We all know that God changed Abraham's name from Abram to Abraham, Sarai's name to Sarah, and Jacob's name to Israel.
Or do we?
Rabbi Gottlieb points that God indeed changed Abraham's name, but He did not in fact do the same to Sarah's or Jacob's. In reality He revealed Sarah's name and added another to Jacob.
Let's look at the verses to see the differences:
Yet this is not exactly the case given how Abraham, Sarah, and Jacob received their names, namely after experiencing some life-altering situation. Because God said to Abraham, "your name shall no longer be called Abraham," we see that his name was changed after the vision in which God forecast his future. Because God said "... for Sarah is her name," we see that Sarah's name was revealed after the establishment of the covenant. Because God says, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob," and a few verses later refers to him again by Jacob, we see that the third patriarch received a second name after his prophetic vision of the ladder ascending to the Heavens. Why was Isaac left out of this procedure?
Rabbi Gottlieb points that God indeed changed Abraham's name, but He did not in fact do the same to Sarah's or Jacob's. In reality He revealed Sarah's name and added another to Jacob.
Let's look at the verses to see the differences:
- "And your name shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations." (Genesis 17:5)
- "And God said to Abraham, Your wife Sarai - you shall not call her name Sarai, for Sarah is her name.'" (Genesis 17:15)
- "God said to him, 'Your name is Jacob. Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.' And He named him Israel." (Genesis 35:10)
- Now Jacob had erected a monument in the place where He had spoken with him, a stone monument, and he poured a libation upon it, and [then] he poured oil upon it. (Genesis 35:14)
Yet this is not exactly the case given how Abraham, Sarah, and Jacob received their names, namely after experiencing some life-altering situation. Because God said to Abraham, "your name shall no longer be called Abraham," we see that his name was changed after the vision in which God forecast his future. Because God said "... for Sarah is her name," we see that Sarah's name was revealed after the establishment of the covenant. Because God says, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob," and a few verses later refers to him again by Jacob, we see that the third patriarch received a second name after his prophetic vision of the ladder ascending to the Heavens. Why was Isaac left out of this procedure?
What About Isaac?
Can we not think of an experience that would have changed Isaac's name? Perhaps the Akeidah qualifies, during which Isaac submitted his life to God, and according to the Midrash, he actually died and spent time in Heaven before returning. Surely such an experience qualifies for some sort of naming as with Abraham, Sarah, and Jacob!
However, something even more fantastic happened to Isaac than the Akeidah, as unbelievable as this may be. And that amazing event was simply that Isaac was born! We know that his mother was barren and gave birth to him when she was ninety years old. That it was a great miracle is attested to by the fact that one year prior three angels visited Abraham and Sarah's holy tent and informed them of the good news. I'm suggesting that Isaac did not need a name change because unlike Abraham, Sarah, and Jacob, he was born into the very state of miracle. In other words, Abraham, Sarah, and Jacob each achieved their new status through some event in their lifetime. The difference with Isaac is that his very existence was miraculous - the name Isaac corresponds to the second, post-miracle stage.
However, something even more fantastic happened to Isaac than the Akeidah, as unbelievable as this may be. And that amazing event was simply that Isaac was born! We know that his mother was barren and gave birth to him when she was ninety years old. That it was a great miracle is attested to by the fact that one year prior three angels visited Abraham and Sarah's holy tent and informed them of the good news. I'm suggesting that Isaac did not need a name change because unlike Abraham, Sarah, and Jacob, he was born into the very state of miracle. In other words, Abraham, Sarah, and Jacob each achieved their new status through some event in their lifetime. The difference with Isaac is that his very existence was miraculous - the name Isaac corresponds to the second, post-miracle stage.
Rashi's View on Ketura
Interestingly enough, Rashi says that the woman that Abraham married following Sarah's death, Ketura, was actually Hagar. This indicates that Hagar's name was changed to Ketura, which leads to the question as to what spiritually enhanced event led to her name being changed?
And Abraham took another wife and her name was Keturah (Genesis 25:1).
Keturah: (Gen. Rabbah 61:4) This is Hagar. She was called Keturah because her deeds were as beautiful as incense (קְטֹרֶת), and because she tied (קָטְרָה, the Aramaic for“tied”) her opening, for she was not intimate with any man from the day she separated from Abraham.
This can be used as a serious indication that Hagar did teshuva, which may line up with Rashi's opinion that Ishmael did teshuva as well:
And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the Cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which faces Mamre... (Genesis 25:9)
Isaac and Ishmael: (Gen. Rabbah 30:4, 38:12) From here [we may deduce] that Ishmael repented and let Isaac go before him, and that is the meaning of “a good old age” which is stated regarding Abraham (above 15:15). - [B.B. 16b]
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