The Sages say that a Hebrew name is a statement of one’s essence, one’s character and one’s path in life (Talmud – Brachot 7b). The Hebrew word for soul is neshama, spelled with four Hebrew letters nun, shin, mem, and hei. The Hebrew word for name is shem, spelled shin, mem. If one analyzes these two words, he/she will see that the Hebrew word for name, shem, is actually contained within the Hebrew word for soul. This indicates the strong connection between one’s soul i.e. his/her essence and one’s name.
One’s Hebrew name can actually reveal the person’s characteristics. The Midrash (Genesis Raba 17:4) says that when Adam was naming the animals, he “looked into the essence of every creature and named it accordingly.” For example, the donkey, an animal viewed as carrying heavy physical objects is named chamor. In Hebrew, chamor (donkey) has the same root as chomer, meaning materialism, i.e. the heavy objects that it carries.
The legendary Kabbalist, the Ari, writes that one’s name, and even its numerical value, can indicate the individual’s character and destiny. For example, the numerical value of the name Elisheva is equal to the numerical value of yemei simcha, meaning “days of joy.” Also, when a person is seriously ill, he is often given an additional name such as Chaim, meaning “life”, or Rafael meaning “G-d heals” in order to change his destiny. The new name should bring a new mazal, or fortune, for the ill person.
Ashkenazi Jews have a custom of naming a child after a relative who has passed away. Elimelech of Lyzhansk writes in his work Noam Elimelech that there is a connection between the soul of an infant and the soul of the person for whom he or she is named. This keeps the name and memory of the person alive. However, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein suggests that if a person died and “unnatural death”, the name should be altered. For instance, when naming after the Prophet Isaiah, who was murdered, many Jews omit the last letter of his name (Yam Shel Shlomo – Gittim 4:30). Sephardi Jews also have the custom of naming their children after relatives who are alive. This source is from the Talmud, which records a time when a child was named after Rabbi Natan while the Rabbi was still alive. Many also choose a name based on the Jewish Holiday coinciding with the birth. For example, a girl born around the time of Shavuot might be named Ruth, and a boy born around Purim time might be named Mordechai.
It is important to realize that it is never too late to receive a Hebrew name. A name is given in the synagogue. Many Jews who got their names later in life were able to actually choose the names they thought were most appropriate for them. One never knows which way life will go after he/she gets the new name. After all, one’s whole destiny changes.
