An Apologetic upon Shem
Named from HaShem (The Name)
Introduction
Antisemitism is often misdiagnosed. Many assume it is simply hostility toward the Jewish people because of race, history, or politics. But biblically, antisemitism runs deeper: it is opposition to the Name of God, HaShem, carried through Israel and the religion.
The distortion comes in two forms. Some exalt “Semitic descent” as if blood alone secured divine favor; others despise Jews precisely because of that descent. Both miss the central biblical point: blessing is not tied to mere lineage but to HaShem, the God whose covenant Israel embodies. To be anti-Semitic in the truest sense is to be anti-Name—resisting the very reality of God’s self-revelation.
1. The Name before Shem
Genesis records that humanity first defined itself by worship, not lineage:
“Then men began to call on the Name of YHWH” (Gen 4:26).
This predates Shem, Noah’s son, showing that covenantal identity has always been marked by recognition of HaShem.
Rabbinic tradition affirms this: Bereshit Rabbah 23:6 interprets this verse as humanity’s first gathering in prayer, while Rashi warns that misuse of the Name also began then.¹ The battle line of history is already drawn: will humanity honor or profane the Name?
2. Shem as Signpost, not Source
When Noah blesses after the flood, he says:
“Blessed be YHWH, the God of Shem” (Gen 9:26).
The blessing is not directed to Shem himself but to YHWH. Ramban comments that Shem’s distinction lies only in being attached to God’s Name.² The focus is theological, not genealogical: Shem points beyond himself to HaShem. It is obvious shem was named after HaShem.
This is why later Judaism adopts HaShem as the reverent substitute for the Tetragrammaton: Israel’s whole identity is to witness to the Name. To despise the Jews is, at root, to despise the One whose Name they bear.
3. Lineage Without Covenant Fails
The Tower of Babel, built by Shem’s descendants, declares:
“Let us make a name (shem) for ourselves” (Gen 11:4).
Here bloodline betrays itself. Rashi calls this rebellion against God’s kingship,³ and Bereshit Rabbah 38:6 contrasts Babel’s pride with Abraham’s humility. Even those of Shem’s seed can fall into being anti-Name by exalting their own.
Thus antisemitism is not simply “hatred of Semites,” but hostility to God’s covenant Name—whether expressed in rebellion within the line of Shem or in rejection by outsiders.
4. Abraham: Model of Calling on the Name
Abraham embodies the covenantal alternative:
“He built an altar to YHWH and called on the Name of YHWH” (Gen 12:8).
Bereshit Rabbah 39:16 says Abraham “caused the Name of the Holy One to be called upon by every passerby.” Maimonides depicts him as proclaiming God’s Name to the nations.⁴
His election is not about Semitic DNA but about faith in the Name.
Paul interprets the same: Abraham is father not by bloodline but by faith (Rom 4).
Paul interprets the same: Abraham is father not by bloodline but by faith (Rom 4).
This means that antisemitism, properly understood, is not simply rejection of Abraham’s seed—it is rejection of the God whose Name Abraham proclaimed.
5. Prophets and Nations
Isaiah promises inclusion for foreigners who:
“love the Name of YHWH” (Isa 56:6–7).
The Talmud confirms that Gentiles who obey the Noahide laws out of loyalty to God are “righteous of the nations” (Sanhedrin 59a).⁵ Here again, covenant is not about race but about reverence and obedience.
6. New Testament Fulfillment
The New Testament brings the same emphasis:
“Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved”
(Rom 10:13; Joel 2:32).
Apostles heal and preach “in the Name” (Acts 3:6).
Baptism incorporates believers “into the Name” (Matt 28:19).
Faith is defined by relation to the Name. To oppose that Name is the deepest form of antisemitism, for Israel exists to bear it (Deut 28:10).
Conclusion
From Genesis to the rabbis to the New Testament, the axis of blessing is HaShem. Antisemitism is, at root, not about ethnicity but about hostility to God’s covenantal Name, which Israel carries in history.
• The Name was invoked before Shem (Gen 4:26).
• Shem himself was only a signpost (Gen 9:26).
• His descendants failed when they sought
a name of their own (Gen 11).
• Abraham embodied faith by calling on HaShem (Gen 12:8).
• The prophets and rabbis affirm covenantal inclusion for all who
• Abraham embodied faith by calling on HaShem (Gen 12:8).
• The prophets and rabbis affirm covenantal inclusion for all who
revere the Name.
Thus, true antisemitism is anti-Name. To reject or mock Israel because of their role is to reject the One whose Name they bear. The true children of Shem are those who honor HaShem—and to despise them is to despise Him.
End Notes
1. Bereshit Rabbah 23:6; Rashi on Gen 4:26.
2. RAMBAN (Nachmanides) on Gen 9:26.
3. RASHI on Gen 11:4; Bereshit Rabbah 38:6.
4. Bereshit Rabbah 39:16; Maimonides,
End Notes
1. Bereshit Rabbah 23:6; Rashi on Gen 4:26.
2. RAMBAN (Nachmanides) on Gen 9:26.
3. RASHI on Gen 11:4; Bereshit Rabbah 38:6.
4. Bereshit Rabbah 39:16; Maimonides,
Hilchot Avodat Kochavim 1:3.
5. Sanhedrin 59a.
5. Sanhedrin 59a.
