It functions as a conduit, channeling spiritual energy from G‑d into your soul and your body. That’s why a critically ill person is sometimes given an additional Hebrew name—sort of like a spiritual bypass operation.
I’ve heard that one should not name a baby after an individual who passed away young. Is this true? And what if that person was killed during the Holocaust?
A Jew’s spiritual essence is inherited via his or her mother. When praying for another, we want to emphasize their essential and eternal link to G‑d, as derived from their mother’s side.