Questions tagged [names]
Questions about the purpose, meaning, halachos (rules), etc. of names.
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questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
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2answers
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Idolatrous origin of the name TAMMUZ
The Gemmorah in Jerusalem Rosh Hashana 6a
explains the process of adopting the Babylonian names on Months instead of Biblical ones.
דא"ר חנינה שמות חדשים עלו בידם מבבל
R'Hanina said: the names ...
9
votes
0answers
53 views
Tribes' names with את and without?
"וַתַּהַר לֵאָה וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ רְאוּבֵן"
"וַתַּהַר עוֹד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן ... וַתִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ שִׁמְעוֹן"
"וַתַּהַר עוֹד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן ... עַל־כֵּן קָרָא־שְׁמוֹ לֵוִי"
"וַתַּהַר עוֹד ...
9
votes
1answer
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Honorific for a non-Jew
My question is somewhat simple: is there an honorific for particularly righteous, deceased non-Jews? Related: is זכרונו לברכה ever used for non-Jews? I don't recall ever having seen this.
EDIT: I ...
6
votes
0answers
47 views
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 (...
6
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0answers
2k views
What determines whether a man's Hebrew name uses “ben” or “bar”?
I have (obviously) heard a lot of Hebrew names of the form "Ploiny ben Almoiny," where Almoiny is Ploiny's father. But occasionally I see names written with the Aramaic "bar", for example Simon bar ...
6
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0answers
89 views
Why are there only 8 Martyrs in the Tisha b'av kinnos
The kinna on Tisha b'av says there are 10 Martyrs, but only 8 are named.
In the Yom Kippur version, however, all 10 are mentioned. Why are 2 missing from Tisha b'av?
6
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0answers
178 views
Does a Kohen have to be concerned about the surname of a potential mate?
In this question various surnames are explored that are strongly associated with being a Kohein. Some of them are rather unambiguously chosen simply because the chooser wanted to indicate their status....
6
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0answers
111 views
Children's Names
I noticed a lot of times in the TaNaKh, how children were given specific names for a specific reason.
Take Binyamin for example, his original name at birth was "Benoni" (son of my sorrow) but his ...
6
votes
0answers
175 views
Why do we call people up to the Torah by name?
In shul, if a guest is honored with an aliyah, I watch as the gabbai walks over (or sends someone) to get the guest's name, then call that same person up by that name. Once the guest has been told ...
6
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0answers
111 views
Writing the woman's name in a kasubah or get: Plonis *ben* Ploni
Instead of writing the name of the kallah (bride) Rivka bat Chaim (for example) it was written Rivka ben Chaim. In such a case what's the halacha? By a kasubah is it valid? Does it have to be written ...
6
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0answers
714 views
Knowledge of meanings of Hebrew names in Daniel
I have being doing a study on Daniel and the meanings of the names of Daniel and his friends and wondered how these would be understood between the friends. For example my name is Stephen, meaning ...
6
votes
1answer
158 views
Source for forgiveness at a Bris Milah for those who share the baby's name
I have heard many times that if one is present at a Bris Milah and the baby receives the same name as them, they receive forgiveness for all of their sins and/or some sort of special Beracha.
Is ...
5
votes
1answer
97 views
What is the meaning of כמר used as an honorific before introducing one's name?
It is standard among Jews writing in Hebrew to attach the honorific כמר before introducing one's name. This custom is actually quite old dating back at least to the days of the earliest Acharonim, and ...
5
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0answers
101 views
How to refer to a Kohain with suspended privileges in prayer
When a Kohain chas v'Shalom marries a divorcée or convert, halacha requires us to suspend his privileges - he may not receive the first aliyah during the Torah reading, duchen, etc, until such time as ...
5
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0answers
99 views
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 ...
5
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0answers
66 views
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 ...
5
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0answers
71 views
Does anyone comment on the name Reu'el for Eisav's son?
In Vayishlach (Ber. 36:10) Eisav has a son named Reu'el. While the meanings of/reasons for the names of those in Eisav's line are not provided, it seems to me that this name sticks out because it ...
5
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0answers
93 views
Why were Sifrei Tanach renamed?
Chazal give the following list of names for books of Tanach (Bava Basra 14b):
תנו רבנן סדרן של נביאים יהושע ושופטים שמואל ומלכים ירמיה ויחזקאל ישעיה ושנים עשר
A Braisa states: The order of the ...
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0answers
186 views
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 ...
5
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0answers
60 views
Why isn't having a masechet with the name as the seder a concern in Taharot?
Kehati's introduction to Moed Katan says that it is not called Moed so as not to cause confusion, as the seder has the same name. However, this doesn't seem to be a concern for masechet Taharot in ...
5
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0answers
148 views
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 ...
5
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0answers
173 views
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?
...
5
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0answers
71 views
Grammatical origins of names in Tanach
Almost all nouns in Hebrew fit into one of several standard "templates". For example, מִבְחָן comes from the root בחנ combined with the pattern מִפְעָל (already used by many other words). There would ...
5
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0answers
136 views
Why don't Ramaniote Jews use the hei in names?
I am named after my grandfather and great grandfather on my mother's side, both of whom were Ramaniote. My name, therefore, is "Avram Mosh" (אברם מוש) instead of "Avraham Moshe" (אברהם משה). I've been ...
5
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0answers
121 views
MiSheBerach for someone who doesn't like his/her own name
Another question asked about a case in which someone does not want to use his/her mother's name in a MiSheBerach.
What if someone dislikes his/her own given name and goes by a different name? What ...
5
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1answer
181 views
Why are Masekhtot referred to by content while Humashim by their first word(s)?
