(By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com)
Professor Dalton Conley of NYU is a well-known sociologist and author. He named his son, “Yo Xing Heyno Augustus Eisner Alexander Weiser Knuckles” – reportedly the longest name in New York City’s official archives. It is a name that, had he been Jewish and had he posed the question to Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky Shlita, he would have been advised against against it. In Chassidish circles (and in many litvish circles too), multiple names are very much accepted. In many other circles, multiple names are discouraged.
THE CHAZON ISH
In the work entitled Pe’er HaDor about Rav Avrohom Yishayah Karelitz zt”l (1878-1953), author of the Chazon Ish (Vol. IV p. 200), it is brought down that he was very much against naming a child after two people. He held that a concatenation of two (or more names) is, in effect, a new name. It thus has no benefit for the child, nor is it a fulfillment of Kivud Av v’Aim when the name of the one individual is not given. He stated that the sheaf of Kedusha – the overflow of holiness that one receives when naming after a Tzaddik only come when the exact same name is used.
OTHER POSKIM AS WELL
Rav Moshe Shternbuch (Teshuvos v’Hanhagos Vol. I #608) Shlita cites the Chazon Ish not to name a child with two names. This is also the view commonly attributed to Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky shlita. Rav Ben Tzion Abba Shaul zt”l held that one should not name two names because of an entirely different reason: There is a chance that one of the names will end up not being used and the child will incur damage on account of this.
THE NODA BIYEHUDA AND CHASAM SOFER
The Chazon Ish was not the first to express this idea of avoiding two names.
The great acharon, Rav Yechezkel Landau (1713-1793), writes (Noda BiYehudah MT OC 113) that nowhere in the Talmud do we find any Tanna or Amorah that was called by two names. Therefore, he concludes, that there is no point in giving someone two names. The same conclusion is made by Rabbi Moshe Sofer (1762-1839) in his responsa ( Shut Chasam Sofer EH #8).
It seems that the name Yonasan Aryeh found in Yevamos 122b must either be understood as a form of a last name (such as Yehudah Maccabi) where the latter name is a family title indicating great strength. Alternatively, it could be understood as, “Hashem has given a lion.” Similarly the name Bas Sheva would be understood as one name – i.e. the seventh daughter.
Professor Conley also named his daughter “E” – the shortest name in the New York City archives. We do find, lehavdil a Tanna in Pirkei Avos that seems to have been named after a letter – in fact, twice. In Pirkei Avos, Ben Hay Hay tells us “Lefum Tzaara Agra – according to the level of difficulty involved in observing a Mitzvah is the reward.” Most people focus on his message, but let’s take a moment to focus on the Rabbi’s name.
DEBATE BETWEEN TORAH LISHMA AND TOSFOS
Ben Hay Hay seems to be two names. The Torah Lishma (Responsa #402) cites this very notion as a proof that one may even name someone after a Hebrew letter.
There is a Tosfos in Chagigah 9b that states that Ben Hay Hay was actually a Ger Tzedek and that this name was given to him because it alludes to the fact that he is a descendant of Abraham and Sarah. Both Abraham and Sara received the extra letter Hay from Hashem. It could be that this would not be considered two names on account of the view of this Tosfos.
THE OTHER VIEW
Rav Menashe Klein z”l (1924-2011) in his Mishna Halachos (Vol. V #215), on the other hand, is of the opinion that it is not only perfectly fine to have two names, but he disagrees with the contention that it was a rarity in previous times. He cites numerous examples in both TaNach as well as in Rishonim that people did have two names.
Rav Sraya Dublitsky z”l (1925-2018), a student of the Chazon Ish, is quoted in Korei Shmo (p. 149) as saying that the custom is not like the Chazon Ish and we do name people with two names.
There are even opinions that giving multiple names is beneficial for the child in that it brings more bracha from heaven (Sdei HaAretz YD Vol. III #22 as cited in Vayikrah shmo b’Yisroel p.80).
As an aside, Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l in his Igros Moshe (OC Vol. V #10) uncharacteristically discusses the historical reasons for the development of two names.
WHEN NAMING TWO NAMES
It is important that if one does follow the minhag to name a child with two names that both names be used. The Sefer Ben Yehohada (Taanis 25b) writes that if one leaves out one of the names, the pouring out of blessing from the letters of his second name are prevented from reaching him. Rav Ben Tzion Abba Shaul zt”l even stated that leaving out the second half of the name can even cause the child damage, chalilah.
There are those who forbid a person to create a nickname based upon an abbreviation of two names. For example, if someone had the name Eliyahu Mordechai it would be improper to nickname him Elmo (aside from the issue of naming a child after a non-Jewish name, indeed, a Sesame Street character). Others disagree with this view. Indeed, Rav Chaim Kanievsky is cited in Kesser Shaim Tov (Vol. II #112) as permitting it.
CONCLUSION
The main thing, of course, whenever deciding upon a name is to maintain shalom – and not to cause an argument when things do not go the way one wants it to. Shalom is actually one of Hashem’s Holy Names and it is something that we daven for in every shmoneh esre and in every kaddish. May Hashem bless Klal Yisroel will peace.
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10 Responses
This was a very pleasant essay to read. I personally have had conversations with Rav Shalom Kamenetsky on the topic and heard this first hand. Thank you.
Double names became common when our population grew and we need more names to differentiate people. So skip the pilpul and say ברוך השם.
The community I come from historically named only one name, however it has become en vogue to name two nowadays. We also name after the living and so when my first son was born, we named him after my father, but we added a second name to give him his own identity as well.
Thanks Rav Yair for another fabulous article!
The way I understand it; many second and third namings came about after the holocaust, when many wanted to name after family, but had an issue with naming after one who died of unnatural, young. or tragically etc. hence another name was added…
I think GOAN is right. I named after a survivor and added a second name due to the suffering the one named went
through.
1- Reb Shmuel Kamenetsky view comes from his father Reb Yaakov Zatzal who held that if named 2 names and only called by one name, the second name can be forgotten and can come to issues ח״ו regarding שטרות (such as גיטין) but if named 2 names, to be called both names to avoid any problems.
– A Kamenetsky grandchild –
The Chazon Ish himself had two names!
And contrary to Gaon, the practice of giving two or more names predates the Holocaust by several centuries at least.
The Chasam Sofer named his son R Avraham Shmuel Binyamin Sofer.
In one of the first attempts at a Hebrew bibliography, written 400 years ago, the author said that double (personal) names were common among both Ashkenazim and Sefardim (n.b. the book was from Amsterdam which had a diverse frum community), and that usually Sefardi went by the first name and Ashkenazim by the second personal name. This isn’t new.
Excellent article!
“From where do we know that a name proves decisive? Rabbi El’azar said, ‘For Scripture states: Go, gaze upon the acts of YHWH, who has brought שַׁמּוֹת (shammot), desolations, on earth (Psalms 46:9)—do not read שַׁמּוֹת (shammot), desolations, but שֵׁמּוֹת (shemot), names’” (BT Berakhot 7b).
“The name determines destiny entirely” (Zohar 1:60a).
Pray, let not my lord pay mind to this scoundrel of a man, to Nabal, for כִשְׁמוֹ כֶּן הוּא (kishemo ken hu), just like his name he is, his name means Base and baseness is with him (1 Samuel 25:25); וְתוּשִׁיָּה יִרְאֶה שְׁמֶךָ (Ve-tushiyyah yireh shemekha), It is prudent to regard your name (Micah 6:9).
https://thenutgarden.wordpress.com/2015/01/17/it-is-wise-to-regard-your-name-the-name-determines-destiny-entirely/