The names tag has no wiki summary.
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3answers
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Why is Parshas Beshalach called Shabbos Shira?
Most people know that we read Az Yashir on Shabbos Shira and we put out bread for the birds. However this is the only Shabbos that has a special name simply because of what we read in the Parsha. ...
9
votes
4answers
209 views
Jewish names that are not common
Why is it that many names of Tanoim and Amoroim are not commonly used? These were big Tzadikkim yet their names are almost unheard of. For example Tarfon, Chisda, Pupa, Avtalion, etc.
6
votes
2answers
128 views
Must readers be called to the Torah by name?
"I was in one place recently where they are very strict about calling people's names before they approach the Torah and another place where the people just came up one-by-one, having arranged ...
16
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2answers
261 views
Why are none of the Pharaohs in the Torah identified by name?
Throughout the Torah, the various Egyptian Pharaohs are always referred to as simply "Pharaoh" or "the king of Egypt" (or both), but never with any other parts of their official titulary.
By ...
9
votes
1answer
119 views
Why was Rabbi Yitzchok Alfasi known as the Rif - rather than the Ria? (הרי"ף - רבי יצחק אלפסי)
Rabbi Yitzchok Alfasi was known as the Rif. The Roshei Teivos of his name is רי"א, and as far as I know there is no other historic figure known as the רי"א. Then why was he known as the Rif?
5
votes
1answer
91 views
“There they buried Yitzchak” — not “my father”?
"What is awe" of a parent? asks Shulchan Aruch Yore Dea 240:2. It includes, SA answers, that one
shall not call [his parent] by [the latter's] name, neither during [the parent]'s life, nor in his ...
5
votes
6answers
678 views
Which surnames are exclusively Kohanim's and why?
It is well known that is a person has a certain surname (last name) they are more likely to be a Kohen.
Examples:
Cohen - for obvious reasons
Kahn
Katz - stands for "Kohen Tzedek"
What are some ...
4
votes
1answer
83 views
List of titles before different Rabbis
It is customary to put many honorific titles before most modern day Rabbis (I've even seen seforim that write Harav Hagaon etc. etc. So-And-So). Many times one sees long lines of adjactives praising ...
11
votes
4answers
382 views
Did Moshe have an earlier name?
Moshe was given his name by Pharaoh's daughter after she drew him from the water. However, Moshe was already three months old when this happened. Did he have a name before Pharaoh's daughter found ...
6
votes
2answers
125 views
How to pronounce the name of the sefer “Bnei Yso(s)cher”
How does one pronounce the name of the sefer בני יששכר ?
I've heard people pronounce both sins -- so it is Ysoscher. (There is also a common custom to pronounce the name יששכר with both sins the ...
4
votes
1answer
327 views
What do the names Pesil, Pesa, and Pesha mean?
What is the meaning and source of the name Pesil or Pesa or Pesha?
2
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4answers
176 views
Is it idolatry to use the english word “God” to refer to Hashem?
Shabbos 67b says "Gad" (גד) was the name of an Amorite idol, and we shouldn't use it. Shouldn't this apply to the name "God" as well?
eg. "God forbid"
11
votes
4answers
263 views
Prayer for Illness - Why use the mothers name?
Why when someone is sick do we say his mothers name not his father's?
4
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3answers
94 views
Pronunciation of חשמונאי
A friend today told me that the word חשמונאי traditionally pronounced "Chashmonai" should really be pronounced "Chashmunai" with the vav being read as a shuruk vowel instead of a cholom.
Is this ...
4
votes
1answer
50 views
Why didn't Hashem call twice to Yitzchak like he did to other prophets?
Avraham Avraham, Yaakov Yaakov, Moshe Moshe, Shmuel Shmuel - why not Yitzchok Yitzchok?
Related to Hashem calls people twice and Hinneni
We find in Tanach that Hashem called Avraham Avraham, ...
5
votes
1answer
159 views
Where are the rules for naming parshiyot explained?
