Miryam's Space

SERMON

Do you have a nick name, pet name, are you known by different names in different settings? Perhaps you have a name only someone special calls you. My favorite nickname as a little girl was Zeiss punim, only my grandpa called me that, with such love. It means sweet face in Yiddush. For someone with an “ugly duckling” complex it was a bath of love and healing. At work I’m Professor, and  I’m known as Mom to three beautiful young people. My daughter did not change her surname when she married…. Does it matter?

A poem

  Years ago,

I heard about a young woman

Whose parents named her

Achzava.

She walked through the world

bearing this

unutterable weight:

“Nice to meet you, my name is Disappointment.”

She was the tenth

beautiful

girl

given to parents

who longed for a son.

Their hope died

The day she was born.

A stillbirth,

you could say,

but she was

still born –

like the rest of us —

breathing

crying

gulping for air.

When she turned 18

She changed her name.

I have always wondered

What changed then —

And what didn’t.

(Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld 

President, Hebrew College)

Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can never harm me? Is that true? The hurtful nicknames that Children and politicians call one another perhaps show most strongly THERE IS SUCH POWER IN NAMES!  You call someone’s name and they turn to you.  What name would you choose for yourself if you could:  a name that would reflect your essence?  , I have recently fully embraced my Hebrew name, Miryam.  Miryam, sister of Aaron from Torah changed bitterness “mar” into blessing with her music, and a sweet water-well Midrash teaches, followed the Israelites through the wilderness – Miriam’s well.  Our parents name us, a gift reflecting their hopes and aspirations for their child. I but Miryam captures my essence! I know now that I always was, Miryam-but I’m used to Margo.

We earthlings are quintessentially namers, isn’t that what language is? In Genesis of the Torah, humans were given two tasks. Their first job in the garden is Ovda v’Shomra, to serve and to keep the Garden. And then G*d says “It is not good for the Earthling to be alone, so G*d does…what?  Yes, brings all the animals to come to Adam, and to name them!

I want to talk about a naming, it comes up a lot during Services. A name that seemingly need no introduction,  it’s been around for thousands of years, ladies and gentlemen I introduce:  G*d!

But that word, G*d is so filled with the Baggage of childhood, and centuries of nations abusing the name in quest of their own agenda.

According to my teacher, R Marcia Prager, “G*d comes from a German word meaning the love-filled magnificent, mysterious power of creation in the cosmos”  If your surname in German is Gott, it also means “goodness” hmmm, interesting.

There are of course, many names for the love-filled magnificent mysterious power of the cosmos, but you may not have realized how many, or how diverse or how much those names have changed over the eons of Jewish time and culture

Here are just a few of the many names for the Majestic, loving  creative power of the universe.

HaShem, interestingly means “the Name”!

Among the most ancient is Yah, as in Halleluyah, meaning praise Yah. Spelled with just two Hebrew letters, a yud and a Hey, the hey has a dot within, meaning it should be pronounced with a breathy H sound.  In the song at the sea, the Israelites sing Ozi v’zimrat Yah!  Yah, you are my strength and my song!

The full four letter name of G*d Yud hey vav hey is the interweaving breath of the planet, whose name comes from existence itself – haya hoveh, y’hyeh.  The Talmud says the world is sustained for the breath of children. Think of that first magical breath a newborn takes to bring oxygen deep inside.  “breath of life”. This name is unpronounceable except by breathing.  When we see these four letters in the Torah or prayer book we don’t try to pronounce them. 2000 years of Jewish tradition has substituted the word Adonai, so as not to invoke G*d with the power of that name, G*d forbid we take it in vain.` Adonai is often translated as “my Lord” but Adonim are also the joining pieces connecting the poles of the portable Sanctuary of the ancient Israelites, so “My Connector” might be a valid translation. In progressive communities, the letters may be rearranged to HVYH, “havayah” which is a reminder a homonym of Ahavah, love in Hebrew.

Melech – This name is used a LOT during High Holy Days.  is related to the Hebrew word Malchut, which is paradoxically two opposite meanings at the same time.  Often translated as king, better translated as Majesty it is at the same time the most humble of the Ten Facets of G*d of the Mystics of Kaballah, the feminine aspect, the Presence of G*d, also called Shechinah. Avinu means father. So when we sing “Avinu Malkenu, are we really calling on our Father and Malchut, Mother?

Shechina – from the word to dwell, is the Feminine, immanent, womb-like compassionate Presence.. She was banished in Deuteronomy, and boldly “resurrected” in Danny Matt’s words by the Kabbalists, who embraced Her as one of the Ten facets,  incorporated into the One.

And there are so many others, at least 72 names for G*d: Ein Sof -unlimited One, Ribbono shel Olam, teacher of the world,  El and Elohim, a plural name, Ruach ha-olam, many from the Bible, some from Rabbinic sources such as Talmud, as well as Kabbalah I mentioned.

The fact that there are so many names gives us a choice.  I ask tonight, What is your understanding, your name, for the Holy One of Blessing, based you’re your ideals, enhanced by, intuition, heart longings and imaginings. You need not choose just one, but choose. That is a big ask in this crazy word, understandably so. But the payoff can be huge: it is the potential to have that Power in your life.

In her book “Miraculous Living” R Shoni Labowitz, Z”L” also a Buddist urges her readers to choose “what their image of G*d needs to be. So many people perpetuate the G*d image of their parents or grandparents, even though that image may not be a dynamic force, relevant to their lives.  They put the God of their parents in an old box and keep it hidden in a vast mountain of …..rules.  Over time, few, if any, remember the box, nearly all remember the rules. Rare are those who desire to dig deep enough to unlock the box and release G*d from the old images”

The box is filled with treasures untold

The name we choose makes a difference.

We humans, fractals of G*d, created in the Divine Image, likewise have names.

Which name reflects your essence,? Which calls to the G*d spark in you?

EACH OF US HAS A NAME by Poet Zelda, translated by Marcia Falk, Melody by Miryam-Margo Wolfson

Each of us has a name
given by God
and given by our parents

Each of us has a name
given by our stature and our smile
and given by what we wear

Each of us has a name
given by the mountains
and given by our walls

Each of us has a name
given by the stars
and given by our neighbors

Each of us has a name
given by our sins
and given by our longing

Each of us has a name
given by our enemies
and given by our love

Each of us has a name
given by our celebrations
and given by our work

Each of us has a name

Given by the sea

and given by their death