ישעיהו, פרק ס״ה, פסוק ט״ו

The legacy left behind by individuals echoes long after they depart from the world, drawing a sharp line between the wicked and the righteous. While the memory of those who do evil transforms into a symbol of ruin, the reputation of those who serve God becomes an enduring source of honor and glory.

The names of the wicked are destined to become a literal curse. After their passing, good people will use their memory as a severe warning when making pledges. A person taking an oath will invoke the fate of the wicked, declaring that if they lie or break their word, God should strike them down just as He did to those evildoers. Alternatively, [מלבי״ם] suggests that the wicked will not perish immediately. Instead, they will first endure such immense suffering that their names will turn into a common expression for a curse, and only afterward will they meet their end.

The death they face is not merely the phrasing of an oath, but their actual punishment. The primary approach among commentators is that this refers to an eternal death, meaning the complete destruction of the soul in the World to Come. Conversely, [מלבי״ם] understands this as a highly unusual and unnatural physical death.

In stark contrast to the disgraceful end of the wicked, those who serve God are promised a completely different legacy. They will receive a new, honorable reputation, and their memory will serve as a blessing. Just as people will use the names of the wicked to curse, they will use the names of the righteous to bless one another, wishing to achieve their level of goodness [רד״ק, שד״ל].

There are different reasons why God’s servants require a new name. Over time, their original names might have been turned into insults by others, prompting God to grant them a fresh identity completely free of negative associations [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another possibility is that innocent people who happen to share the names of the wicked will rush to change them, wanting to cut all ties to such evil. This act will entirely erase the memory of the wicked from the earth, and the new names adopted by the righteous will ensure that all past troubles are permanently forgotten [מלבי״ם].