THE BAIS HAVAAD HALACHA JOURNAL: Volume 5775 Issue VIII Parshas Vayishlach Is Name Changing- Game Changing? Overcoming Illness and a New Name By Rabbi Yehonassan Sasportas

In this week's parsha the Torah relates the story of how Yaakov fought with the malach, angel. At the end of that episode the malach blessed Yaakov, telling him that Hashem would later change his name to Yisroel. Yaakov was the second of the Avos to have his name changed. It is interesting to note, however, that there is a distinct difference between Avrohom’s original name and Yaakov’s. The Gemara in Meseches Brachos teaches that anyone who calls Avrohom by his original name violates a positive commandment. Yaakov, on the other hand, continues to be called by both of his names throughout the Torah, Neviim, and Chazal. There are a number of explanations for this anomaly. The sefer Shaar Bas Rabim, in parshas vayigash, explains that this is because Avrohom’s original name was given to him by his father Terach. Once Hashem Himself renamed him, however, his original name no longer had any significance. Yaaakov, on the other hand, was given both of his names by Hashem (see Rashi in parshas toldos) and therefore both of his names will always have significance.