Questions tagged [names]
Questions about the purpose, meaning, halachos (rules), etc. of names.
33 questions from the last 365 days
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Why do we have different names today than in ancient Judaism?
There are definitely exceptions, but for the most part, it seems that from the Beis Hamikdash period up until the era of the Rishonim, the traditional names we use today were relatively uncommon (such ...
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Is it Mishna Vrura?
According to the rules of dikduk, is the correct pronunciation of משנה ברורה "Mishna V'rura", without the dagesh in the beis? If so, I'm curious as to why most people pronounce it with a ...
- 61
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Is עמליה (Amalya) a valid girls name [closed]
Is the name עמליה -- Amalyah a valid Jewish name for a girl? It comes from עמל-קה (g-ds work).
6
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1
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389
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Please explain the end of Tosefta Eduyot
At the end of Tosefta Eduyot 3:4 it states:
One who has students, they call him rabbi. When his students were
forgotten, they called him rabban. When both of these are forgotten,
they call him by his ...
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2
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Midbar Kodesh, reason for title
The sefer Midbar Kodesh contains the teachings of Rav Shalom Rokeach, the first rebbe of Belz. The title Midbar Kodesh appears to be an intentional mispronunciation of "Midbar Kadesh." Why ...
- 341
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55
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History of the name Shabsai
The earliest mention of the name שבתי that I found is in Nehemiah 8:7
וְיֵשׁ֡וּעַ וּבָנִ֡י וְשֵׁרֵ֥בְיָ֣ה ׀ יָמִ֡ין עַקּ֡וּב שַׁבְּתַ֣י ׀ הֽוֹדִיָּ֡ה מַעֲשֵׂיָ֡ה קְלִיטָ֣א עֲזַרְיָה֩ יוֹזָבָ֨ד חָנָ֤ן ...
- 2,328
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1
answer
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Are there any multi-word names in the Tanakh?
The words יערי ארגים in 2 Samuel 21:19 are sometimes claimed to be a two-word name. (For example the KJV translates them that way.) Are there any other names in the Tanakh like this, which consist of ...
- 233
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Is anyone in the Tanakh referred to by their mother's name?
Many people in the Tanakh are referred to by their father's name. For instance שלמה בן דויד in 2 Chronicles 1:1. Are there any instances where someone is referred to by their mother's name? Like "...
- 233
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Why is Pesach/Paysach a name but no other holiday is?
Is there a reason that Pesach (usually Paysach when a person's name) is a relatively common Jewish name, whereas no other Yom Tov, specifically the other regalim, became names?
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Is there any reason to suppose that "Reish Lakish" means something like "chief of the bandits"?
I feel like I've heard this many times over the years. In the last couple of days I've shopped the question around, and everyone seems to have heard the theory that because of his colorful past, Reish ...
- 2,335
4
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1
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What are the four names of Jesse?
Jesse was called by four names.
In Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 13 he is named as one of only 7 men who had multiple names.
But the text doesn't elaborate on Jesse. Are the four names explained anywhere ...
- 105
1
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Convert changing name years after conversion
Chalom,
Is a convert allowed to change his name several years after his conversion if he wants?
For example, if another person chooses his name for him.
If his name chosen at the conversion in front ...
- 207
0
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Sefaradic pratice : Acceptable number of names a person can have [duplicate]
According to the sefaradi tradition (Jews from Spain and North Africa not Edot hamizra'h) , what is the maximum number of names that can be given to a child? For example, 3 or 4 first names - is that ...
- 207
6
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What is the translation of the word "ibn" that some Rabbis have in their name?
For example R. Chisdai ibn Shaprut, his full name is R Chisdai ben Yitzchak ibn Shaprut. So that "ibn" cant be translated as "son of".
- 719
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Names of cities given by Onkelos east of Jordan
There seem to be several changes that Targum Onkelos makes when giving names of the 9 cities east of Jordan.
The city Atarot. Bamidbar 32:3: מכללתא; Bamidbar 32:35: עטרות
The city Dibon. Bamidbar 32:...
