KolatchÂ’s The Name Dictionary ( Jonathan David, 1982) and other resources that can help.
Know your name—it is part of the journey to God and to self.
Posted by Lee at December 27, 2004 09:44 AM
