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I've heard of authors dedicating or naming their Sefer after a woman (wife, mother, etc), but I can't remember the specifics. What Seforim are dedicated or named in honor of a woman?

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8 Answers 8

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A famous example is ציוּן לנפש חיה. The title means "a [memorial] marker for the soul of Chaya", referring to the author's mother.

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  • How do you know that this is a reference to his mother? Is it your own guess because "חיה" sounds like "Chaya"? Then again, how do you know that his mother's name was Chaya?
    – Alex
    Feb 2, 2020 at 2:04
  • @Alex it's a well-known fact; for a specific albeit weak source, I linked to such a claim on Sefaria. I'd not be surprised if the author says so himself in an intro, but haven't checked. (Also, "חיה" doesn't merely sound like "Chaya": it's the same word.)
    – msh210
    Feb 2, 2020 at 4:59
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    The author does say so himself in an intro.
    – Alex
    Feb 2, 2020 at 5:04
  • @msh depends if her name was חַיָּה or חָיָה
    – Double AA
    Feb 2, 2020 at 18:16
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The Chavos Yair writes in his introduction that the sefer was named after (among other things) the author's grandmother named Chava

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Two obvious examples are Megillos Rus and Esther.

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    Are those their original authorial names?
    – Double AA
    Jan 30, 2020 at 19:56
  • And the "Megillas Esther" commenting on Rambam's Sefer HaMitzvos -- written by a man.
    – Shalom
    Jan 30, 2020 at 22:54
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https://www.amazon.com/Sefer-Rochel-Hebrew-Aharon-Yerucham/dp/B00166SF8G

Sefer Ohel Rachel

https://www.biblio.com/book/ohel-sarah-womans-guide-rabbi-yoel/d/1072929922

Ohel Sarah

https://mekorjudaica.com/tefillas-channah-19872.html

Tefillas Channah

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  • I'm not sure if the Siddur Margalit Tova is named after a woman.
    – rosends
    Jan 30, 2020 at 20:06
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    Are those titles references to specific women? If yes, how do you know?
    – Alex
    Feb 2, 2020 at 2:02
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"Ayelet Hashachar", by Rabbi Ze'ev Hakohen Hoberman z"l (passing, appreciation), is dedicated to the memory of his departed wife, Esther a"h.

Ayelet Hashachar - Addenda to "Ze'ev Yitraf" (Shabbos & Holidays)

Ayelet Hashachar - Addenda to "Ze'ev Yitraf" on Chumash (Bereishis, Shemos, Vayikra)

Ayelet Hashachar - Addenda to "Ze'ev Yitraf" (Bamidbar, Devarim)

"Nefesh Chaya" (Lemberg 1932, Tel-Aviv 1954), notes on Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim, by Rabbi Reuvein Margolies z"l, dedicated to the memory of his departed wife, Chaya Genendel a"h, who enabled him to write the book under very trying conditions.

"Ohel Sarah Leah", memorial volume dedicated to the memory of Rebbetzin Sarah Leah Rothstein a"h (wife of Rabbi Dov Tzvi Rothstein z"l).

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  • The Malbim also has an Ayelet Hashachar which is an intro to his peirush on Chumash
    – Heshy
    Feb 2, 2020 at 22:55
  • @Heshy The Malbim's "Ayelet Hashachar" is found in the beginning of Chumash Vayikra, but is irrelevant to the discussion, since there is no indication that the work was named for or dedicated for a woman. Feb 4, 2020 at 13:30
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Since there are a number of good answers, I'm making this community wiki to collect them into a single post.

  • msh210 writes: ציוּן לנפש חי׳, named in memory of the author's mother.
  • Heshy writes: the biblical books of רות and אסתר.
  • rosends writes: אוהל רחל, אוהל חנה, and תפלת חנה.
  • Schmerel writes: שו"ת חוות יאיר, which is named for R' Joir Chaim Bachrach's mother, according to his introduction.
  • IsraelReader writes: אילת השחר, by R' Zeev haKohen Hoberman, in memory of his wife, Esther. נפש חי׳ by R' Reuven Margolies, in memory of his wife, Chayoh Genendel. אוהל שרה לאה, by R' Dov Tzvi Rothstein, in memory of his wife. Shalom writes: תומר דבורה, by the Rama"k
  • Noach miFrankfurt (me) writes: איל"ת השחר by R' Aharon Yehudoh-Leib Steinman, named for him and his wife, Tamar.
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  • The Chavos Yair was named after the authors grandmother not his mother
    – Schmerel
    Feb 2, 2020 at 20:22
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Nefesh Chaya by Chaim Elazar Vax was dedicated to his mother Chaya. See here and here s.v. אז.

He seems to say he had promised to her to do so.

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Tomer Devorah by Rabbi Moshe Kordovero is another one.

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    Is that a reference to a particular woman named Devorah? If yes, how do you know?
    – Alex
    Feb 2, 2020 at 2:02
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    @Alex There is no explanation given by the author, why he named his work, "Tomer Devorah". See discussion here for some possibilities: forum.otzar.org/viewtopic.php?t=6345 Feb 2, 2020 at 15:58

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