THE POWER OF A NAME
EACH OF US HAS A NAME
Each of us has a name
given by God
and given by our parents
Each of us has a name
given by our stature and our smile
and given by what we wear
Each of us has a name
given by the mountains
and given by our walls
Each of us has a name
given by the stars
and given by our neighbors
Each of us has a name
given by our sins
and given by our longing
Each of us has a name
given by our enemies
and given by our love
Each of us has a name
given by our celebrations
and given by our work
Each of us has a name
given by the seasons
and given by our blindness
Each of us has a name
given by the sea
and given by
our death.
In the poem Zelda writes of the different ways that we earn our names whether it be from our parents, our work, or our God. Her message is that during the course of our lives we earn our names in a whole host of different ways. We can intuit that by only using as he nomme de plume Zelda wanted to allow her writing speak for itself without being overshadowed by her famous family name. In the end, Zelda teaches us, the name that matters is the one that we earn for ourselves in life.
This is a lesson that Jacob manifests in this week’s Torah portion. Jacob is en route to face his brother Esau after more than 20 years. His last encounter with his brother was stealing the birth blessing that rightfully belonged to Esau. Because Esau spoke openly of his desire to kill his brother after Isaac’s death, Rebecca thought it best for Jacob to flee his home and family and set out on his own. After many years Jacob has a large family and at God’s behest is returning to his homeland to face his brother. Up until this point Jacob has been the living embodiment of his name, which means the heel of a foot. In the course of time he has acted without regard to the feelings of others. Moreover, he has emulated the heel which is the most crooked bone in the body.
The night before Jacob was to meet Esau an angel comes to wrestle with Jacob. The struggle continues till day break when the angel begs to be released. Jacob demands that the angel change his name before he would set him free. He then received the name of Israel: the one who wrestled with God and prevailed. The power of the name change was that Jacob worked to fulfill his new name. While given by an angel it would still have to be earned. Jacob would have to actualize his new name that very morning when he faced his brother again. For the first time Jacob faced up to a situation without guile or subterfuge. To the day he dies Jacob sent the rest of his life earning his new name.
Great art speaks throughout time. The poetry of Zelda may have been autobiographical, but it also speaks to each of us and to our ancestor who chose to live up to the name of Israel. The same challenge remains for his descendents.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Michael Siegel
