“Only a ray of the soul descended and clothed itself in the physical body. The essence of the soul remains above, embraced and merged with God.”
The book of Exodus opens with the verse: “And these are the names of the Israelites who came to Egypt”.
The Torah then goes on to list the names of the Israelites.
But this isn’t the first time that the Torah names them. They were already counted in other parshas before this one.
So why then does the Torah list their names again in the beginning of the book of Exodus?
The Simple Answer
The midrash gives two explanations on this:
The first reason is that by repeating all the names of the children of Israel, the Torah hints to us that during all the years of exile in Egypt “they didn’t change their names”.
“The names they went down with are the same names they left with.”
Reuven wasn’t changed to Robert, Mordechai wasn’t changed to Marty and Baruch wasn’t changed to Barry.
And the other reason is that, Hashem compared them to the stars, about which is said: “He numbered the stars, each of them He called by name.”
So too He called Israel by name, in order to express their importance.
This is so they wouldn’t be lost by the bitter exile.
Because the rule is, something that has a name is never nullified.
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What’s the Purpose Of Having A Name?
Chassidus explains that a name indicates an external layer of a person and doesn’t refer to their inner, true essence.
We don’t actually ‘need’ a name. We have a name so others can communicate with us.
And our name only represents a very external dimension of who I am. It only represents the part of me that has to do with other people.
This is also the state of the souls of Israel who came down to this world.
The soul that resides within the physical body is like a ‘name’, an external illumination, compared to the essence of the soul that remains above.
Only a ray of the soul descended and clothed itself in the physical body. The essence of the soul remains above, embraced and merged with God.
Your Soul Is Always Free
With this power, the Israelites were able to overcome all the hardships of the Egyptian exile and remain loyal to their Judaism and even keep their original names.
And this is the connection between the two midrashs cited above. The Israelites preserved their names and their Judaism thanks to the power of the essence soul that did not go into exile.
Don't Be Afraid
With this power, the Israelites were able to overcome all the hardships of the Egyptian exile and remain loyal to their Judaism and even keep their original names.
And this is the connection between the two midrashs cited above. The Israelites preserved their names and their Judaism thanks to the power of the essence soul that did not go into exile.
The Takeaway
Never be phased from the challenges that you face in life. And there’s never a reason for despair.
Remember, that no matter how stuck you feel at the moment, the deepest and truest essence of who you are is forever free. You have the power to shift your consciousness and connect to it.
From that higher perspective, stream new energy and life down to the part of your consciousness that feels stuck.
Give yourself the clarity, confidence, courage and strength that you need to go beyond the limitations of this world and live Geula.
