Questions tagged [names]
Questions about the purpose, meaning, halachos (rules), etc. of names.
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In the Talmud, who is Plimo?
In Menachos 37a, there is a part which involves someone named "Plimo" (פלימו):
בעא מיניה פלימו מרבי מי שיש לו שני ראשים באיזה מהן מניח תפילין א''ל או קום גלי או קבל עלך שמתא
Plimo asked ...
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What does the title "Hatomim" mean?
I have stumbled upon the title "Hatomim" before people's names in Chabad-oriented documents on the Internet.
What is the meaning and significance of this title, in this context?
Practically speaking, ...
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Why do the names of neviim change?
I was curious why a number of names in Navi- the prophets- seem to change. Yirmiyah is also called Yirmiyahu, Yeshayah/Yeshayahu, etc. and a number of the kings have a similar variation. Is there a ...
Tprismic
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Naming your child using a dead relative's initial
Is there a Jewish tradition of naming your child using the first letter of the name of a recently deceased relative?
Lynne
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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?
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Is there a limit to the number of names you can give someone?
I have two Hebrew names. One of my sons has 3. Many people I know have 3; someone I called to the Torah had 4. At 3, people who have to address you often, (rebbes, teachers) seem to get confused. (can'...
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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 ...
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Which Amora is mentioned most often in the Gemara?
Which Amora is mentioned most often throughout Talmud Bavli?
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Names with origins of avoda zara
I gave my daughter a second name after my father's, for which I came up with a female version. I saw that the name does exist, but I never bothered to see the origin for some reason. Now, after five ...
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Where in tanach are the months named
In megilas esther the months of the year are called out by name. For example the 12th month is called adar. Is there anywhere else in tanach that months are referred to by name?
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How long have Jewish Converts been adding "V'Sarah" to their Hebrew names? Is this Proper? Expected?
At Shul I notice that some converts have names such as "Yoseph Ben Avraham V'Sarah" and some have just "Yoseph Ben Avraham". Are both correct? Is this something new (ish)?
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Can a man and woman with the same name marry each other?
Suppose you have a man named Simcha. May he marry a woman named Simcha? (sources)
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Responding to "that's not a Jewish name" [closed]
My ancestry is not eastern-European, and sometimes when I meet people in a Jewish setting and we introduce ourselves, I'm met with "that's not a Jewish name" (referring to my last name, mostly). I ...
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The name Amihud is found in different tribes – why was it a popular name?
In the sedra of Masei, two nesi'im are mentioned whose father is Amihud.
1] 34 (20) וּלְמַטֵּה֨ בְּנֵ֣י שִׁמְע֔וֹן שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל בֶּן־עַמִּיהֽוּד:
2] 34 (28) וּלְמַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵֽי־נַפְתָּלִ֖י נָשִׂ֑יא ...
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Calling female baby by name before official naming
Is there any objection, halachic or otherwise, to calling a baby girl by the name the parents plan on giving it before the mi sheberach prayer is recited at the torah reading following the birth? What ...
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I forget his name. Now what?
If someone was given the name of a sick person to daven for them, and when they get to refa'enu (blessing for healing) they can only remember the person's name but not their mother's name, how should ...
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Why so much genealogical detail in Bereshit?
I'm looking for reasons (Pshat, but not only) in giving so much detail in Bereshit regarding the sons of Adam, Kain, and so on. Some of the characters born and die, and have no clear role, at least in ...
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Niqqud of the name of the מהר"ץ חיות
What is the correct niqqud to put on the name of the מהר"ץ חיות? Wikipedia claims that his last name is spelled Chajes in English, and that Chayes or Hayot may also be seen. This seems to imply that ...
user3318
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Why is the name of Eliezer often missing?
Very often in the Torah Eliezer's proper name is omitted when he is discussed. Examples include the story of finding a wife for Yitzhak where he is referred to as eved or ish, his accompanying Avraham ...
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Multiple characters with the same name in the bible
In the Bible most of the names are unique, especially for the main characters.
As far as I know there is only one Abraham and only one Moses etc.
There are some names that appear more than once like ...
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In prayer for sick, can one name count for two people?
On Shabbat morning, the gabbai prays for the sick to be healed and reads out a list of names of sick people, that was provided by the community.
In the case where two sick people have the same name (...
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Spouses in Tanach whose names start with the same letter? [closed]
This is one of those parsha sheet trivia questions: There are six couples in Tanach where the names of the spouses start with the same letter. Who are they?
I've got five of them, but I can't think ...
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Root of the name Aharon
What is the etymology of the name Aharon? The only serious site I've found that proposes an etymology is this, but I'm hoping for a more classical source, i.e. Chazal or Rishonim.
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How many Maccabees were there and what were their names?
How many Maccabees were there and what were their names?
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Why did Moshe keep his name if it was given by an Egyptian?
In this weeks parsha it says (Shemos 2:10):
"וַיִגְדַּל הַיֶּלֶד וַתְּבִאֵהוּ לְבַת־פַּרְעֹה וַיְהִי־לָהּ לְבֵן וַתִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ מֹשֶׁה וַתֹּאמֶר כִּי מִן־הַמַּיִם מְשִׁיתִהוּ׃"
“When the ...
