Calling beshem Hashem

Bereishit 12:8

וַיַּעְתֵּק מִשָּׁם הָהָרָה מִקֶּדֶם לְבֵית-אֵל וַיֵּט אָהֳלֹה בֵּית-אֵל מִיָּם וְהָעַי מִקֶּדֶם וַיִּבֶן-שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוָה וַיִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה:

Translation:

"And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD."

Ramban on Bereishit 12:8

Hebrew:

וַיִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם ה' פֵּרֵשׁ אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית י"ב:ח') שֶׁהִתְפַּלֵּל שָׁם, כְּמוֹ "קָרָאתִי שִׁמְךָ ה' מִבּוֹר תַּחְתִּיּוֹת" (איכה ג נה). וְהַנָּכוֹן שֶׁהָיָה קוֹרֵא בְּקוֹל גָּדוֹל שָׁם לִפְנֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֶת שֵׁם ה', מוֹדִיעַ אוֹתוֹ וֶאֱלֹהוּתוֹ לִבְנֵי אָדָם, כִּי בְּאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים הָיָה מְלַמְּדָם וְלֹא אָבוּ שְׁמֹעַ, וְעַתָּה כְּשֶׁבָּא בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת שֶׁהֻבְטַח בָּהּ "וַאֲבָרֲכָה מְבָרְכֶיךָ" הָיָה לָמוּד לְלַמֵּד וּלְפַרְסֵם הָאֱלֹהוּת. וְכֵן אָמַר הַכָּתוּב (בראשית כ"ו:כ"ד) בְּיִצְחָק כַּאֲשֶׁר הָלַךְ אֶל נַחַל גְּרָר וְהֻבְטַח "אַל תִּירָא כִּי אִתְּךָ אָנֹכִי" שֶׁבָּנָה מִזְבֵּחַ "וַיִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם ה'", כִּי בָּא בְּמָקוֹם חָדָשׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׁמְעוּ אֶת שִׁמְעוֹ וְלֹא רָאוּ אֶת כְּבוֹדוֹ, וְהִגִּיד כְּבוֹדוֹ בַּגּוֹיִם הָהֵם. וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר בְּיַעֲקֹב כֵּן, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוֹלִיד בָּנִים רַבִּים כֻּלָּם עוֹבְדֵי ה', וְהָיְתָה לוֹ קְהִלָּה גְּדוֹלָה נִקְרֵאת עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנִתְפַּרְסְמָה הָאֱמוּנָה בָּהֶם וְנוֹדְעָה לְכָל עַם וְגַם, כִּי מִימֵי אֲבוֹתָיו נִתְפַּרְסְמָה בְּכָל אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה ל"ט:ט"ז) מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהִקְרִיא שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל הקב"ה בְּפִי כָּל בְּרִיָּה:

English Translation:

AND HE CALLED UPON THE NAME OF THE ETERNAL. Onkelos explained it as meaning that he prayed there, just as in the verse, "I called upon Thy name, O Eternal, out of the lowest dungeon" (Lamentations 3:55).

The correct interpretation is that Abraham loudly proclaimed the name of the Eternal there before the altar, informing people of Him and of His Divine essence. In Ur of the Chaldees he taught people but they refused to listen. Now, however, that he had come to the land concerning which he had been promised, "And I will bless them that bless thee" (verse 3), he became accustomed to teach and to proclaim the Deity.

Scripture likewise tells of Isaac — when he went to the valley of Gerar where he was promised, "Fear not, for I am with thee" (26:24) — that he built an altar there and invoked the name of the Eternal (ibid., verse 25), since he had come to a new place where they had not heard of His fame or seen His glory, and he proclaimed His glory among these nations (see Isaiah 66:19).

Now a similar statement is not made concerning Jacob, [i.e., that he proclaimed the name of the Eternal before the peoples of the land of Canaan], for since he begot many children — all of whom were worshippers of G-d — and he had a great community, which was called "the congregation of Israel" (Exodus 12:3, et al.), it was through them that the Faith was proclaimed and became known to all people. Besides, the Faith had been proclaimed throughout the entire land of Canaan since the days of his ancestors.

In Bereshith Rabbah (39:24) the Rabbis similarly say, "And he called upon the name of the Eternal. This teaches us that he caused the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, to be in the mouth of all people."

AI Source and Explanation for Yitzchak Calling out to Hashem

The verse is **Bereishit (Genesis) 26:25**:

> **וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ וַיִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם יְהֹוָה וַיֶּט שָׁם אׇהֳלוֹ וַיִּכְרוּ שָׁם עַבְדֵי יִצְחָק בְּאֵר**

> *"And he built an altar there, and he called in the Name of Hashem, and he pitched his tent there, and Yitzchak's servants dug a well there."*

**Context:** This follows Hashem's appearance to Yitzchak at Be'er Sheva (pasuk 24), where Hashem reassures him — *"Al tira ki itcha Anochi"* ("Fear not, for I am with you") — and reiterates the blessings of Avraham. In response to this Divine revelation, Yitzchak builds the mizbeach and calls out in Shem Hashem, mirroring the behavior of his father Avraham (see Bereishit 12:8 and 13:4).

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