Home
Log in / Sign Up
    Private Messages   Advanced Search   Rules   New User Guide   FAQ   Advertise   Contact Us  
Forum -> Pregnancy & Childbirth -> Baby Names
Naming after tanach characters that didn't appear "nice"
Previous  1  2  3  Next



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

mandksima




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 8:07 am
Chava was chosen as the mother of all humans and Hashem made her the best in order to fit that role. It is a great name for someone to have the zechus to be a mother herself.

I heard a great shiur by Rabbi Manis Friedman which talked about the greatness of Chava and why she was able to convince Adam Harishon to eat of the Eitz Hadaas in order that they should be able to go down into this level of world we currently live in and rectify the world. There would be nothing to fix if they didn't decide this is what Hashem wanted them to pick to do. Meaning, they could have not sinned and been fine but would never have been able to fix anything and bring all soul sparks back together. They wouldn't have been blamed because they didn't want to go against Hashem but I suppose a new couple would have to have had that chance to fix the world. So, Chava was the one who convinced Adam that they had to sacrifice living in Gan Eden with a simple, perfect life in order to go down into the world with death, working for food and difficult birth. They chose that willingly in order to do this for Hashem. Adam praises Chava to Hashem when he says "She made me do this."

I've read many many commentaries on parshat Bereshis. This is the only scenario that ever made sense to me because why else could they not just have waited to eat the fruit on Shabbos. They knew this was their only chance. You can look up his shiurim on this subject on YouTube.

Leah was also a very special, holy woman. She stands out even more than Rachel to me because of her great burden of knowing she was to marry Eisav yet still davening for Rachel and loving her sister so much. There are lots of great sources on her but I'll have to write later about it.
Back to top

PinkFridge




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 8:17 am
amother [ Sapphire ] wrote:
Interestingly, people did use names of the less positive characters. Two examples off the top of my head - the Tanna Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha, and on. Rosh Hashanna, we say Unetaneh Tokef, attributed to the medieval Rabbi Amnon of Mainz.


Yishmael did do teshuva IIRC.
Back to top

PinkFridge




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 8:18 am
trixx wrote:
There is a Jewish dictionary of names (Alexander beider) but won't quite help you. Better to read Midrash says to learn the biblical characters.
Chava means mother of all.


And isn't it amazing that this is the name Odom gave his wife, AFTER she brought death to the world? Because that was not her mission in life; he clearly saw her as bring life into the world.
Back to top

avrahamama




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 8:23 am
PinkFridge wrote:
And isn't it amazing that this is the name Odom gave his wife, AFTER she brought death to the world? Because that was not her mission in life; he clearly saw her as bring life into the world.


I heard that originally her name was to be Chaya. But then after the Chet he named her chava. He pulled down the yud (part of hashems name) into a vav. Because now her mission would be to partner with Hashem in this world and creation.
Back to top

mpk




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 8:25 am
The biblical Yehudis was Esav’s evil wife who tormented Yitzchok and Rivka. Yet the name became Jewish as the female equivalent of Yehuda.
Back to top

avrahamama




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 8:29 am
mpk wrote:
The biblical Yehudis was Esav’s evil wife who tormented Yitzchok and Rivka. Yet the name became Jewish as the female equivalent of Yehuda.


Really? She wasn't one of the ladies that killed a general ??? Yehudit and Yael don't have similar stories?
Back to top

mpk




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 8:34 am
The Yehudis that killed the general is much later in history. Obviously she rehabilitated the name.
Back to top

singleagain




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 8:37 am
Also. Though... Would you want to be remembered for your flaws? We have to focus on the good of people.
Back to top

amother
Natural


 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 8:41 am
I'm uncomfortable with the way people are portraying those in Tenach. Perhaps they did sin, but I would just like to add what I learnt back in school and sem, is that the people in tenach were on a much much higher madreiga than we were and their 'sins' are judged on a much higher level. Moshe hitting the rock with the stick, and therefore was punished to not go into eretz yisroel? That was only because he was Moshe. On our level it wouldn't have been a sin.
These people were giants compared to us and I don't feel it's right to talk about them this way.
Back to top

amother
Sapphire


 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 8:51 am
amother [ Natural ] wrote:
I'm uncomfortable with the way people are portraying those in Tenach. Perhaps they did sin, but I would just like to add what I learnt back in school and sem, is that the people in tenach were on a much much higher madreiga than we were and their 'sins' are judged on a much higher level. Moshe hitting the rock with the stick, and therefore was punished to not go into eretz yisroel? That was only because he was Moshe. On our level it wouldn't have been a sin.
These people were giants compared to us and I don't feel it's right to talk about them this way.


