אות - צד

Know that when there is peace in a city, it is because there is no man of understanding [bar daas] in that city — for "if there is no knowledge, how can there be distinction?" (203) But when there is a man of understanding in the city, then there is distinction — meaning there are people who incline toward the man of understanding and cleave to him, and there are people who contend against him.

203. RAK: See Jerusalem Talmud Berachos 5a.

Know that the name given to a person corresponds to the action he has to perform in the world (204). And there is one who performs his action in half the years allotted to him, and then he needs to be called another name — a new name. For the name given to a person is after his death his garments [levushin] — for the name is in the aspect of garments, as it is written (Isaiah 42:8): "I am Hashem — that is My Name and My glory" etc. — "My glory" is the aspect of garments, for "Rabbi Yochanan called his garments 'my glorifers'" (Shabbas 113b).

For the Holy Blessed One is called Havayah (204) — for through the Name Havayah all the worlds were brought into being [nivhav]. But above all the worlds He has no name — for above all the worlds it is impossible to attain Him. And this is (Psalms 138:2): "For You have magnified Your word above Your Name." "Your word" — this is the action, for "the world was created by a word [maamar]"* (Avos 5:1) — that is, the action. That is: according to the actions of the Holy Blessed One above all worlds, He is greater than all His Names. For above all worlds He has no name at all — and this is: "For You have magnified Your word above Your Name."

And this is what is written regarding the future (Isaiah 62:2): "And all the nations will see your righteousness... and a new name will be called to you." For the nations will see the action that will be for Israel and will call them a new name. Similarly there is one who performs his action according to the name he has in half his years, and afterward performs new actions and needs to be called a new name. And there are great and wondrous secrets in this. And this is why one calls a sick person another name (205) — for the name he previously had has already performed its action according to that name he had, and it was appropriate for him to die. Therefore they call him another name so that he will have another action and can live more years through being called another name in order to perform the action according to that name.