Two Levels of Change

The most dramatic changes in our lives are the evolutionary, not the revolutionary changes. Revolutionary changes can be unsettling. The evolutionary changes are seamless and enable us to fully internalize them. LECHA LECHA

Changing Names

The Patriarch Abraham was originally named Abram. Before Abraham could father a child, G-d changed his name by adding just one Hebrew letter, hei. Now, and for all times, he was to be known as Abraham, and not Abram. Indeed, the Talmud states that it is a violation of the Torah to continue to call Abraham by his original name.

This is in stark contrast with the third Patriarch Jacob, whose name was also changed by G-d to Israel. Yet, we still refer to him as Jacob. Why isn’t it forbidden to use the original name Jacob?

The Talmud asks this question and answers that the Torah itself continues to use the name Jacob, even after it was changed to Israel, whereas Abraham’s original name never appears again in the Torah.

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But, this just begs another question: Why does the Torah continue to use the name Jacob, but yet insists on dropping the name Abram?

New or Modified Names

The Toshpos commentary (authored by the French Talmudic Sages of the 12th through 14th centuries) gives the following explanation:

When Abraham’s name was altered from Abram to Abraham it was not a new name, but a modified name. Hence the original name was dropped. The name Jacob, by contrast, was not altered. The new name Israel he was given was an entirely new name. Hence the original name was not dropped since it had not undergone changes.

On the surface, one could have made the opposite case. A new name represents an entirely new identity, whereas a modified name leaves room for the previous identity. Why is it that modifying a name is a more powerful rejection of the original name than giving someone an entirely new name?

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The answer to this question can provide us with a glimpse into the way we look at our own development and changes in life.

Incremental Versus Drastic Changes

There are forms of development and maturation that come in increments. One would be hard pressed to identify the day that one graduates form immaturity to maturity. It is a seamless transition. The new attitude and character is not an abrupt change from the past. It fits into our earlier mold.

Conversely, there are times when we make drastic changes and chart new directions in our lives. Even after we develop this new image, we still retain our original identity.

To use a simple example from the world of professions: One can be a physician and then become a lawyer. The new profession does not negate his earlier one. One would certainly not be insulted if he was reminded of his first career.

However, the same physician who improves his technique and reduces the mortality rate, for example, would not want to be identified LECHA and reminded by his inferior performance at an earlier age.

On a deeper level, it is not just the shame of being associated with a lower level of achievement and maturity that makes us want to shed our original name and identity. The very fact that we grow into something more sophisticated proves that this is—and not our earlier unsophisticated level—who we truly are. The new level is not superimposed on us. It is just a matter of time for this mature level to manifest itself.

When we change directions in life, however, the new direction is not necessarily an outgrowth of our previous existence and it is not necessarily an exclusive reflection of who we are. It might have been acquired from outside of our own experiences and inner form; and that we can add on to our stature. It doesn’t negate our previous essence; it enhances it.

Abraham and Abram represent stages in Abraham’s development. The additional hei, our Sages tell us—alludes to Abraham’s moral growth. The letter hei, numerically five, represents how Abraham gained complete control over five of his organs that were LECHA previously not totally under his control. They included his eyes and ears, as well as the sexual organ. The Abraham persona negated the Abram persona, who lacked that level of control and discipline. Abraham doesn’t backslide, for this was the realization of his true potential. When he was Abram, it was not yet the real he.

Jacob and Israel: Not Two Mutually Exclusive Talents

Jacob and Israel, on the other hand, represent two different directions and talents that are not mutually exclusive.

Jacob is the talent of coping with the material world, and Israel is the challenge of being in a spiritual environment.

Jacob is the ability to be a follower and Israel is the talent of leadership.

Jacob is the weekday Jew, and Israel is the Sabbath Jew.

Even after acquiring the name and status of Israel, we still retain and cherish our Jacob status because Judaism wants us to acquire the paradoxical traits of being involved in our material world, while rising to greater LECHA spiritual heights; being a follower and a leader; a weekday Jew and a Sabbath Jew.

Moshiach Radical Change or Incremental or Both?

When we survey Torah literature concerning the Messianic Age, it seems that Moshiach will usher in a New Age that is radically different from the present era of exile. Knowing that things will change drastically can be intimidating. We are usually afraid of the unknown. How are we to deal with the changes of the future?

In truth, the Messianic Age will enjoy both of the features of: Abram’s transformation into Abraham and Jacob’s acquisition of the second name Israel.

In the Messianic Age, there are things in our lives that will certainly change. But those changes will be incremental ones; changes that will involve our gradual maturation, whereby one level fits comfortably into the lower one, as if it was always there. We will hardly be able to feel that we’ve given up anything. Those changes will reflect our true LECHA identities and potential. At that time we will be who we truly were created by G-d to be.

Yet there are certain positive aspects of our lives that we enjoy today that we loath to give up. Here too, we are told that even after Jacob (a name that is associated with our exile status) had his name changed to Israel (a name that is associated with Redemption) the name Jacob will still remain, because there are certain virtues that are attached to the name and concept of Jacob that will endure forever alongside the virtues that will be introduced in that glorious Age of Redemption.

Thus, the Messianic Age will enjoy the best of both worlds. On the one hand, we will go through a spiritual maturation process and grow to heights that we will recognize as something that was always who we were. On the other hand, we will acquire new approaches and talents that will complement the ones we had prior to the onset of the Messianic Age.

LECHA

LECHA

From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Lech Lecha by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.