Hashem chose to put those events into Chumash. If there's nothing we can learn from them, what's the point?
Back to top

paperflowers




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 9:25 am
We were looking into the name Chava at one point. Besides for being the mother of all of us, the ultimate life giver, Chava rebuilt after complete destruction. I read something really nice about that when I was pregnant, I’ll see if I can find it. We were going to add the name for someone who was married to a holocaust survivor who really gave him life again, and loved being a mother.
Back to top

PinkFridge




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 11:47 am
avrahamama wrote:
I heard that originally her name was to be Chaya. But then after the Chet he named her chava. He pulled down the yud (part of hashems name) into a vav. Because now her mission would be to partner with Hashem in this world and creation.


But he named her a name related to life, he didn't name her Misa.
Back to top

PinkFridge




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 11:48 am
amother [ Natural ] wrote:
I'm uncomfortable with the way people are portraying those in Tenach. Perhaps they did sin, but I would just like to add what I learnt back in school and sem, is that the people in tenach were on a much much higher madreiga than we were and their 'sins' are judged on a much higher level. Moshe hitting the rock with the stick, and therefore was punished to not go into eretz yisroel? That was only because he was Moshe. On our level it wouldn't have been a sin.
These people were giants compared to us and I don't feel it's right to talk about them this way.


Both sides are right. We are to learn from all that's written and given over about these people, but we do have to remember their elevated madraigos.
Back to top

amother
Aquamarine


 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 11:52 am
amother [ OP ] wrote:
Wow thank you.
I wish there was a book on summary of names that would be a great read.

What about Chava?


There is actually a great book called 'The Encyclopedia of Biblical Personalities' by Rabbi Yishai Chasidah. It's a great read!
Back to top

amother
OP


 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 12:14 pm
Wow!! Thank you all soooo much for writing in!!! Such beautiful messages.
I feel dumb I don't know any of this Sad
Back to top

avrahamama




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 12:17 pm
amother [ OP ] wrote:
Wow!! Thank you all soooo much for writing in!!! Such beautiful messages.
I feel dumb I don't know any of this Sad


Now you have a real treat! Go get meam loez or the midrash says and enjoooooy!

Also Torah Anytime has a wealth of shiurim. I should be there instead of here
Back to top

BH Yom Yom




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 12:38 pm
amother [ OP ] wrote:
Wow!! Thank you all soooo much for writing in!!! Such beautiful messages.
I feel dumb I don't know any of this Sad


It can be uncomfortable to feel like you’re missing important information about our history and ancestors (through no fault of yours!). That doesn’t make you dumb! The fact that you are open to learning and are seeking more knowledge is praiseworthy! חזקי ואמצי!
Back to top

amother
Pumpkin


 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 12:45 pm
My daughter is named Leah and I’m learning more about her name because of this thread. Thanks for sharing everyone.
Back to top

zaq




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 2:04 pm
Haven't read entire thread, just got as far as tichellady and want to point out that even where there's a heroic character with a given name that we use a lot, there may be a questionable character with the same name. Yehudit, for example, was not just a Jewish heroine mentioned in the Apocrypha but also one of Esav's wives. We don't ditch a good name just because someone less than admirable had the same name.

Nobody's perfect and we don't write off a good person because he stumbled now and then. The amazing thing about Tanach is that it doesn't hide the flaws and it quotes the rebukes.
Back to top

gilamom




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 05 2020, 5:50 pm
Funnily enough, I have a Chava and never thought twice, but it's nice to hear all these good things about her and I'll make sure to tell DD. The name Batya actually bothered me a bit at first because at the end of the day, she was Pharoah's daughter and a non jew but then I reminded myself that the Torah was given by parashat Yitro and he wasn't born Jewish either.
Back to top
Page 2 of 3 Previous  1  2  3  Next Recent Topics




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

Related Topics Replies Last Post
"Affordable" clothing for an adult
by amother
3 Today at 3:50 pm View last post
What knapsacks are "in" for upcoming 9th grade?
by amother
1 Today at 3:47 pm View last post
Nice top for dropping in to a bar mitzvah
by amother
0 Today at 2:37 pm View last post
Iso nice, formal (tempered) glass dinnerware 0 Today at 11:50 am View last post
Where to get 44"/48" mattresses/platform beds 1 Yesterday at 10:33 am View last post