17 January, 2025 08:59

As far as I know, we are the only creatures on earth that name the world we live in.

Wild, considering the total number of other life forms that exist.

What is in a name? It is a stamp, a marker. For yourself, and for others.

I see an object, I need to classify it / understand it/ process its use to me specifically.

God Itself names the Universe! And we (jewish tradition) have up to 26 different names for God! (Not to sound like a heretic, but we’re told Moses has 10 names in total)!

And Moses was named by an Egyptian, and not by his own parents.(At least the name he goes by to us historically).

Rarely – very rarely indeed, in the Torah does a name change.

Abram to Abraham

Yaacov to Israel (and back and forth throughout, after his name is changed, the torah switches between the two).

Hoshea to Yehoshua (but is Yehoshua his actual birth name)?

Hebrews to Jews (and millions now called "Israeli")

(and ivri = other side of the river)

Cities / locations in Torah / Tenach on occasion it is recorded what the place was called, then the name change and "that is it’s name until this very day" (from books written thousands of years ago, quite confident that the name will not indeed change)

the land itself. Canaan to Syria-Palenstine to Israel

further divisions within the land so-called West Bank, which we (and this name comes the New Testament) Judea-Samera

People can change their own names (and in our modern world it is a giant paper-work hassle, and on Passports and other official documents, one needs to constantly list their previous names.

Women — in many / most cultures take on the family name of who they marry, and some change it back to their previous last name when /if divorced.

Jews in exile (very common in the USA) had "Anglo" first names, and then names they had when called up to the torah, aka their hebrew names.

When the Torah announces "and these are the Names", we have to take notice. Mainly because, shomer shabbot jews usually believe that God Itself told Moses what to write. And therefore, the names on the page are from God Itself.

If God had Moses to write other names, those would be "the names".

I think it is quite important to think about this.