Do modern hebrew names have "ruach hakodesh."

Ruchel

Sun, Jul 24 2011, 1:04 am

I think both Tamar and Dina were fine people per se, I guess I'm just weird or superstitious or just bothered by being reminded of the story... Asnat (Dina's DD) is in the same category for me, maybe a tad less. I also have an association with Asnat Barazani that counterbalances a bit...

I must say I don't know if Nimrod has history of being given say, more than 100 years ago. I'm at my parents I don't have my names books around so I can't check the occurrences or lack thereof... somehow if I find it was already given by group X or Y in the 1600's... it will seem a bit more "grounded" and less "problematic" to me. Still, I see no reason to use it except for family.

Raizle

Sun, Jul 24 2011, 1:29 am

It is my understanding that Nimrod was given as a name for boys at the time of or before Israel was becoming a state.
Parents wanted to give their kids a "strong" name.
Nimrod from the word to rebel, and rebelling here would be against I guess, the british? the arabs? Any enemies of the Jews or of Israel?
I'm not entirely sure but the info I heard went something like that.

Shuly

Sun, Jul 24 2011, 7:30 am

I also know someone named Shira who changed her name to Sarah after speaking to Rav Chaim. I told the story to an Israeli and she told me that Rav Chaim doesn't like the name Naama either. He said it is "Em HaShedim." Has anyone else ever heard that?

imaima

Sun, Jul 24 2011, 8:37 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.

What if someone names Shira after Shir HaShirim?

saw50st8

Sun, Jul 24 2011, 9:29 am

YESHASettler wrote:

amother wrote:

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

Mine name is Shira :-D

His thoughts have zero interest in my life. He probably has no problem with Yiddish names.

I do think there is a list of names he doesn't approve of.

Leesah

Sun, Jul 24 2011, 10:06 am

Hey!! I don't like the names Tamar and Dina either, I thought was the only wacko!!
True, Tamar (the mother of Yehuda's sons) was a tzadikess but what about Tamar, David's daughter, who was raped by her brother Amnon? Seeing as which, I wouldn't use Amnon either... It's just that their stories don't make me want to name my kids after them...

Seraph

Sun, Jul 24 2011, 12:05 pm

imaima wrote:

amother wrote:

What if someone names Shira after Shir HaShirim?

And what if someone names her daughter Breishita after sefer breishis? Sorry, both ideas are just as weird.

shalhevet

Sun, Jul 24 2011, 12:27 pm

I know a Shira who R' Chaim said to change her name and he agreed to Ayala. I know a Shilat who became Efrat (don't know which rav told her) and an Eden in one of my dd's classes who became Adina (in Hebrew it's adding a yud, otherwise same letters) - also don't know which rav.

I heard Naama isn't a good name either, but I didn't hear a source or a reason.

Mommy3.5

Sun, Jul 24 2011, 3:37 pm

Shuly wrote:

Wouldn't that be Lillith?

Bea21

Sun, Jul 24 2011, 3:46 pm

saw50st8 wrote:

His thoughts have zero interest in my life..

please don't say this about gedolei yisroel. Its fine to say that you follow different gedolim/rabbonim, but that a gadol's thoughts have "zero interest" to you? Totally uncalled for.

amother

Sun, Jul 24 2011, 5:21 pm

After being saddled with an unusual name my entire life, I was happy to learn my Hebrew name was very common - Miryam, with a generally considered normal hebrew second name - Elisheva.

My own children, while named for deceased family members, each got at least one more common name and one unusual name.

Chana Esther Matana (she goes by Chani)

And

Slovka Tzippora (she goes by Tzippi)

Matana and Slokva are *highly* unusual names in my community. Matana is considered a "modern hebrew" name, and Slovka is considered a "Russian/Yiddish" name. I got plenty of raised eyebrows for both.

But my Matana was a gift and my Slovka was a brocha, so what can I say?

Ruchel

Sun, Jul 24 2011, 11:18 pm

freidasima wrote:

Zerubavela anyone? Unkelos?

I'm pretty sure I have seen a couple of Zerubavel historically...

I love Slov(k)a, it means "glory" Very Happy

DD also has highly unusual names in France, where most use Hebrew names (classic or "not too out there" modern like Ilan Liora etc), or common Yiddish names (Shayna style, these days a trend for Ettel and Eydel and Yentel), or Chabad Yiddish names, or common Ladino names that were used in North Africa (Perla style).
She has two Ladino names that are only known by European Sefardim and one Yiddish name that is only known to people who know Yiddish enough. I heard several times "it's not Jewish", "I mean in Hebrew". Lots of ignorance around... we're raising her in pride of her family names and educate people when needed...

Once DH was explaining her names to little girls who didn't know what "Yiddish" and "Ladino" meant and he asked their names. It was something like Shayna and Perla. The ignorance is depressing...

aidelmaidel

Mon, Jul 25 2011, 1:53 am

We have friends - they are both BTs, she's israeli, he's american, and they named their kids:
Eden,
Yekutiel,
And Shiloh

I also know:
Kaddish Ivri Aidiel
Sadira Shir-li
Mayana Simcha
Emunah Simcha
Etc etc etc

ora_43

Mon, Jul 25 2011, 2:02 am

justforfun87 wrote:

alright fine it officias if I have a boy l I am naming my son Eiden (aiden) as is Gan Eiden....

Just be aware that Eden is usually a girls name in the communities where it's used. It may be somewhat unisex now (if mostly female), but that doesn't mean it won't be odd for a boy to have that name in another 5-10 years.

See what happened with formerly unisex names like Maayan or Doron, for instance.

ora_43

Mon, Jul 25 2011, 2:14 am

Ruchel wrote:

Doron on a girl? shouldn't it be Dora?

Sorry I wasn't clear. What happened with "Doron" was the opposite of what happened with "Maayan," it started as a unisex name but is now a boys name. So yeah, Doron for a girl would be strange.

MaBelleVie

Mon, Jul 25 2011, 10:00 am

Bea21 wrote:

saw50st8 wrote:

His thoughts have zero interest in my life..

please don't say this about gedolei yisroel. Its fine to say that you follow different gedolim/rabbonim, but that a gadol's thoughts have "zero interest" to you? Totally uncalled for.

Thanks for saying this. I, like you, assume that she meant she consults her own rabbanim. Still, the wording was not respectful.

Leesah

Mon, Jul 25 2011, 11:08 am

I know of a case where Rav Chaim suggested the modern name, Natali. It was instead of some other modern name and the parents were BTs who wouldn't go with a name like Sara. So I think it's really the name itself that he goes by and not just modern names in general.
btw I have a name he doesn't like.... Wink