Here I asked about the naming of parshat Noach and parshat Toldot.
Is there someplace where parsha-naming questions like this are addressed in general, or are answers to individual questions ...
6
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2answers
414 views
What was the name of Rachel and Leah's mother?
What was the name of Lavan's wife, the mother of Rachel and Leah?
7
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1answer
272 views
Why “new-mother bat her-father” for a woman who gives birth?
When we pray for the healing (refuah) of a woman or girl, we refer to her as "(patient's name) bat (patient's mother's name)", for example "Shoshana bat Michal" or "Rivka bat Shifra Aviva". This is ...
6
votes
2answers
179 views
Obliterating the names and memories of evil people
Theoretically the names and the very memories of evil people (rasha'im) should be obliterated. Is this aim seriously pursued?
For example, saying ימח שמו after a name doesn't really help obliterate ...
5
votes
2answers
222 views
Meaning of the name Sivan
I recently met a young lady with the name of Sivan. She did not know the meaning of it, other than it is a name of a month. I was wondering if there is a meaning to this name and what it is?
8
votes
1answer
152 views
The spelling of Eliyahu's name
Why is it that is some places in Melachim Eliyahu is spelled with a Vav and sometimes the Vav is missing? I have looked in as many sources as I can think of and can not find an answer.
Examples:
...
8
votes
1answer
122 views
Avram-Avraham; Yaakov-Yisroel; Yitzchok-?
Why from the three Avos, Avraham and Yaakov had their name changed, and not Yitzchok?
11
votes
1answer
311 views
Does one choose one or two pesukim for names?
What posuk does one choose at the end of shmonei esrei if one has two names? do you use two pesukim? or take the posuk that starts with the first initial of the first name and ends with the last ...
3
votes
2answers
103 views
cities that start with ה־
There are a good number of cities referred to in Y'hoshua, of course, and a sizable percentage (I'm guesstimating about 5%) of them start with ה־ (most famously הָעַי, I think).What ...
4
votes
1answer
85 views
How could Yaakov name his children Gad and Dan?
Shabbos 67b says Gad was the name of an idol of the Amorites, and Dan was an idol of Samaria. If we're not supposed to even say the name of idols, how could Yaakov name his sons after them? (or is it ...
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3answers
245 views
3
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1answer
116 views
“B'shem Hashem” for 11 Tishre
Some call the eleventh of Tishre "b'shem Hashem" ("בשם ה׳"). (I assume this is a hasidic term, since, according to what I've heard, the name comes from the Baal Shem Tov.) Why is it called that?
4
votes
4answers
202 views
What is the correct spelling of Akiva?
Is Akiva spelled with an Aleph at the end עקיבא or is it spelled with an Hai at the end עקיבה?
Please answer only with a source.
4
votes
2answers
428 views
Hebrew letters Hey-Yud-Dalet after a name
I'd seen some stuff written about a man, with the Hebrew הי"ד (Hey-Yud-quotes-Dalet) after his name. What does that mean?
3
votes
1answer
124 views
Meaning of Mappik in יה
One more question about mappik
(I don't know what happened to me, but this topic somewhat disturbs me lately :))
What is the meaning of the mappik in the following Hebrew words:
יָהּ
הַלְלוּיָהּ
...
9
votes
3answers
163 views
What's the origin of having more than one name?
I suppose this is more of a history question: as in when did Jewish people start naming their children with more than one name? But I would also be interested in knowing the circumstances behind it?
...
4
votes
4answers
137 views
Is there a Possuk in Tanach that starts with a Samech ס and ends with a Aleph א?
I have a relative with the name סימא and she has been unable to find a Possuk in Tanach that starts with a Samech ס and ends with a Aleph א. Is there such a Possuk?
4
votes
1answer
68 views
Why is the name Yehoshua spelled with an extra vav?
In this past weeks Parshas Devarim 3:21 and in Shoftim 2:7 Yehoshua is spelled with an additional Vav.
