The Name Differences

Challenges, Issues & Dilemma

1. Names are overrated nowadays. People are so drawn to labels, brands and titles.
2. Labels, Brands and Titles convey values and motivations.
3. Labels, Brands and Titles establish identity, ownership, image and achievements
4. Labels, Brands and Titles are “usually” made by man. Since man is capable to do good, evil, good and evil, and evil that is evil, so different results will arise. If it is purely good, then it will deliver good, but the rest are unimaginable  damages. All of these are allowed by ELOH-M to come to past to let man find his way to Him, give him considerable chances, and hopefully, to experience the purest, deepest and highest connection with Him.
5. Labels, brands and titles are supposed to be another tool to serve HaShem.
6. But, if man thinks otherwise and use this tool for self-serving and biased intentions, then labels, brands and titles are not lived up to the values and motivations and will result to damages.
7. ELOH-M created the world so He is involved and would have His Own Label, Brand and Title, even though all come from Him so all are technically for Him and His. But, because there is sacred that is different from profane, so there is a label, brand or title that is solely His or points to Him clearly. ELOH-M intercepts man’s biases and self-serving intentions by reminding His Own label, brand and title. How can we know which one?
8. ELOH-M can just come and show Himself as His own Label, Brand and Title, but what can happen? His Incomprehensible Powerful Power would compel everyone to believe forcefully and not voluntarily.
9. ELOH-M has used tools to reveal Himself to be understood by man. One of them is entrusting His Label, Brand and Title to people not just one man because man will falter and he can be dismissed right away. But He has to begin with one and revealing some of His content for His Label, Brand and Title until the group of people is formed that can receive, be entrusted and accounted for with the considerable information that can touch on His Glorious Nature.
10. This Great and Majestic Task of accepting His Most Holy and Powerful Label, Brand and Title may overwhelm even this group of people and may falter later on, and will affect the others. As a result, others may discount them and discard them for faltering at times along the way. Others may even volunteer to take on the Label, Brand and Title and replace them. Is replacing the group of people who started represents the Label, Brand and Title of ELOH-M of being Powerful and Faithful?
11. If the group is not to be replaced to establish the Faithfulness Label, Brand and Title of ELOH-M, does this show the Justice and Righteousness that are also part of Him? When this group of people who was entrusted receive Justice if they will not be disciplined and corrected for the misuse, abuse and distortion of His Label, Brand and Title?
12. ELOH-M will discipline, will closely watch over and work with the group of people of whom He entrusted with His Label, Brand and Title.
13. What about labels, brand and title of others?
14. People usually start with noble intentions, but as human beings, they falter in living up to the values and motivations they have set to accomplish.
15. When people set labels, brands and titles not connected to ELOH-M, then they are setting up to challenging Him that they can live apart from Him and making themselves as no longer servants but a false god. There is no god beside ELOH-M.
16. Whenever these labels, brands and titles are made and lived apart from Him and connected to Him, both will have to be purified, so tested. This will continue until these labels, brands and titles will be aligned and connected to ELOH-M as well.

‘HI(u)DaH

Many people know the land of Israel and its people as Israel, Israeli, Israelite or Yehudim. Yehudim has been translated into Jew/s as we all know today because of their exile to different nations of different languages without exact equivalent to the Hebrew letters of their Hebrew language. So, instead of following the enunciation of Yehudi/m, most of the nations shortened it and adopted the word Jew/s.

This is the secular and practical point of view. But, in the spiritual point of view, it is another level of descent and distance from something that is Divine or Holy. This is not in a derogatory sense but in the manner of how the Order of the World is setup. We are to find ELOH-M or His Divinity in the items and order of things. Many take offense because it exposes either how close or far one is to ELOH-M or not.  Many have misunderstood the ultimate goal and role of the Yehudi/m that is after receiving the Sacred TI(o)RaH (Laws & Teachings) of Light to ELOH-M, they will in-turn serve to light up the path to ELOH-M. The vessel of Yehudim for the TI(o)RaH that is the True Light is to illuminate others. In anything that is Divine or related to ELOH-M, the Ultimate Light and Source, the vessel or bearer is likewise lighted or seem to be the light themselves.

