אות - צה

A person’s name is determined according to his mission in life ( Berakhot 7b; The Aleph-Bet Book , Children A68) .

Sometimes a man completes his mission before his destined time to die. He must then be given a new name.

A person’s name is the garment of his soul after death.

A name is a garment. It is written, “I am God; that is My name and My glory” (Isaiah 42:8) . Glory is a garment. Thus, Rabbi Yochanan would call his clothing, “My glory” ( Shabbat 113b) .

God is called by the Tetragrammaton, YHVH . This Name comes from a root meaning existence. 163 The Tetragrammaton comes from the root hayah (to be), and its present tense, hoveh (see Orach Chaim 5:1; Rashbam on Exodus 3:14; Chayey Nefesh 56). It is this Name that gives existence to all creation. However, above all worlds, God has no name. This is a realm where He cannot be grasped at all. It is written, “For greater than Your Name is Your word” (Psalms 138:2) . God’s action is the saying with which He created the world (cf. Avot 5:1) . “Your word” is therefore God’s action.

God has actions that are above all worlds. These are greater than all His Names.

There is a realm above all worlds where there is absolutely no concept of name. Regarding God’s word in such realms, the verse says, “For greater than Your Name is Your word.”

It is written that in the World to Come, “Nations will see your righteousness … and they will call you by a new name” (Isaiah 62:2) .

At that time, the nations will perceive the true mission of the Jews and will therefore give them a new name.

There are people who complete the mission associated with their name in the middle of their lifetime. They are then given a new mission, and hence, a new name. This concept contains many deep and awesome secrets.

It is customary to give a new name to a dangerously ill person. 164 Yoreh Dei'ah 335:10 in Hagah ; Even HaEzer 129:18. The sick person has already fulfilled his destiny according to his original name and is therefore ready to die. We then give him a new name, thereby also giving him a new mission. The sick person can now continue to live and to complete the mission associated with his new name.

Our Sages say that Moses had many names. 165 In Sanhedrin 19b, the verse in I Chronicles 4:18 is interpreted to refer to the names of Moses, giving us Jered, Avigdor, Heber, Avi Sokho, Yekutiel and Avi Zanoah as his names (cf. Targum ; Radak ad loc.). In Sotah 12a, the name Toviah is also given. In Vayikra Rabbah 1:3, all these names are mentioned, as well as Shemayah ben Netanel, from I Chronicles 24:6 (cf. Targum ad loc.). See also Yalkut Shemoni on Exodus 2:10 (#166); Seder HaDorot , Year 2368. Moses had many missions in life. He therefore required a different name for each one of his great tasks.