Hamishah Humshe'i Torah (i.e. The Five Books of Moses) are most commonly referred to by the first word(s) in each (e.g. "Bereshit bara", "We'eleh HaDevarim"), though I'm aware of commentators (e.g. ...
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0answers
25 views
Sheva and Dedan
Is there any connection between Sheva and Dedan, sons of Yokshan ben Avraham (Beresheet 25:3, Divrei Hayamim 1:1:32) and Sheva and Dedan, sons of Ra'ama ben Cush (Beresheet 10:7)?
4
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64 views
Getting a Jewish name
What is the procedure for giving a Jew a Jewish name if he or she was never given one at birth?
Are there any sources that discuss this situation?
4
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0answers
63 views
Different methods of naming the 70 nations
When listing the descendants of Noah in Gen 10,1 and on the Torah uses different naming methods:
Names in the singular: "וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת בְּנֵי־נֹחַ שֵׁם חָם וָיָפֶת וַיִּוָּלְדוּ לָהֶם בָּנִים ...
4
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0answers
175 views
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 ...
4
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0answers
86 views
Who is Rav Tzvi HaLevi?
Below is a ketuba for a bride name Chaya bat Yehuda, and Yehuda's father is shown as Rav Tzvi HaLevy.
I know for a fact from people who knew him and from multiple original source documents including ...
4
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0answers
119 views
Is the name Rami mentioned in the gemarah the full version?
I am trying to ascertain if the name "Rami" is a Jewish one.
If rabbis in the Babylonian Talmud are named Rami then that would be a good indication.
There are at least 3 Ramis found in the gemarah:
...
4
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0answers
140 views
Jacob's Dual Names and Wives
The third Patriarch's birth name was Jacob. He is given another name, Israel, in Genesis 32. Jacob had two primary wives; Leah and Rachel.
I have heard the idea that the Rachel was the betrothed ...
4
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0answers
94 views
Are there any name combinations that may not be used?
Are there any combinations of names that may not be given? There are many names which aren't commonly paired together but is there any reason not to or just common practice and preference?
4
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0answers
290 views
Non-Jew who takes a Jewish name
Let's say someone goes through an invalid conversion, and now they incorrectly think they are Jewish. They pick a Jewish name for themselves, and they are called up to the Torah by that name and use ...
4
votes
0answers
289 views
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 ...
4
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0answers
134 views
Anywhere in Tanach where brothers-in-law have the same name?
Is there anywhere in Tanach where brothers-in-law have the same name?
Either two sisters married men with the same name, or a woman married someone with the same name as her brother.
There is a ...
4
votes
0answers
57 views
Using someone's mother/father's disliked name for ritual purposes
Closely related to this question, what happens if someone's mother or father doesn't/didn't like her or his name, and the child now either needs a MiSheBerach or is called to the Torah? What name ...
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0answers
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Different names for Dovid in regular Selichos vs Yom Kippur Selichos
Why do we refer to Dovid Hamelech as "Mashiach Tzidkecha" in Selichos (towards the end, paragraph begins with those words) except on Yom Kippur when we refer to him as "Dovid Avdecha" (in the same ...
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0answers
212 views
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 ...
4
votes
1answer
223 views
Why is the term שליט“א more commonly used for a rav than the term נ”י?
As a follow up to this answer to a M.Y. question, why is שליט"א more commonly used after a notable Rav's name than the term נירו יאיר (or נ"י, as an abbreviation)?
A wise person, such as a rav is ...
3
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0answers
56 views
Ruach Hakodesh when Naming a Child for an Ancestor?
The Arizal says that parents having a certain level of ruach hakodesh when naming their child.
Sha’ar HaGilgulim (23:8) - ונמצא כי כאשר נולד האדם וקוראים לו אביו
ואמו שם אחד העולה בדעתם אינו באקראי ...
3
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0answers
90 views
Halachot of Naming (kids)
Has naming children ever formed systematized Halachot?
Or is it left as a sort of a prophecy to the parents?
3
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0answers
61 views
Explanation for the name Rebbi Nechunya ben HaKaneh
Is there an explanation the Tanna Rebbi Nechunya's surname ben "HaKaneh" - son of the reed?
3
votes
0answers
127 views
Popular Yiddish name for a baby girl born to an unmarried girl
As per the Sefer Bris Avos (8-33), Sefer Ha'bris (page 318-22) and Zocher Ha'bris (24-17) the name Zindel/Zundel or Isser/Issur was used to name a boy born to an unmarried girl. What was the common ...
3
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0answers
62 views
Will I lose out by not having grandchildren named after me?
Someone has a very strange Jewish name and he doesn't want to trouble his children to feel pressured to name their children after him when he passes away. He also feels bad that a grandchild should ...
3
votes
0answers
92 views
Celebrate 5 Iyar; not “Yom HaAtzmaut”?
Do any religious-zionist figures (or anyone else for that matter) advocate the commemoration of 5 Iyar but reject the adoption by the religious community of the name "Yom HaAtzma'ut" - "Independence ...
3
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0answers
92 views
Is there a reference that explains the literal meaning and etymology of the names of the Hebrew months?
Is there a reference that explains the literal meaning and etymology of the names of the Hebrew months? I am looking for something that explains both the common Babylonian names as well as the Tana"ch ...
3
votes
0answers
102 views
Where can I find titles/names for the Mizrahi sidrot / triennial pericopes of Torah?
I'm tracking down the "triennial pericopes" (sidrot) from the introduction to Ginsburg's massorah, also listed in the Jewish Encyclopedia, and thus I have the beginning and ending verses, but I'd like ...
3
votes
0answers
115 views
Why are rabbonim referred to by the names of their seforim?
Many rabbonim who published important seforim are coloquially referred to by the names of one of the seforim. Why is this? When did it start?
