Trees Represent Abundant Life. Trees affected the weather and
the health of animals and people. A tree of life was a powerful
image even in the creation of the earth.
"Just as Adam is placed in
the Garden, in the midst of which stands the Tree of Life, so man
is placed in the world in order to observe the commandments of the
Torah." "In biblical times, Jerusalem was surrounded by
thick, green forests of almond, olive and pine trees. But in the
course of numerous wars and settlements, much of this lush
greenery was destroyed and the soil left to dry out in the summer
sun and wash away in the heavy winter rains." "Trees
played a very special role in the lives of the ancient Jews. It
was considered to be a sin to cut down a fruit tree which could
have ultimately benefitted the land and the people."
(Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)
What’s in a Name? The
Book of Mormon people, Israelites, kept up the process of planting
trees in their new homeland. Another Israelite practice that
seemed to continue was concentrating on the choice of names given
to their posterity. I am adding a considerable amount of
information about Jewish names in order to emphasize the influence
of culture in a name. There seems to be that kind of importance to
the Nephites. Having visited descendants of Nephites and Lamanites
in Meso-America, years ago, I found them following the same
ancient culture and traditions. I have dear friends, LDS guides in
Mexico, named Helaman, Mosiah, Moroni, Limhi, Lemuel, Alma and
Ruth. Their base headquarter is at Tulum in the Yucatan, a
delightful Mayan center built around a pattern of a
"descending God." There are a number of names for him,
Quetzelcoatl, KuKulKan and ItsamNa . . . and with LDS insight,
Jesus, who descended in the "Americas."
Remember ing Names:
"Behold, my sons, I desire
that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I
would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I
have given unto you the names of our first parents who came
out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember
your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye
may remember their works; and when ye remember their works
ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were
good." (Helaman
5:6)
Celebration of Name Giving:
"A boy is named when he is
eight days old at his circumcision ceremony, an event of great
religious importance and happy celebrating. A girl is named in the
synagogue on the first day following her birth on which the Torah
is read." (Encyclopedia
Judaica Jr.)
Meaning of Names:
"Names are more than just
arbitrary labels for people. Each Jewish name tells a story of its
own and very often reflects the nature of the time, place and
atmosphere in which it was chosen. The most important source for
Hebrew proper names is the Bible, and biblical names were usually
descriptive and meaningful, often incorporating the name of God in
praise or gratitude; thus, Nathaniel (God has given), Eleazar (God
has helped), Joshua (God the Savior). Other biblical names
describe the circumstances surrounding the birth. Thus Abraham
called his son Yizhak [Isaac] from the Hebrew word for laughter,
because Sarah had laughed at the idea of bearing a child in her
old age. And Yizhak named one of his sons Ya'akov [Jacob], a play
on the Hebrew word akev (‘heel’), because he was born
grasping the heel of his twin brother Esau." (Encyclopedia
Judaica Jr.)
Changing Names:
"The Talmud attaches great
importance to the preservation of Hebrew names, viewing foreign
names as a sign of assimilation. According to the Talmud, one
reason for the deliverance of the Children of Israel from Egyptian
bondage was the fact that they did not change their names. Yet,
despite this subtle warning, Jews have tended to adapt their
Hebrew names to the language of their neighbors or to take on
purely non-Jewish names. This tendency, first noticeable during
the Middle Ages, accelerated during the late 18th and 19th
centuries. Some governments encouraged the process by passing laws
which forced Jews to adopt European names. Napoleon issued such a
decree, hoping to assimilate the Jews." (Encyclopedia
Judaica Jr.)
Surnames Only Began in Middle
Ages:
"It was during the
Middle Ages that Jews began taking on surnames to add to their
Jewish forenames. These second names, which have since evolved
into family names, were at first used as descriptions to
identify the individual. The most traditional method was to add
the name of the father to the forename, e.g. Ibn Ezra (son of
Ezra), or Jacobson (son of Jacob). The surnames Cohen and Levy
were usually used to show direct descent from the priests and
Levites who served in the Temple. Other sources of surnames were
the occupation (Miller, Goldsmith), birthplace (Berliner,
Moscowitz), or physical characteristics (Alt= old, Klein= small,
Schwartz= swarthy) of the individual. Some well-known surnames
are really abbreviations whose original meanings reflect the
history of the family. For instance, Katz is short for Kohen
Zedek (Righteous priest), and Zachs is an abbreviation of Zer'a
Kedoshei Speyer (descendants of the martyrs of Speyer --- a
city in Germany whose Jewish population was almost wiped out
during the Crusades)." (Encyclopedia
Judaica Jr.)
Some Do, Some Don’t Use Father’s Name:
"Like most peoples of the world, the Jews have evolved
certain traditions regarding the use of names. For example,
Ashkenazi Jews consider it wrong to name a child after a living
father or grandfather, whereas Sephardim consider it an honor to
do so for a grandparent. According to the Hasidei Ashkenaz, it is
wrong to marry a woman with the same name as the husband's mother.
The reason for this seems to be because of respect; the man might
tell his wife to do something and the mother might think he meant
her."
New Names:
"Jewish boys are officially
named at the circumcision ceremony eight days after birth, and a
girl's Jewish name is publicly announced when the father is first
called to the Torah after her birth. Converts are also given new
names --- usually ben Abraham or bat Abraham (son or daughter of
Abraham) because conversion is equated with rebirth." (Encyclopedia
Judaica Jr.)
Fire in a Stone Prison:
As mentioned, our Lord’s many names emphasize His role as our
foundation, his appropriate name is the "Rock of our
redemption." To connect two items discussed in this lesson,
wood and stone, let us consider that Nephi and Lehi were encircled
by fire. Fire is usually fueled by wood. However, they were
encircled by fire in a stone prison. This is similar to the
account in the Book of Daniel and later in the Book of Mormon as
the Lord visited the Nephites.
"Then Nebuchadnezzar the
king was astonied, and rose up in haste, [and] spake, and said
unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the
midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O
king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in
the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the
fourth is like the Son of God." (Daniel 3:24-25)
"And as they looked to
behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the
heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it
were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those
little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and
the angels did minister unto them." (3
Nephi 17:24)
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