The Importance of the Family Name

Deuteronomy 25:5-7 - The importance of the Name. This part focuses on how important the continuance of a person's name was. It reviews the need for a childless widdow to have a child by the brother of her dead husband in order to continue the family name. And also it was important to keep the property within the family.

This presents many issues for modern day thinking. But back in Biblical times it was definitely not "Love then marriage".

(discussion led by David Mayer Levi)

OK so Larry asked: "Do you think this is a reaction to the Judah story?"

That started a tangent to the topic and explored the Judah - Tamar episode back in Genesis.

There is so much on this topic on the internet I thought I would just put in a few links to interesting articles:
Chabad Article on Levirate Marriage.
See about the Seal of Judah he left with Tamar.
Commentary by R. Reiss.
Importance of Names.
Details about Judah and interpretation.

We also started to explore the similar story as it relates to Ruth and Boaz. (Another way these stories fit together with the 'law')