|
|
|
|
WHAT'S IN A NAME? by Brett Krichiver As the leaves begin to fall off the aspen trees, and the chill in the air begins to feel a bit more permanent, the Jewish community finishes the High Holy Day season with a celebration of yet another cycle within the calendar. We have just begun the cycle of a new year, and we are acutely aware of the cycle of the seasons. It is at this moment that we finish the annual cycle of reading from our most holy book, the Torah: the five books of Moses. And we begin again. As summer gives way to winter, we find ourselves, hopefully a bit wiser than last year, encountering the history of our people, and of all people, from the very beginning. The subject of names is a central focus of the very beginning of the Bible, the creation story. First God sets about to give every "thing" a name, and then comes an interesting twist: "And God formed out of the earth all the wild beasts and all the birds of the sky and brought them to Adam to see what they would be called; and whatever Adam called each living creature, that would be its name. And Adam gave names to all the cattle and to the birds of the sky and to all the wild beasts." (Genesis 2:18-20) The medieval rabbis challenge us to think about this strange gift we receive from God. Humankind is given the power to name, the power to identify the living creatures with which we share this world. God provides Adam with wisdom to peer into the heart of another creature and see its essence, to give it a name. The rabbis teach us that the human being was created B'tzelem Elohim, in the image of the divine. God gives us this special gift, a divine inheritance. No other animal has the ability to relate to, and relate with one another. Man and woman judge each other, we struggle for and against each other, and ultimately, we help each other find identity, we give each other a name. Of course, as with all blessings, this gift can all too easily be turned into a curse. We name each other through stereotypes as easily as we name each other by calling each other "friend." We begin to understand that a name is more than a label, that we attach a great importance to how we are seen by others, and how we see ourselves. Each of us has known this struggle in his or her own life. Stereotypes can cause lasting pain. And none of us is free from guilt. How easy has it been, in the past few weeks, to become extremely cautious around those who appear ethnically diverse in our midst? In many instances, the pleas for tolerance and restraint have gone unheeded as individuals have lashed out against mosques and innocent citizens of Middle Eastern descent. Out of fear we have looked into the eyes of our neighbors and branded them, with a name. Our first gift from God in Genesis is this power to name - the power to see the best, or the worst in others. And it can be used for evil, as well as for good. How powerful this gift seems during tense times of human mistrust, when the way in which we treat each other, the way in which we look at each other, can mean the difference between peace and war. Just as God separates light from darkness and dry land from water, this biblical text affirms that humans - created in the image of God - may seek to bring order to our chaotic world through the process of naming. The names we give each other and ourselves creates meaning and relationship in the world. I call you my mother; I call you my son. I call you my friend; I call you my enemy. These are powerful images, perhaps the most powerful. And this power is too often harnessed for destruction. Let us learn to look beyond the surface, to a deeper understanding of the others in our lives. Let us help those around us to pursue our dreams, and fulfill our potential. And as we search for ways to make peace a lasting reality in our country, let us find names that reflect our best selves, and the best selves of our neighbors. |