דברים: ג. כא.
ואת יהושוע צויתי בעת ההוא לאמר עיניך הראת את כל אשר עשה יהוה אלהיכם לשני המלכים ...
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votes
6answers
309 views
Why is the word for G-d in Genesis plural?
The word for G-d in Genesis 1:1 is plural in all the manuscripts, there's no debating that it's plural. So really it should read "In the Beginning Gods created the heavens and the earth". Why is this ...
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vote
4answers
105 views
Why was the letter “Hai” added to Avraham's name?
Avarham Avinu was originally Avram - and Hashem added the letter Hai to his name and changed it to Avraham. Why from all letters was the letter Hai added?
6
votes
2answers
76 views
Why do the Destruction-related Fasts not have names?
There are three Fasts on our calendar that commemorate stages in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple:
17 Tammuz
9 Av
10 Tevet
(I realize that we could consider Tzom Gedaliah a partial ...
5
votes
2answers
184 views
The spelling of the name פינחס Pinchas in Tanach
In the entire Tanach the name Pinchas פינחס is spelled with a Yud. The only place the Yud is missing is שמואל א: א. ג.
ועלה האיש ההוא מעירו מימים ימימה להשתחות ולזבח ליהוה צבאות בשלה ושם שני בני עלי ...
3
votes
1answer
136 views
Named a male by mistake with a female name
Suppose a person's wife goes to the hospital to give birth and the husband remained home with the rest of the children. They made up that the nurse will call and let the phone ring once if it is a boy ...
5
votes
2answers
73 views
יהושע too soon
We all know that Moshe did not change הושע to יהושע until the story of the spies. Why in Beshalach, quite a bit before this, was his name written in full?
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2answers
141 views
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3answers
242 views
Hillel ben Shahar on gravestone
A follow up question to this one about my ancestor's gravestone. The bottom two lines of the inscription have a mysterious (to me) reference to Hillel ben Shahar, and unfortunately are partially cut ...
6
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4answers
334 views
Etymology of the surname “Katz”
Are there sources for the etymology of the surname Katz being an acronym for Kohen Tzedek?
Is that simply a backronym?
8
votes
2answers
127 views
Why is Yitzchak spelled with a “sin” in Tehillim 105:9?
I just came across this strange variant spelling this morning. I've been in the habit of reciting Tikkun HaKlali recently and saw this in Artscroll's Tehillim this past Shabbat. Thinking it was a ...
5
votes
3answers
210 views
What are some examples of Jewish names? [closed]
What are Jewish sounding names that come from various occupations and locations? Please give the "rough" translation and background too.
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2answers
114 views
Why is 'Rabbenu Tam' called Rabbenu Tam?
Rabbenu Tam's name was יעקב בן מאיר. Why then is he known as Rabbenu Tam?
7
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2answers
632 views
Etymology of the Name Feivel
Where does the Jewish name Feivel (or Feivish) come from?
What does it actually mean?
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1answer
72 views
Identification of Rishon
Tosafos Rebbeinu Peretz (in Pesachim 38a) refers to הר"ר דיילקרויישא מאורליינש. Does anyone know who this is, or at least how his name is pronounced? (It looks like it could be "R' Delacroix of ...
4
votes
4answers
525 views
Did Rav Moshe Feinstein pronounce his last name “Feinstain” or “Feinsteen”?
And, as a follow-up, does having the answer to this question dictate how we should say it?
16
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3answers
364 views
Am I allowed to give my kid a non-Hebrew (non-Jewish?) name?
I'd seen some poster that said it's horribly wrong to ever give your kid a non-Jewish/non-Hebrew name. Is that the norm?
5
votes
2answers
146 views
Formal Hebrew honorific for one's mother
Many men, when going up for an aliya, tell the gabbai their name as, e.g. "Reuven ben Rav Yaakov", even if "Yaakov," the father, isn't actually a Rabbi." I believe the reason for this practice is to ...
