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All of this was brought to my mind very recently when my newest great granddaughter was named after her departed great grandmother. Even though I have had other grandchildren and great grandchildren named after my departed parents I felt this name giving more emotionally and deeply than those other occurrences. It was a great sense of comfort and complete closure that swept over me. The importance of names in Jewish life became very real and unexpectedly personal to me. I see that no one really knows one’s self until real life situations actually arise. I always thought that I was above the name game. Not so.
One of the facets of Israeli pioneer life was to abandon the custom of naming children after deceased ancestors and relatives. Instead new names of Biblical origin or of pure Hebrew names describing flowers, fruits, emotions, etc became and to a great extent still remains the popular vogue. As a complete departure from tradition and custom, and make no mistake about it, the original secular pioneers were determined to throw off all vestiges of Jewish tradition, these new biblical names included names of villains, idolaters and other people who Jewish tradition rejected as being any sort of role model for future generations. Their ancestors would have been shocked to learn that their descendants bore such names as Omri, Nimrod, Avuyah, Shimi, Yeravam, etc. But times change and so do names. The old Yiddish names that were so common in Eastern European Jewish life are slowly disappearing from common usage even in very religious circles. They are now pretty much relegated to being middle names that are really rarely used in everyday life. This trend of lessening the use of traditional Yiddish names is now common throughout the entire Jewish world, not only in Israel. I imagine as Eastern European Jewry fades from time and memory, in spite of all of the Holocaust remembrances, the Yiddish names will also wither into disuse. So was it regarding the names of Babylonian Jewry and the great men of the Talmud - Abayei, Rava, Rav Papa, etc. - that have all disappeared from current Jewish life. If such names are no longer present in the world then the Yiddish names no matter how common they once were will probably suffer a similar fate. The Hebrew names of the tanaaim of the Mishna, which in the main were pure Hebrew names, have survived rather nicely till our day. The Greek names and the Roman names that were common in Second Temple times amongst Jews have also almost completely disappeared. English, French, Spanish and Russian names now take their place within Jewish society. It is really possible to trace the events of Jewish history simply by studying the names borne by Jews in certain times and places. So names are important to Jews. They tell our story, our past and our aspirations.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
Rabbis in Midrash
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
