Lech Lecha: Chapter 30

"And Abraham said, Adonai Hashem Elohim, what will You give me?"

Synopsis

Abraham cries out to God, lamenting his inability to have children. The Creator explains that all people have certain judgments and decrees hanging over them. These decrees and judgments fall under the influence of the stars and planets. However, God tells Abraham that it is up to him to rise above planetary influences by transforming his very nature. When man changes his internal nature, nature mirrors that action and judgments can be removed. Herein lies the secret behind the name change of Abraham. While he is under the influence of the stars, he is called, Abraham אברם. When he undergoes spiritual transformation, the Hebrew letter Hei ה is added to his name changing it from Abraham to Abraham אברהם.

Relevance

The profound Kabbalistic concept of altering a person's name alphabetically, can be compared to the science of genetic engineering, in which the genetic code of a person is altered in order to reduce predisposition to various diseases and ailments. Interestingly, all DNA is structured and consequently, classified alphabetically. The mysteries contained within this passage give us the power to alter our own spiritual DNA, thereby changing our destiny. By transforming the negative aspects of our nature, we rise above cosmic influences and remove judgments that may be hanging over us.