What’s In A Name?

The Gemara in Sanhedrin (10b) quotes Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel saying that the decision as to whether or not to proclaim a leap year needs to be finalized with seven judges. The Gemara mentions two opinions as to the significance of the number seven. One opinion states that the seven judges correspond to the seven words in the third verse of birkas kohanim. The other opinion states that the number seven corresponds to seven royal advisers.

There is a similar dispute in Masechta Megillah (23). The Gemara says that we call seven people to the Torah on Shabbos. Why seven? One opinion states that the seven aliyos correspond to the seven words in the third verse of birkas kohanim. The other opinion states that the number seven corresponds to seven royal advisers.

Rashi explains that these seven advisers were the very same ones mentioned above who are listed in the Megillah. Tosfos, however, disagree. They argue, “Why would we want to commemorate Achashveirosh’s seven advisers?” They say that the seven advisers being commemorated are advisers to a Jewish king at a different time in history. The Rema seems to side with Rashi. He explains that we want to annul any evil plans that might possibly be laid by the seven non-Jewish advisers. We are in essence praying to Hashem to view as meritorious our service of seven and annul the plans of the wicked seven.

However, another explanation of Rashi is offered by the Acharonim. As mentioned above, the names of Achashveirosh’s seven advisers were peculiar, to say the least. The Gemara in Megillah explains that each one had a hidden meaning. Karshena, lambs of the first year; Shesar, two turtledoves; Admasa, earth; Tarshish, precious stone; Meress, mixing; Marsena, stir; and Memuchan, prepare. The import of these names is as follows.

The angels pleaded to Hashem on Klal Yisrael’s behalf to execute Vashti and thereby set the stage for Esther to become queen and the savior of the Jewish nation. The angels argued, “Did the gentiles ever offer lambs of the first year or turtledoves as sacrifices? Did they ever build an altar out of earth? Did they ever perform any service with the garment of the Kohen Gadol, which has precious stones on it? Did they ever mix the blood of sacrifices? Did they ever stir the Minchah offering? Did they ever prepare the Holy Table, the Shulchan?” The very names of the seven advisers recalled the merit of the Bnei Yisrael who performed all of these services.

The Ben Yehoyada explains that is was very apropos at this particular moment to recall the mitzvos that Klal Yisrael performed in the Beis HaMikdash. Vashti had rallied against the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash. She, who was a descendant of Nebuchadnezzar, had argued, “My parents destroyed the Beis HaMikdash and you would rebuild it!” It was precisely at this time, when Vashti’s fate was in the balance, that the merit of the mitzvos that Klal Yisrael performed in the Holy Temple needed to be recalled. After all, it was due to her position that the Beis HaMikdash was not being rebuilt. It was this remembrance of our sacrificial mitzvos in the past that could not be currently performed that sealed her fate. This set the stage for Esther to become queen, Klal Yisrael to be saved, and, eventually, the Beis HaMikdash to be rebuilt.

Still, one can wonder—why did the mothers of these advisers give their children the weird names? Did they know that at one point in the future their names would recall the merit of Klal Yisrael? Not exactly. The Acharonim explain that it was Divine intervention that caused these mothers to name the children with rather odd names. The advisers may have grown up angry with their parents for their strange names.

In any case, according to Rashi we are not commemorating Achashveirosh’s advisers as individuals. We are commemorating the merit that their names recalled. If you have a rather odd name and are angry with your parents, take comfort in the fact that your name may have some great hidden potential! ™