Rabbi's Blog

As we go through life, we develop many "favorite" things: a special food, a sport, a movie, a treasured friend and even a particular part of gemara. My favorite gemara is found in Megilla 27b. The gemara goes through a discussion of long life. Students inquired of their teachers, 'Bameh He'erachta yamimn?' 'With what did you attain long life?' A common theme with which their teachers replied was that they did things 'Lifnim Mishuras Hadin'- above and beyond the letter of the law. For example, Rebbi Zakai was asked by his students "In what merit did you live so long?" One of the reasons he gave was that he never called his friend by a nickname. Tosfos comments with regard to this quote that applied even if the name was not a disparaging one. Tosfos quotes a gemara in Bava Metzia 58b: 'whoever calls someone a derogatory name loses his share in the world to come.' Rebbi Zakai always called a person by his proper name even if he didn't mind the nickname.

Putting aside amnesia, is there ever a time when a person might not remember his name? According to one source, it can happen that a person forgets his name on the Day of Judgment. The Reishit Chokhma (Sha'ar Ha-yira, end of chapter 12) cites the following in the name of Chazal: They asked Rabbi Eliezer: "What is the judgment of the grave?" He responded: "When a person passes away, the Angel of Death arrives, hits his grave with his hand, and says, 'Tell me your name!' He replies: 'It is revealed and known to the One who spoke and Created the World that I do not know my name.'" Esoteric works recommend that a person read, on a daily basis, eighteen verses that mention his name. The holy Shelah adds (Kitzur Shelah 101b) that this provides protection against forgetting one's name on the day of final judgment.

There is a segula for a person to remember his and her name at the time of judgment by reciting a passuk/verse which starts with the first letter of one's name and ends with the last letter of that name. If a person has two names, then he would recite two verses corresponding to those letters of his name. There is a custom to recite these pesukim at the conclusion of the Amida and to say these verses immediately prior to taking three steps back. The earliest source that I found for this practice is a Rashi in the Navi Micha 6:9: 'The voice of the Lord calls out to the city, and the wisdom of the Torah, the one who sees Your name; hearken to the staff and to Who appointed it'. In a secondary Rashi it says in parentheses:: 'From here we learn that whoever commits to daily saying a passuk which begins and ends with his name the Torah he learned will be save him from Gehinom/hell'.

Sefer Taamei Haminhagim explains the letters which make-up a person's Hebrew name is holy in that it is a part of God's name as well. Therefore, when we use our Hebrew names, we create a protection for ourselves. When we are in the grave and are asked to state our name, we are susceptible to being beaten by the angel. Because we know the names we have been given, Hashem actually comes to protect us. By using our Hebrew names, we bring along Hashem wherever we go. It is also recommended that we mention the verses which begin and end with our names throughout the day and not only at the end of the Amida.

Jews living in galus/exile in a foreign land tend to be self-conscious about any outward display of their Judaism. Besides last names being changed at Ellis Island, Jews also took on the practice of giving and using English names for their children. People rationalized and argued about what could be so bad about giving a secular name. The truth is, there's nothing wrong with giving or having an English name. The problem is using it. If a person felt it to be absolutely necessary to use a secular name in order to make life easier in the business and secular world, so be it. But what about in their Jewish world, why not return to using the name given at the bris or during the aliyah to the Torah? Truth be told, excuses for not using our given Hebrew names are no longer valid because we live in a society with other religions and cultures which have more difficult-to- pronounce names then we Jews have. We are all too familiar with the Medrash which explained that the Jews merited leaving Egypt because of three things, one of them being that they didn't change their names. By keeping their Jewish names, they were reminded that they should long for the redemption and not think that America is their homeland. By using our given Hebrew/Yiddishe names, we constantly bring Hashem into our frame of reference, thereby keeping in mind the idea of redemption.

While on the subject of Hebrew names, there are a few other Jewish- identifying principles of which most Jews are unaware. I am sure that most Jews in America know the months of the year, but how many know the Jewish months of the year? I am sure that most Jews know the date of their secular birthdays, but how many of us know our Hebrew birthdays? I am sure that most American Jews know the names of their parents and grandparents and some great grandparents, but how many know their Hebrew names?

We live in challenging times in trying to maintain or even get ahead of the curve in our religious life. We need to take steps that will help ensure the survival and growth of our people. If we keep in mind certain Jewish qualities and ideas, then we have a far stronger chance of survival. Let us bring back our calendar, our names and other identifying reminders of who we are. If we remember that we are Jewish by constantly using these reminders, then it keeps Hashem in the forefront of our minds and will be the key to bringing the Geula speedily in our day just like in Egypt over 3300 years ago.

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky