Every Jewish Name is a Star
The naming of a Jewish child is a most profound spiritual moment. The Sages say that naming a baby is a statement of her character, her specialness, and her path in life. For at the beginning of life we give a name, and at the end of life a "good name" is all we take with us.
Parents name their children at birth, but it doesn’t end there.
The parents continue to have the responsibility to see that their child become a star, to see that the child is educated know how to keep up that good name! A name that is filled with the light and joy of Jewish life and Yiddishkeit.
An Explanation is Due
King David wrote in Psalms (147:4): "He counts the numbers of the stars; He gives a name to each of them." Since the beginning of time, the stars have captured mankind's imagination. They hold the secrets of creation, and of the future. They are a road map to the navigator, a challenge to the astronomer, and a symbol of quest to the explorer.
Those sparkling lights in the vast darkness seem so small, yet we know they are not. Their numbers reach infinity, but all are special to God, and "He gives each a name." Each has its unique purpose, and no two are exactly the same.
The Torah often compares the Jewish people to the stars (Genesis 15:5). For just as the stars eliminate the darkness of night, so the Jewish people enlighten the darkness of the world with the truth of Torah. Just as stars guide travelers along their way, the Jewish people give moral and ethical direction to mankind. As the stars hold of the secrets of the future, world history revolves around the Jewish people, leading inexorably to the final redemption.
Just as massive stars appear tiny, so the Jewish people seem insignificant in comparison to a world population of billions. Yet there exists an underlying understanding of the contributing force and massive potential of the Jewish people.
So do we have a “good name” one that is a shining example of our life’s mission!