Naming the stars

pic from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/A_home_for_old_stars.jpg

We began a new sefer in our Torah reading today that begins by recounting [sorry, pun intended] the generations set out at the end of Bereishis.

Before I get into that, though, I want to say something quick about another significant name in the Parsha ). Moshe asks Hashem what to tell people when they ask for His name. The answer is the enigmatic אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה 
The translation of that Name is "I will be as I will be." But Moshe doesn't want to use that name. Rashi explains: אהיה אשר אהיה: אהיה עמם בצרה זו אשר אהיה עמם בשעבוד שאר מלכיות. אמר לפניו רבונו של עולם, מה אני מזכיר להם צרה אחרת דיים בצרה זו. אמר לו יפה אמרת, כה תאמר וגו':

 “I will be” with them in this predicament “what I will be” with them in their subjugation by other kingdoms. He [Moses] said before Him, “O Lord of the universe! Why should I mention to them another trouble? They have enough [problems] with this one.” He said to him, “You have spoken well. So shall you say, etc.” 

So Moshe merely uses the one "I will be" in relating G-d's name. What struck me some time ago is that the Gematria of   אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה is 21. Double that, as you would in the original formulation of the name, and you get 42 -- the exact number of encampments that the children of Israel would go through during their 40 years in the midbar. See http://kallahmagazine.blogspot.com/2017/07/42-and-masay.html. Moshe knew this may be too much for them to take now, foreseeing an experience of wandering in the desert  that would last that long, and so he used just the אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה. 

And now to the names associated with the Parsha and the Book.

And these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt; with Jacob, each man and his household came.Rashi comments on the apparent redundancy: ואלה שמות בני ישראל: אף על פי שמנאן   בחייהן בשמותן, חזר ומנאן במיתתן [אחר מיתתן], להודיע חבתן שנמשלו לכוכבים, שמוציאן ומכניסן במספר ובשמותם, שנאמר (ישעיהו מ כו) המוציא במספר And these are the names of the sons of Israel: Although [God] counted them in their lifetime by their names (Gen. 46:8-27), He counted them again after their death, to let us know how precious they are [to Him], because they were likened to the stars, which He takes out [From beyond the horizon] and brings in by number and by name, as it is said: who takes out their host by number; all of them He calls by name (Isa. 40:26). [From Tanchuma, Shemot 2; Shmot Rabbah 1:3] This fits with the comparison of Klal Yisrael to stars that R' Schwab noted in Ma'ayan Beis Hashoeva , as I wrote in : http://kallahmagazine.blogspot.com/2018/10/number-stars.html The reason why it's impossible to count the stars, however, is not because they are exceedingly numerous, for anything that could be seen can be counted. Rather, it's because there are hundreds of thousands of stars that are too far to be seen by the human eye, which is why they are not countable The reason why it is forbidden to count Bney Yisrael (something King David was punished for doing), for about them it says, "vechaye olam nata betochechnu," which means, in truth, every single person in the household of Yisrael is conencted to the source of life, and his life extends forever. Therefore, also "es asher eynenu po imanu hayom" are still living and existing. Thus, if we count the one we see and set the number for the population of Yisrael, this is kefira in "chaye yolam"  of  Klal Yisrael, for even those who have already passed away and so are not seen are included in that klal, just like the stars that we don't see are in fact present. Accordingly, this concept of the impossibility of counting Yisrael because they are like the stars of the heavens applies even at the beginning of their existence, as Moshe remarked on in the verse quoted above. They were already like stars because they included among them those that were not to be seen with the senses -- all the generations that had passed from this world that merited eternal life in the true world for eternity. Before I had seen this piece, I offered by own take on the life of a star in http://kallahmagazine.blogspot.com/2017/12/when-star-dies.html Here's an excerpt:  I would say this: just as a star's light can continue to illuminate the heavens for beyond its own lifetime, so can a tzadik continue to light up the world even beyond his physical death. That's what we see with Yaakov. On his deathbed, he blesses and instruct his sons -- and a couple of grandsons, as well. So long as they keep that influence alive, he is still alive within them. We carry on the transition of that original influence  from our father Yaakov in an unbroken chain through the generations in Egypt, in the desert, then in Israel, and throughout the first and second Exile all the way to this day. As a result of keeping that light alive, the star still can be seen. As light is essential characteristic of a star, so long as it can be seen, it has not ceased to exist even if it stop carrying on its chemical reactions. In light of this, it makes perfect sense to also declare that "Tzadikim afilu bemithatam kruyim chayim." The Righteous -- even in death -- are called living [beings]. Even after their bodies die, their positive influence continues to be seen like the light of stars. Related posts http://kallahmagazine.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-lesson-of-shmos-dont-underestimate.html http://kallahmagazine.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-women-in-moshes-life.html Like and follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KallahMagazine/

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