You are what your name is. At least this is what the ancient Jews, and all the Semitic people, used to believe. You see, God created the world by His word: “Let there be light,” He said. And it was so. By the same token, we are called to imitate Him, since language is what makes us in the image and after the likeness of God. In Hebrew there’s the same word for “matter” and “word”—”dabar”. That’s because for the old Jews, to say something meant to make it happen. Then you cannot play with words, because words are tremendous tools of power, they can both bring you to life and kill you on the spot. So watch your words!
If this is true for words, then it is truer for names. To know someone’s name means to know that person’s inner being. That’s explain why God does not reveal His name to everybody, just to His chosen ones, like Abraham, Isaac or Jacob. But His most secret Name—YHWH—The Tetragrammaton, He revealed only to Moses, on mount Horeb, who, in turn, disclosed it to Aaron, the High Priest. He used to pronounce it once a year, on Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement), in the Holy of Holies. Once with the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans, in 70. A.D., the Name and its true pronunciation was lost, yet some said that the Name still remained with the sages of the people, from generation to generation.
It surely emerged in the XVIII-th century as the founder of the Hasidic movement, Israel ben Eliezer, was called Baal Shem Tov (The Master of the Good Name).
Not only God’s Name, buy any name has an omen, a prophetic significance or a certain meaning, good or bad, for his bearer. What is your name? Do you like it?
Do you live up to your name? Do you want to become yourself a big name?

Well, read my book, The Master of the Name, to be initiated into the power of the Ineffable Name of God and to make the most of your own name.