by any other name would smell as sweet…”
-William Shakespeare
Nomen est omen - name is destiny.
(לב) וַתַּ֤הַר לֵאָה֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ רְאוּבֵ֑ן כִּ֣י אָֽמְרָ֗ה כִּֽי־רָאָ֤ה יְהוָה֙ בְּעָנְיִ֔י כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה יֶאֱהָבַ֥נִי אִישִֽׁי׃ (לג) וַתַּ֣הַר עוֹד֮ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּן֒ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֤ע יְהוָה֙ כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה אָנֹ֔כִי וַיִּתֶּן־לִ֖י גַּם־אֶת־זֶ֑ה וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ שִׁמְעֽוֹן׃ (לד) וַתַּ֣הַר עוֹד֮ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּן֒ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר עַתָּ֤ה הַפַּ֙עַם֙ יִלָּוֶ֤ה אִישִׁי֙ אֵלַ֔י כִּֽי־יָלַ֥דְתִּי ל֖וֹ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים עַל־כֵּ֥ן קָרָֽא־שְׁמ֖וֹ לֵוִֽי׃ (לה) וַתַּ֨הַר ע֜וֹד וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֗ן וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַפַּ֙עַם֙ אוֹדֶ֣ה אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה עַל־כֵּ֛ן קָרְאָ֥ה שְׁמ֖וֹ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֖ד מִלֶּֽדֶת׃
(32) Leah conceived and bore a son, and named him Reuven (רְאוּבֵן); for she declared, “It means: ‘Adonai has seen my affliction’; (כִּֽי־רָאָ֤ה יְהוָה֙ בְּעָנְיִ֔י) it also means: ‘Now my husband will love me.’” (33) She conceived again and bore a son, and declared, “This is because Adonai heard that I was unloved (כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֤ע יְהוָה֙ כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה) and has given me this one also”; so she named him Shimon (שִׁמְעֽוֹן)
(34) Again she conceived and bore a son and declared, “This time my husband will become attached to me (יִלָּוֶ֤ה אִישִׁי֙), for I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named Levi (לֵוִֽי) . (35) She conceived again and bore a son, and declared, “This time I will praise Adonai (אוֹדֶ֣ה אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה).” Therefore she named him Judah (יְהוּדָה). Then she stopped bearing.
(ה) וַתַּ֣הַר בִּלְהָ֔ה וַתֵּ֥לֶד לְיַעֲקֹ֖ב בֵּֽן׃ (ו) וַתֹּ֤אמֶר רָחֵל֙ דָּנַ֣נִּי אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְגַם֙ שָׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלִ֔י וַיִּתֶּן־לִ֖י בֵּ֑ן עַל־כֵּ֛ן קָרְאָ֥ה שְׁמ֖וֹ דָּֽן׃ (ז) וַתַּ֣הַר ע֔וֹד וַתֵּ֕לֶד בִּלְהָ֖ה שִׁפְחַ֣ת רָחֵ֑ל בֵּ֥ן שֵׁנִ֖י לְיַעֲקֹֽב׃ (ח) וַתֹּ֣אמֶר רָחֵ֗ל נַפְתּוּלֵ֨י אֱלֹהִ֧ים ׀ נִפְתַּ֛לְתִּי עִם־אֲחֹתִ֖י גַּם־יָכֹ֑לְתִּי וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ נַפְתָּלִֽי׃
(5) Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. (6) And Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; indeed, God has heeded my plea (דָּנַ֣נִּי אֱלֹהִ֔ים) and given me a son.” Therefore she named him Dan (דָּֽן). (7) Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. (8) And Rachel said, “A fateful contest I waged (נִפְתַּ֛לְתִּי) with my sister; yes, and I have prevailed.” So she named him Naphtali (נַפְתָּלִֽי).
