What's In A Name?

Our names are a key to who we are. They distinguish us from other people. Names have always been seen as a reflection of one’s character and reflect characteristics which we hope our children will embody as they grow.

Jewish Baby Names

It is common in the United States to give a Jewish child two names -- an English name and a Hebrew name, which connects us to the past, present and future of Jewish tradition. The names may or many not be the same. It's all up to you, the parents, to decide.

There are many ways people go about finding a name for their baby. There may be a special family event which you could associate to the child. Also fitting may be a holiday or an animal such as “Jonah” (which means Dove), or maybe a plant or flower like “Shoshana” (which means Rose). A name that appears in the parashah, the weekly Torah portion around the time of the child’s birth, is popular among the Orthodox. There may be places of special meaning to the parents after a trip to Israel, or a season or month that would be meaningful to the baby’s birth. Biblical figures, Jewish or Israeli celebrities, historical figures, and of course, relatives all provide inspiration for a child’s name.

Names should be chosen based on the meaning and translation. Before choosing a specific name, always find its meaning. Consider the pronunciation and spelling as well.

An interesting difference exists between Jews born of Eastern/Central Europe (Ashkenazic) and those of Mediterranean (Sephardic) descent. The Ashkenazic Jews often name their children after the deceased. They rarely name children after living relatives, probably dating from a superstition of the Middle Ages to avoid having the Angel of Death take the newborn child instead of the aging relative it was named for by mistake. Sephardim have no such fear and often name after living relatives.

Using the father's name followed by “Junior”, “II”, “III”, etc.. is almost unheard of in the Jewish tradition. An exception may be that a Jewish child may receive his father’s name if the father died prior to the birth of his child.

There really are no rules when it comes to naming your child. Customs are just customs, and there is rarely much logic to them. So many rules cross Ashkenazi/Sephardi lines that you must ultimately make the decision and know in your heart of hearts that your child will grow up living a wonderful Jewish life.

Birth
Brit Milah

Brit Milah, the covenant of circumcision, was originally made with Abraham and has been upheld by Jews for centuries. The circumcision is an outward sign of the eternal covenant with god and the Jewish people. The commandment is binding upon the father and the child. If a father does not have his son circumcised, the son is obligated to have himself circumcised as an adult.

The brit milah takes places 8 days after the birth of a son. The day the child was born is counted as the first day. Keep in mind that the Jewish day begins at sunset, so if a child is born after sunset the day of birth is considered the next day. An example, if a son is born at 9:00 p.m. on a Tuesday night, for purposes of counting we begin on Wednesday and the bris is held the following Wednesday. Circumcisions are performed on Shabbat. The Bible does not give any reason why the 8th day was chosen; however, modern medicine has revealed that an infant’s blood clotting mechanism stabilizes on the 8th day. Of course, if there is a question of health, the brit is postponed.

The circumcision is performed by a mohel. A circumcision done in the hospital is not considered a brit milah unless it is done with the intention of fulfilling this particular mitzvah and the proper blessings are recited at the time.

At a brit milah, it is traditional to also formally name the child. It is customary among Ashkenazic Jews to name a child after a deceased relative. This custom come from a desire to honor the dead relative with the hope that his/her name will live on. Among Sephardic Jews, it is not unusual to name a child after a parent or a living relative.

SIMCHAT BAT

Traditionally, when a girl is born her father names her formally in the synagogue following her birth. He is traditionally called up for an aliyah to the Torah after which her Hebrew name is publicly announced. In Sephardic communities a special prayer for baby girls called Zeved haBat (the gift of a daughter) is recited on the first Shabbat during the Torah service which the mother attends after birth.

Beginning in the 1970’s, couples began to create naming ceremonies for their daughters that would bring them into the covenant with God and the people of Israel. While there is no religiously or traditional ritual to perform like the brit (circumcision) for boys, couples sought a way to welcome their daughters in a more ceremonial fashion. Today, the name Simchat Bat which means "the joy of our daughter" is widely used to described these ceremonies. The other term used is Brit Banot, "the covenant of our daughters."

Simchat Bat ceremonies vary widely, though they usually include naming the daughter along with some readings and a festive meal. There is no particular date following the birth of a daughter when they take place. Some couples choose to schedule it on the 8th day following birth to parallel the brit milah, and other couples postpone the Simchat Bat until the mother and baby have been home a while longer.

PIDYON HABEN

The ritual of pidyon haben means "the redemption of the first-born son." Traditionally, it was intended for the first-born son to serve as priests and Temple functionaries of Israel. However, after the incident of the Golden Calf in the book of Exodus, in which the tribe of Levi did not participate, God chose the descendants of this tribe to fulfill this role. Nevertheless, the firstborn son still retained a degree of sanctity and this ritual of redemption remained in place.

Ordinarily, the ritual is performed on the 31st day following birth; however, it cannot be performed on Shabbat because it involves the exchange of money. The child is redeemed by paying a small sum (five silver shekels in biblical times; today, usually five silver dollars) to a cohen. While a rabbi may be present, the actual redemption must be from a cohen. Not all rabbis are cohanim.

This ritual applies only to the firstborn male child if it is born by natural childbirth. It does not apply to a firstborn female child, a son born by Cesarean, or to a child born to a either a father or mother who is from the tribe of Levi.