(As a native of Berkeley, the Old Queen believes in a socially just monarchy, and in a monarchy where everyone sees themeslves as creatures of value whose worth is reflected in the faces of those who represent them. If you don't believe this read back posts about the importance of boys seeing men and other boys as professional dancers. It makes a huge difference in attitude. I think the time is ripe for little Barack Obamas to see themselves in the role of president...as no doubt little rail splitters did when they looked upon that other "inexperienced" Illinois Senator who rose to the post of president. Yep, it can happen, so keep dreamin' big kids! That's a royal order from The Shoestring Prince, and The Old Queen)(From the royal library at Wiki.answers)
What is the origin of the name Barack?
In: Name Origins
"Barack" is a word that is shared among several languages. First, it is a word in the Semitic family of languages. As such it has a root in Hebrew (but written baruch), a version in Aramaic (berek), a version in Arabic (baraka). (See Strong's Hebrew Bible Dictionary, entries 1288-1294.) It also occurs as a loan word in non-Semitic languages that have been influenced by these Semitic languages. As often happens, cognate words are similar in pronunciation. What appears in a later-appearing language may sound like something else in the earlier language. And in English we sometimes see words that are pronounced the same and even spelled the same, but that have very different meanings. Barack or Barak means 'lightning' in Hebrew.
(Barachiel is the old queen's own patron angel for her birth month of February!)
The name Barak is also mentioned in the Bible in the book of Judges. Barak was part of the story of the prophetess Deborah. Baruch (or Baruwk, Baruk, Strong, 1263) and its cognates berek and baraka all mean the same. Strong, 1288, says "barak, baw-rak', a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit)."
http://www.virtualchristiancenter.com/biblestudytools/kjvstrongs/STRHEB12.htm
Regardless of how one spells the name, it gives two possible and not contradictory meanings. One is "a blessing from God," and another is "a blessing from God that the individual may pass on to others as a benefit to them."
The second meaning is very clear in the Sufi tradition in which the searcher for Allah, or as Jesus would have called Him Alaha, receives from his or her teacher a transmission of some key to seeing what Meister Eckhard called the "divine spark" within each of us. ) If you pray to Allah you may choose to call your child Barak. If you pray to Alaha you may choose to call your child Berek. If you think you are praying to different gods or bestowing names with different meanings you may benefit from further study.
...just sayin'.
1 comment:
I'm not a very politically-minded person, so it's kind of interesting I'd stop by to read your blog today...but I am a Jewish spiritual writer. So, I can tell you that pretty much every Jewish blessing begins with the word Baruch. "Baruch ata Adonai (or some other word for God)..." "Blessed are you God, Rule of the Universe, who gives us the fruit of the vine," is the blessing for wine, for instance. You can use the same "blessing" formula for anything...even for the fact that we have at least one candidate worth voting for this time around. And, yes, he's a fine example for our boys of someone who had a dream and has pursued it and may actually achieve it. Let's hope he does...may he be so blessed!
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