What’s your name?
Seemingly a pretty benign question and not really an area in which we had much choice.
Yet perhaps it’s not so benign. After all, certain names bring out emotions of attraction or the opposite. If a name is just a name it would be totally irrelevant.
It struck my attention as in this week’s Parsha it is Gd that changes Abraham and Sarah’s names from Abram and Sarai. They seem similar but the intentionality is clear.
Their names were changed because their destinies had changed. They went from regional players to universal role models. Turns out, names do make a difference. Well, sort of…
In Hebrew when asking someone their name it translates to, “how do you call yourself”? And with that phrase I think it all falls into place.
There’s your given name and then the name you create for yourself. It starts with recognizing our inherent capability to enhance this world in our unique and specific way.
“How do you call yourself”? Isn’t quite just a linguistic backwards way of saying what’s your name dude? It’s actually a deeply insightful question that can only be answered by you!
No, it’s not what’s going on around you that creates your name it’s what you do with your Gd given talents that makes the name. We control but what we do with what is sent our way.
Abram and Sarai became Abraham and Sarah because when they were relatively unknown they were already blazing a new path. No victimization or weakness rather faith and inner strength their garb.
We are their descendants and we each have this quality deeply imbued in our DNA.
What’s “your” name? I can tell you mine — but I’d rather tell you how I call myself and let you determine my name!
With best wishes for Shabbat Shalom,