Home
Log in / Sign Up
    Private Messages   Advanced Search   Rules   New User Guide   FAQ   Advertise   Contact Us  
Forum -> Pregnancy & Childbirth -> Baby Names
Do modern hebrew names have "ruach hakodesh."
1  2  3  Next



Post new topic   Reply to topic View latest: 24h 48h 72h

justforfun87




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jul 22 2011, 11:05 am
As jews we differentiate ourselves through clothes, name, and what not. Do modern hebrew names still count under this? Names that are not biblically based but have holy meanings such as G-d is my warrior? or G-d answered me, Eliana.
Back to top

Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jul 22 2011, 11:08 am
I suppose it is a machlokes.

To me, if Yiddish/Ladino/etc names are fine (and they are! my DD only has them!), then modern Hebrew too.

Some people (including me) feel uncomfortable if the name doesn't have a gadol with the name or at least a history of being used among Jews over time. So, for me, I would use some Hebrew names but not all.
Back to top

amother


 

Post Fri, Jul 22 2011, 11:39 am
posting as amother because I don't want to reveal my sn:

My dd is Adina Bracha. I think Adina is considered a modern hebrew name. Anyway, I can't tell you how many people have told me "Kishma Kein hi" I named her perfectly and we think I must have had Ruach Hakodesh when we named her. Her name fits her perfectly.B"H.
Back to top

Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jul 22 2011, 11:42 am
Isn't Adina Biblical?
http://www.behindthename.com/name/adina
Back to top

ElTam




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jul 22 2011, 11:50 am
Hebrew is lashon kodesh...
Back to top

amother


 

Post Fri, Jul 22 2011, 11:51 am
Ruchel wrote:
Isn't Adina Biblical?
http://www.behindthename.com/name/adina


I didn't know that. I thought it was just a hebrew word that meant delicate and precious.Didn't know there was a biblical origin.

Well then I probably did have Ruach Hakodesh huh. Cool.
Back to top

justforfun87




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jul 22 2011, 3:10 pm
Maybe biblical hebrew has ruach hakodesh but a lot of currently spoken hebrew is an evolving modern language...I believe.
Back to top

spring13




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jul 22 2011, 3:31 pm
My first name is Aviva. no one in Tanach is named Aviva, although the word aviv occurs. And there's definitely no one in Tanach named Lipa, but that's considered a "kadosh" name, isn't it? but just because a name isn't in Tanach doesn't mean it wasn't ever used before now. they weren't exactly saving class lists and social security registers back in the day, so we have no idea what other trends went on.

I have a relative named Shuva Tzion. her name may not be biblical, but it definitely has a religious meaning. what about something like Amichai, or Nili? modern yes, meaningful for sure.

It's just so hard to draw lines when it comes to names. I understand if a certain name, or even type of name, doesn't resonate with you (in which case, pick one that does!), but I get REALLY uncomfortable when people start to say that X doesn't count, or isn't holy enough. who gets to decide? one of the things that makes Yiddishkeit special and meaningful to so many people is that there isn't a single uniform approach to it; there's room for different kinds of personalities and ways of doing things.


Last edited by spring13 on Fri, Jul 22 2011, 4:00 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top

Yocheved84




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jul 22 2011, 3:35 pm
spring13 wrote:
one of the things that makes Yiddishkeit special and meaningful to so many people is that there isn't a single uniform approach to it; there's room for different kinds of personalities and ways of doing things.


Thumbs Up Thumbs Up Thumbs Up

Totally agree!
Back to top

chocolate moose




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jul 22 2011, 6:05 pm
justforfun87 wrote:
As jews we differentiate ourselves through clothes, name, and what not. Do modern hebrew names still count under this? Names that are not biblically based but have holy meanings such as G-d is my warrior? or G-d answered me, Eliana.


I'm not sure if you understand "it" correctly.

First of all, it's not the names that have ruach hakodesh. It's the parents, who are said to have ruach hakodesh, when they choose the name.

Then you ask a question about Jews identifying themselves through names but you wonder if modern Hebrew names count. I think that's an odd question; why would only names from Tanach "count"? Why would you think that ?
Back to top

ora_43




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Jul 23 2011, 2:55 pm
Where do you think the names in Tanach came from? Several of them are explained - they were given as completely new names, in order to express a certain feeling. Eg. Reuven, Yosef, Binyamin, Moshe - all named due to their mothers' feelings/hopes when giving birth, or in Moshe's case by Batya, also based on her experience.

So the tradition isn't, "these particular names are holy," the tradition is parents giving their child a Hebrew name based on some sort of experience/feeling/wish particular to that child or that birth.

At least that's the interpretation of those who use modern Hebrew names; others believe that we aren't on the same level when it comes to naming children and so should stick to the names that have a history of being given (at least that's my guess as to their thinking).
Back to top

amother


 

Post Sun, Jul 24 2011, 12:02 am
Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita is clearly opposed to modern Hebrew names. This is not hearsay, we know someone personally who wrote to the Rav because he had heard a rumor that the Rav doesn't like the name "Shira", which he had just named his daughter. Well, the Rav wrote back "tizrok et hayud" - meaning, change her name to Sarah.