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3
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63
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What is the name of this city
In parsha chukat, we have the following Pasuk:
וְלֹא־נָתַ֨ן סִיחֹ֣ן אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ עֲבֹ֣ר בִּגְבֻלוֹ֒ וַיֶּאֱסֹ֨ף סִיחֹ֜ן אֶת־כָּל־עַמּ֗וֹ וַיֵּצֵ֞א לִקְרַ֤את יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ הַמִּדְבָּ֔רָה וַיָּבֹ֖א ...
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Was Eleazar ben Dama related to Dama ben Netina?
Kiddushin 31a records the story of a non-Jew named Dama ben Netina. The story of Eleazar ben Dama is recorded in a few places (Tosefta Chullin 2:22,23; Avodah Zarah 27b; Yerushalmi Avoda Zarah 2, 40d)....
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Is there a source that names in the Torah may not be the person's actual name
Some of the name given in the Torah are frequently explained by Chazal to mean something about the person. For example the Gemorah (Sanhedrin 82B) says that the real name of Cozbi bas Tzur was ...
- 6,164
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Is a Baal Teshuva required to keep the surname of his non-Jewish father?
There are some Jews who are Halachically Jewish but come from mixed backgrounds. In such cases, the Jew may carry his father's surname.
Socially speaking, I can imagine such a situation causing ...
- 1,413
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29
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Who is the Pharaoh of the Exodus? [duplicate]
Which Pharaoh was reigning in Egypt during the Exodus according to our mesorah? Do any traditional Jewish sources discuss his name?
- 452
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What are the meanings behind these names? [closed]
Why are these people called by these names:
Baal Shem Tov / בעל שם טוב
Chazon Ish / חזון איש
Baba Sali / באבא סאלי
Steipler / סתייפלאר
Chofetz Chaim / חפץ חיים
Vilna Gaon / וילנא גאון
Baal Hatanya / ...
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1
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How many male names are there in the Torah? And how many females names? Is there any estimate?
Does anyone know how many "kosher" names are there in the Torah (jewish/hebrew)? And how many female names (including the talmud)? Any very rough estimate would be more than fine - we're ...
- 107
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Name misspelling on a matzeivah (tormented neshama) [closed]
My mom unfortunately passed away a few months ago and I've been working with my dad to finish the process of putting up the matzeivah. We've designed it to be exactly how she wanted. For her Hebrew ...
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What is the "Sheva" in Bat Sheva
What is the meaning of Sheva in the name of King David's wife Bat Sheva?
Her father's name was Eliam not Sheva.
Does it mean 7? And if yes 7 of what?
Or is it possible it's from "Sova"- ...
- 133
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How would a Gabbai call up his firstborn son, who is a Rabbi, for an Aliyah
Torah Service, Gabbai duties, Hebrew names and titles, honors due relatives
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2
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543
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Are Feiga and Tsiporah the same name
I was told that Rav Moshe Feinstein wrote how the names Feiga and Tsiporah are not the same name; and that neither of them mean "bird".
I know Feiga is a Yiddish name which means fig. With ...
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Can someone have the name Haleluka
Can someone’s Hebrew name be halleluka or would that be problematic?
Someone mentioned to me that it would be, but I couldn’t find any source for it.
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1
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Rabbi Yishmael - why such a name? [duplicate]
Why did Rabbi Yishmael from the Mishna have such a name? Yishmael is obviously the ancestor of the muslims (Bnei Yishamel)
The reason Hagar called her son this is because G-D "heard" her ...
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What does Torah want to convey from this lineage? [duplicate]
Torah is given by God, Blessed Be He, everything in it was mentioned to mean something and to convey a lesson from it. When we look into Genesis-chapter 36, which mentions the descendants of Esau, ...
- 450
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Named and unnamed people in Torah
Jacob went to Egypt with "his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring". [Gen. 46:7] Many men's names follow, but only one woman's name: Serach, "sister ...
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Is Moriah ever a man's name and why not, there's many Tzion's
I've never met a Moriah but there are many kids named Tziyyon.
Everything is masculine about it except the bitterness (kabbalisticly the Avoda of the male is too sweeten the judgements, להמתיק דינים ...
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Who were Binyamin's sons named after?
In parashat Miketz who were the sons of Binyamin named after?
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Can a Sefardi name a baby after a living Ashkenazi?
I believe that Ashkenazim generally have a minhag that it is not allowed to name babies after a living person, whereas Sefardim do name after living people. Can a Sefardi name a baby after a living ...
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