Truly, man as a vessel has a tendency to do good or bad. Some vessels have have fallen or just exposed to their truest intentions. But, there are vessels that many always miss out on because they are not known and not publicly revealed, these are those with higher Kedusha or Holiness.  They are the TzaD’Q’M (Tzadikim) or Righteous Men in Yehudim that are not exposed to the public, but, learned in the Torah, very close to ELOH-M, and would not afford to go against ELOH-M. They may unintentionally make a mistake but nothing that is a cause for concern and cannot be mended.  They are so sensitive that a slightest matter is disturbing for them to offend ELOH-M or man.

So, what is the beginning of Israel?

BeReA(i)Sh’T  29:35

And she conceived again and bore a son, and she said, “This time, I will thank the Lord! Therefore, she named him Judah, and [then] she stopped bearing. 

The word Jew or Yehudi is from the name  יְהוּדָה   ‘HI(u)DaH. It was the name of the 4^th son of Leah, the arranged first-wife of Yakuv or Israel. As we can read from the passage, it was given by the mother to thank HaShem, the ELOH-M. We could say that the beginning of the name was an innocent gesture of the mother to express praise and gratitude to ELOH-M. It was not a bold attempt to create a people, and declare a religion.

Although, we should admit, with the spiritual elevation at that time, there was some sense that being married to Yakuv was a great honor and privilege for a special role in the world since he was known as the grandson of the great Abraham who was highly respected and known at that time for his generosity, bravery and faith to One True ELOH-M.

Later on, ‘HI(u)DaH or YeHUDaH, has his downs for suggesting to sell his brother Yosef, and spiraled downward by the deaths of his 2 sons, and keeping his third son from marrying Tamar. He redeemed himself by accepting his mistake to his daughter in law Tamar and accepting accountability for his brother Benyamin’s to present to Yosef, who was viceroy of Egypt at time, whom he did not know.

Because of this Great Change in character of taking responsibility and accountability to his actions and for his brother, ‘HI(u)DaH or YeHUDaH was given a special role in the children of Israel and even to the world. He was bestowed with a special blessing at the end of days by their father Yakuv that from his lineage will be the Anointed leader or teacher that we know today as Moshiach.

BeReA(i)Sh’T  49:8-12

‘HI(u)DaH, [as for] you, your brothers will acknowledge you. Your hand will be at the nape of your enemies, [and] your father’s sons will prostrate themselves to you. A cub [and] a grown lion is ‘HI(u)DaH. From the prey, my son, you withdrew. He crouched, rested like a lion, and like a lion, who will rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from ‘HI(u)DaH, nor the student of the law from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him will be a gathering of peoples. He binds his foal to a vine, and to a tendril [he binds] his young donkey. [He launders] his garment with wine, and with the blood of grapes binds his raiment. [He is] red eyed from wine and white toothed from milk.

Then, later on, we know that from this man came our beloved David who killed Goliath, endured the oppression of Saul, and was anointed to become the next King of Israel, and, given the title as the man after ELOH-M’s own heart.  And, like his fore father Yehuda, when he was confronted by his sin by Nathan, the prophet, he was, then, forgiven and  favored a kingdom that will last forever which also means the most  Highly Anointed man or Moshiach will come from. Moreover, as a precedent the grandeur of the end of days-kingdom, he was given Solomon who was known to be the wisest man and, realized his desire of building the first Temple for ELOH-M. The beloved King David desired ELOH-M’s desire of have a physical dwelling among men.

This is just the name of ‘HI(u)DaH or YeHUDaH, not yet Israel. The humble beginning cannot be denied by anyone. It was not consciously coined to raise public awareness of a noble cause. Although now, since we are looking hindsight, undeniably, there is a Divine Hand Who guided to make everything come into fruition. But, during that time when the name was thought, we could suspect that the characters of IsraEl or Yakuv, Leah and ‘HI(u)DaH, surely, sensed something special was brewing, but, like anyone in real life, we can only sense at the time of the experience, but the impact is not realized until everything materializes. This is to show that Someone Divine is truly behind all of these. 

Next, we’ll talk about IsRaEL.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bereshit_(parashah)

https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/8244

https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Tanakh

Photo by Anton Mislawsky on Unsplash

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