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Names of angels
There is a pretty well known point made in the Talmud Yerushalmi Rosh Hashana 1:2
stating that the names we are accustomed to calling the months of our lunar calendar came up with those returning from ...
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Why does Rashi call tzeirei and segol "kamatz katan" and "patach katan"
Rashi often refers to tzeirei as "kamatz katan" and segol as "patach katan". Why? In what sense are they smaller versions of kamatz and patach?
I understand that kamatz and tzeirei are תנועות ...
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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, ...
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Reason why the name Ben Tziyon is a Segula for a long life
I saw in Igros Kodesh 11, page 73 mentioned in the Chida in the name of the Yerushalmi that the name Ben Tziyon is a Segula for a long life and good years. What is the reason that this name has such a ...
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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
I ...
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Reciting a Posuk representing your name at end of Shemona Esrei - source?
Many Sidurim mention in the name of the Shela that one should say a Posuk at the end of Shemona Esrei that begins and ends with the same letter as ones name. Does anyone know where in the Shela this ...
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Is a convert allowed to keep the name of an Avodah Zarah?
If a convert to Judaism has the name of an Avodah Zarah, is he or she obligated to change it? For example, there are many Hindus today that have the names of Hindu gods such as Lakhshmi, Shiva, and ...
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Can a man marry a woman with the same name as his mother? (Or vice-versa?) How?
Rabbi Yehudah Hechassid wrote in his testament (Testament of R. Yehudah Hechassid, sec. 23) that a man should not marry a woman whose name is the same as his mother’s, and a woman should not marry a ...
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Why isn't Shimson's mother named?
Why isn't Shimson's mother named in Pesukim that tell the story? She is featured rather prominently, and the angel appears to her before speaking with both her and Manoaḥ. It would stand to reason ...
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What is the proper hebrew pronunciation of Rav Hirsch's first name?
Among the Modern Orthodox I hear Rav Hirsch's name only said in its English form ("Samson"). Amongst the Yeshivish I hear the form "Shamshon." My question is, was his Hebrew name Shamshon or Shimshon?
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Charvona? How many Charvona's were there?
In the Megila twice the name Charvona is mentioned. However there is a difference - Once it is spelled with an Aleph at the end and once it is spelled with an Hai at the end? Were there two Charvona's ...
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What is the greatest number of pages (daf) you can go in the Babylonian Talmud without encountering Abayei or Rava?
What is the greatest number of pages (daf) you can go in the Babylonian Talmud without encountering Abayei or Rava? I've heard it was 3?
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Are there any limitations on changing a personal name in Halachah?
Following "naming-a-child-an-embarrassing-name", I stated, based on my personal understanding, that there are no Halachic limitations on how a person calls himself and how he can change his names ...
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Naming a Child an Embarassing Name
Would Halacha deem it appropriate to name a child with a weird name that would be embarrassing later on, and is not a classic Jewish name (would this fall under the category of calling one by a ...
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Is the name אזולי/אזולאי based on the verse of אשה זנה וחללה לא יקחו
In this answer to Which surnames are Kohanim's and why?, Azulai (however you choose to transliterate it) is a Kohanic surname, based on the the fact that the Rashei Teivos seem to be those of the ...
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Calling a Muslim leader an "Imam"
Is there a halachic issue with referring to a Muslim imam by the title "Imam" (or "Imam __" with the person's name inserted in place of the underscore)?
Here are the thoughts that lead me to ask this ...
user3318
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Naming after two people
Can one person be given one name (as opposed to a double name) which is meant to "correspond" to two different deceased individuals?
I.e. Chaim and Shprintza have a daughter. Chaim's grandmother was ...
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Why hiss for Zeresh?
In every community in which I have heard Megillah, it seems customary to hiss whenever Zeresh is mentioned (in fact I have a mesorah from my father to do so).
Are there any sources which mention ...
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"Ashkenazim" and "Sephardim," for example
Please excuse the crossword-puzzle-clue style of the title...
What is a or the technical name for the distinction between Ashkenazim and Sephardim, and/or the class or category that both of these ...
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Can a Zerah Yisrael that converts use his father's Hebrew name for aliyot?
If boy was born to a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother and later converted in his life, would he obliged to call himself "ben Avraham" when called up for an aliyah, or would he be allowed to take ...
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What type of name should an androgynous be given?
An androgynous that has both signs of a male and female, should they be given a female name, a male name, or a "neutral" name (like "simcha" or "yona".) Is there any makor for this?
(I realize this ...
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Parasha named after Balak?
I've heard from Harav Mansour Shelit"a as well as other Hachamim that Yitro was rewarded by getting a Parasha named by him. With that in mind, why did Balak get a Parasha named after him?
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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?
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The father's or mother's name in the "Ribbono Shel Olam" (Yom Tov)
In the "Ribonno Shel Olam" prayer which we say on Yom Tov prior to taking out the Torah, there seems to be a major difference of opinion between certain siddurim (prayer books). Some have the ...
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