In the Torah the giving of a name (or a renaming) is an act of high significance. The new name does not just identify; it typically defines the person and often foreshadows their purpose in life and future contribution. Our father, Jacob, survives an incredible struggle with a mysterious divine being that all but wipes him out, and is renamed, Israel. We—and all the future people of the covenant—are called not the children of Abraham or the children of Isaac, but the children of Israel. Then this switch may be the most momentous name change in the tradition. It defines not only Jacob and his life but the mission of his descendants for the rest of history.