(ט) וַתֵּ֣רֶא לֵאָ֔ה כִּ֥י עָמְדָ֖ה מִלֶּ֑דֶת וַתִּקַּח֙ אֶת־זִלְפָּ֣ה שִׁפְחָתָ֔הּ וַתִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛הּ לְיַעֲקֹ֖ב לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ (י) וַתֵּ֗לֶד זִלְפָּ֛ה שִׁפְחַ֥ת לֵאָ֖ה לְיַעֲקֹ֥ב בֵּֽן׃ (יא) וַתֹּ֥אמֶר לֵאָ֖ה (בגד) [בָּ֣א גָ֑ד] וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ גָּֽד׃ (יב) וַתֵּ֗לֶד זִלְפָּה֙ שִׁפְחַ֣ת לֵאָ֔ה בֵּ֥ן שֵׁנִ֖י לְיַעֲקֹֽב׃ (יג) וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לֵאָ֔ה בְּאׇשְׁרִ֕י כִּ֥י אִשְּׁר֖וּנִי בָּנ֑וֹת וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ אָשֵֽׁר׃
(9) When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took her maid Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as concubine. (10) And when Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son, (11) Leah said, “What luck! (בָּ֣א גָ֑ד)” So she named him Gad (גָּֽד). (12) When Leah’s maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son, (13) Leah declared, “What fortune!” meaning, “Women will deem me fortunate (בְּאׇשְׁרִ֕י).” So she named him Asher (אָשֵֽׁר).
(טז) וַיָּבֹ֨א יַעֲקֹ֣ב מִן־הַשָּׂדֶה֮ בָּעֶרֶב֒ וַתֵּצֵ֨א לֵאָ֜ה לִקְרָאת֗וֹ וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֵלַ֣י תָּב֔וֹא כִּ֚י שָׂכֹ֣ר שְׂכַרְתִּ֔יךָ בְּדוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנִ֑י וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב עִמָּ֖הּ בַּלַּ֥יְלָה הֽוּא׃ (יז) וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־לֵאָ֑ה וַתַּ֛הַר וַתֵּ֥לֶד לְיַעֲקֹ֖ב בֵּ֥ן חֲמִישִֽׁי׃ (יח) וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לֵאָ֗ה נָתַ֤ן אֱלֹהִים֙ שְׂכָרִ֔י אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תִּי שִׁפְחָתִ֖י לְאִישִׁ֑י וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ יִשָּׂשכָֽר׃
(16) When Jacob came home from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You are to sleep with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” And he lay with her that night. (17) God heeded Leah, and she conceived and bore him a fifth son. (18) And Leah said, “God has given me my reward (שְׂכָרִ֔י) for having given my maid to my husband.” So she named him Issachar (יִשָּׂשכָֽר).
(יט) וַתַּ֤הַר עוֹד֙ לֵאָ֔ה וַתֵּ֥לֶד בֵּן־שִׁשִּׁ֖י לְיַעֲקֹֽב׃ (כ) וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לֵאָ֗ה זְבָדַ֨נִי אֱלֹהִ֥ים ׀ אֹתִי֮ זֵ֣בֶד טוֹב֒ הַפַּ֙עַם֙ יִזְבְּלֵ֣נִי אִישִׁ֔י כִּֽי־יָלַ֥דְתִּי ל֖וֹ שִׁשָּׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ זְבֻלֽוּן׃
(19) When Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son, (20) Leah said, “God has given me (זְבָדַ֨נִי) a choice gift; this time my husband will exalt me, for I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun (זְבֻלֽוּן).
Rabbi Jose son of Rabbi Hanina said: ‘The names of the tribes are not made for them, but rather hemmed for them. (Bereshit Rabbah 71)
Rabbi Matityahu Strashun (1817-1885, Lithuania)
When a person goes to buy a suit, he has two options. He can go to a tailor, who will take careful measurements and prepare a new suit that will fit him precisely. On the other hand, if he does not have the time or the money for a custom-made suit, he can go to a large clothing store and buy a suit there. Since it is unlikely that he will be able to find a suit that will immediately fit his exact dimensions, a store employee will have to alter the closest-fitting suit to his precise measurements – perhaps taking in the waist or letting out the cuffs.
Jewish tradition places deep importance on names. There's an old saying that when parents name our children, we experience a frisson of prophecy, since in giving a child a name we create some of that child's destiny.
Each of us has a name given to us by our father and mother
Each of us has a name given to us by our height and shape of our smile. given to us by our fabric.
Each of us has a name given to us by the mountains, given to us by our walls.
Each of us has a name given to us by the constellations, given to us by our neighbors.
Each of us has a name given to us by our sins, given to us by our longing
Each of us has a name given to us by our enemies, given to us by our love.
Each of us has a name given to us by our holidays, given to us by our toil.
Each of us has a name given to us by the seasons, given to us by our blindness.
Each of us has a name given to us by the sea, given to us by our death.