Of course, many hold differently.
Back to top

amother


 

Post Sun, Jul 24 2011, 12:07 am
amother wrote:
Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita is clearly opposed to modern Hebrew names. This is not hearsay, we know someone personally who wrote to the Rav because he had heard a rumor that the Rav doesn't like the name "Shira", which he had just named his daughter. Well, the Rav wrote back "tizrok et hayud" - meaning, change her name to Sarah.

Of course, many hold differently.


Right what about the people with a mother/sister/daughter named sarah? Also, how exactly is someone named shira supposed to explain this to people???
Back to top

MaBelleVie




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jul 24 2011, 12:20 am
amother wrote:
Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita is clearly opposed to modern Hebrew names. This is not hearsay, we know someone personally who wrote to the Rav because he had heard a rumor that the Rav doesn't like the name "Shira", which he had just named his daughter. Well, the Rav wrote back "tizrok et hayud" - meaning, change her name to Sarah.

Of course, many hold differently.


I have heard this about the name shira too, and if the Rav truly said that I would assume he has some insight into the name that makes him feel it is not appropriate for this child or any Jewish child, whatever the case may be.

I never heard that he opposes ALL modern names though. Do you have any source?
Back to top

BeershevaBubby




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jul 24 2011, 12:26 am
amother wrote:
Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita is clearly opposed to modern Hebrew names. This is not hearsay, we know someone personally who wrote to the Rav because he had heard a rumor that the Rav doesn't like the name "Shira", which he had just named his daughter. Well, the Rav wrote back "tizrok et hayud" - meaning, change her name to Sarah.

Of course, many hold differently.


Except many Yiddish names were modern too... I wonder if he has an issue with 'modern' Yiddish names.
Back to top

Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jul 24 2011, 12:29 am
Yes once upon a time many names were modern, from Alexander to Yiddish. I do wonder if some opposed them.
For information one of Rashi's DD had a Judeo-French (Tsarfatic) name... I have no idea if this name was already old or not at the time.
Back to top

Raizle




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jul 24 2011, 12:30 am
OP if I understand your question correctly you are asking if when a parent names a child a name that isn't intrinsically Jewish then is it still considered that they had ruach hakodesh when naming the child.
am I correct?

I always wondered about this in connection to names like Nimrod, who was a rasha. How could a parent name their child after a rasha?
So how could that be Ruach Hakodesh?

Then a story was told to me how a man who was named as such came to the Lubavitcher Rebbe and asked if he should change his name. The Rebbe told him not to change his name because he will reveal the good that's in the name and change it for good.

I thought that was really interesting.
Back to top

grin




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jul 24 2011, 12:35 am
I know someone who had been named shlomit and her rav (the Pittsburgher Rebbe in ashdod) told her to change it to shulamit, since the former is mentioned in chumash in a not tznyus or positive light.

it did seem strange to me, though, to change her name.
Back to top

Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jul 24 2011, 12:36 am
In Talmudic, Middle Ages, Renaissance... period, we find interesting names like Yishmael, Hagar, Koresh, Dariavesh, too. It goes on still in some edot. I think Raizle's post is right on! Though I still would not do it unless it was a family name.

And even without being a rasha, not all names have the best namesake (Alexander) or the best meaning or associations or origins... on these ones personally I wouldn't have problems. Wait, I must be crazy but I would not like to give Tamar or Dina especially as first name because of the story...
Back to top

Raizle




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jul 24 2011, 12:50 am
Ruchel wrote:
In Talmudic, Middle Ages, Renaissance... period, we find interesting names like Yishmael, Hagar, Koresh, Dariavesh, too. It goes on still in some edot. I think Raizle's post is right on! Though I still would not do it unless it was a family name.

Of course I think that parents that name their child Nimrod are misguided, (and yes I'm familiar with the history of the name being used in modern times and how it came to be) yet that said, it seems from the story told that they were given the nevuah to name the child as such nonetheless.

I wouldn't take it as a guideline that says it's ok to give your kid such names however....

Quote:
And even without being a rasha, not all names have the best namesake (Alexander) or the best meaning or associations or origins...

The story behind how the name Alexander came to be used I think was more of an issue of preventing a sakana to the Jews at the time. After that it became integrated and people were naming after Yidden with the name, not the original.

As for Tamar, wasn't she considered righteous for what she did? (as hard as it is to understand)
Back to top
Page 1 of 3 1  2  3  Next Recent Topics




Post new topic   Reply to topic    Forum -> Pregnancy & Childbirth -> Baby Names

Related Topics Replies Last Post
Where to get 44"/48" mattresses/platform beds 1 Yesterday at 10:33 am View last post
Looking for Sunday Hebrew school
by amother
9 Tue, Mar 26 2024, 9:00 pm View last post
Names for Israel
by amother
16 Tue, Mar 26 2024, 3:39 pm View last post
Does anybody use "the pink stuff"?
by tweety1
11 Mon, Mar 25 2024, 2:47 pm View last post
Whats your favorite Modern Chandelier, for 18' ceiling,
by amother
2 Mon, Mar 25 2024, 10:48 am View last post