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Question
When a child is born and named at a Bris or in Shul (if a girl) and there are two people you want that child to be named after, is it just the first name or are both names just as respectful to the deceased people? We have had interesting discussions on this subject and would like the opinion of a rabbi.
Answer
Excellent
question! And guess what? There are various opinions on this subject: The great
Chazon Ish (20th century Lithuania and Israel) said that a combination of two
names for two different people is like a completely new name, and is as if the
baby was not named after either of them. Similarly, even if the child was named
only after one person, but an additional name was added to it, it would also not
be considered as if the name of the deceased was given to the child. (Source:
Orchat Rabeinu I pg 249-50 - Rabbi Y. Kanvesky). The other opinion? Someone
once approached the great Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg (dean of Ner Israel in Baltimore)
and asked about this topic. Rabbi Weinberg replied: "My name is Shmuel Yaakov,
and I'm named after two different people. There's no problem in doing so.
Rabbi Shraga Simmons
Aish.com
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