Tuesday, April 28, 2015

?"די באבע האט געהייסען "אלישבע















They tell the story of a Jew, who is ל"ע prematurely on the עולם האמת, who once went to the late Klausenberger Rov with a kvittel. One of the names of his daughters was נעמי. This was a Chassidishe Yid, not some Harry from Flatbush, so I guess the KR realized that this was out of the ordinary. The KR asked him: די באבע האט געהייסען נעמי? Like, why did you give such a name?! Chassidishe Yidden are bichlal allergic to modernities such as modern names, it doesn't take much avodah. On the other hand, most Yeshivaleit in America have names like Ahuva, Avigail and Elisheva; it makes them feel like like those Hasids.  Or maybe it's the women that are to blame. They're kinda grossed out by names like Shprintzie and Rashi. But that's a relatively new idea. In the old days people were named for their bubbes and zeides. So I was kinda surprised to see that Rebbetzin Kahaneman, o"h, daughter of Reb Shlaymke Berman, granddaughter of the Steipler, was named אלישבע. And get this: she was named for her Bubbe, Rashe Leah... They made Elisheva out of Rashe Leah, something about some of the same letters. Apparently the ציונים did a number on the Jews in Bnei Berak. It sounded too גלותי to have such a name, even if you were a daughter of the Steipler's son-in-law. I say this without chas veSholom speaking about the nifteres herself, who was a real choshuv'e פרוי

More Pics Here

25 comments:

JS said...

They change names with alleh chumros and hoiche kavanos because they are following the Chazon Ish who said not to give a name that the child will be embarassed by. And that has been interpreted in those parts to mean yiddish name.

JS said...

Reminds me of when a friend named his daughter "Michal". What a trendy name, I snickered. He said that he named her after his Bubby Michal.

Babruisker said...

1. They say in Kfar Chabad in the early days the meidelach were ashamed of their Yiddish names and adopted Hebrew Biblical names.

2. I see a trend among my surrounds, to actually embrace Yiddish-Russian names. Luba, Gnesha, Doba, Rosa etc is all the rage.

JS said...

You're nispael on Elisheva? Her mother's name was Ahuva. http://www.bhol.co.il/article.aspx?id=16972/

Elsewhere, her name is given as Bluma Liba Ahuva. I'll be that little Bluma Liba suddenly became Ahuva after the Kanievskys made aliya.

Anonymous said...

מי אמר לך ? Your assuming, אז ממיינט נארט מען זיך

sdr said...

What's the story with R' Chaim Kanievsky and Shira?

LES AYM said...

I don't have first hand info, but they say that Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky said to only give names that are found in the Torah. He discouraged use of Yiddisher names and so called Yiddish Eastern European names. Maybe someone can verify with Philly talmidim since Rav Shmuel Kaminetzky is there.

Unknown said...

She was born within 30 days of death of great uncle Chazon Ish - similar letters to HIS name.

Zug mir please said...

Being that we are oisek now in levayas here.
Zug mir please.
Vos is pshat that Hagoen Rav Wosner Z"L has been entirely ignored in Chabad. All of klal Yisroel is b'aveilus and not a peeps from COL or you.
Think about it. Two yiddishe nefashos were nebach tragically niftar from the levaya and NOT EVEN THAT was news enough to report or just to mention?
I don't want to rant on, I think you get it...my pain.

? said...

"Chassidishe Yidden are bichlal allergic to modernities such as modern names, it doesn't take much avodah."

What about your Mitteler Rebbe's daughter, Rebbetzin Menucha Slonim?

a poshite yid said...

Echoing LES AYM and others --

There's a likkut on names, Sheimos BAretz, largely based on RCK's psakim, and he is strongly of the opinion to name tanach etc names (albeit meyusad ones..) over Yiddish ones. So it seems to be somewhat of a l'shitasei in the CI/Steipler families.

dovy in j said...

"On the other hand, most Yeshivaleit in America have names like Ahuva, Avigail and Elisheva; it makes them feel like like those Hasids."

huh? having names like this makes them feel like "those hasids"? what is this supposed to even mean?

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

Typo. Makes them feel LESS like those Hasids.

Kovner said...

Rav Beinush Finkel zt"l was married to a niece of the Chazon Ish and was in America when one of his daughters was born. The CI instructed the family to name her Bas-Tzion!!! She is the wife of Rav Binyomin Carlebach, one of the staff members of Mir Yeshiva.

Unknown said...

the problem is some of them changed their names in israel like גאלדע לזהבה, או פערל לפנינה and it becomes a real problem by גיטן וקדישון

Mighty Garnel Ironheart said...

Since when is Naomi a modern name? The original Naomi might be shocked to hear that people think so.

Curious G said...

So No'omi from tanach is a modern name but Shprintzeh is traditional. Oilom hofuch

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

zug mir please

you're wrong, the Chabad websites were full of reporting about Rav Wosner

I didn't write much for months already, so don't blame me.

also, I don't think Klal Yisroel is in mourning, either, but that's for another time

זעליג שפרינצע'ס said...

גיי לערן מיט א גוי ברטנורא

הענטשי said...

וואס איז חנצא דבאשע, אבער שרה קראצעל גיפעלט אייך נישט?

Cohen katan said...

The מקובלים tell us it is quite important that a girls name end with a ה׳...

Cohen katan said...

מקבץ נדחי עמו ישראל= ר.ת. נעמי

Yankel said...

The premise of this post is your Hungarian background. The litvishe changed to modern names because we don't care. We don't make an ikkar out of tfeilos. Just like we gave up Yiddish etc. We are not some traditional tribe keeping up a culture from the hills of some county in Poland, worthy of a write up in National Geographic.

the elders of Ocean Parkway said...


don't blasphemy the litvusha with your revisionism, the real litvusha like the brisker in israel and other's do not modernize their names, the tradition of carrying on the names of their fathers and grand fathers is still strong (wich btw shows of, yicus). in the diaspora where most litvusha care more about fitting in and jobs of course, are not recognizing that their name change is step one to assimilation, unfortunately .

ר' נטע said...

במדרש רבה פ' נח: רבי יוסי אומר הראשונים ע"י שהי' מכירים את יחוסיהם, הי' מוציאים שמם לשם המאורע, אבל אנו שאין אנו מכירין את יחוסנו אנו מוציאין לשם "אבותינו" , רשב"ג אומר הראשונים ע"י שהי' משתמשים ברוה"ק הי' מוציאין לשם המאורע, אבל אנו שאין אנו משתמשים ברוה"ק מוציאים "לשם אבותינו". עיי"ש. פירושים יותרים