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Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!garfield!dreacad!gergely
From: gergely@dreacad.UUCP (gergely)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Why is AVROM or ABRAM not an allowed name?
Message-ID: <170@dreacad.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 3-Dec-84 20:44:40 EST
Article-I.D.: dreacad.170
Posted: Mon Dec  3 20:44:40 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 10-Dec-84 09:42:48 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Defence Research Est. Atl., Dartmouth, N.S., Can.
Lines: 32

.kosher line to be eaten.

Upon my briss I was given the name of Arieh Avrom Mordecai Ben Nochem Hersh.
Yes it definitely is a long name, but that is not the problem.  Many a time
a rabbi has told me that one of my names, namely Avrom or Abram, is not an
accepted valid Hebrew name.

According to Genesis, XVII, v 5, "Neither shall thy name any more be called
Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of
nations have I made thee"[1], is often what I have been quoted by many a
rabbi.  The problem is one of interpretation it would appear.  The way I
understand it, his name was changed, but that does not say anything about
anyone else named Abram.

I would appreciate any enlightment on this subject of the validity of the
name Avrom.  Please feel free to mail your replies directly to me and I will
post a summary in the short future, or maybe this could become a valid
discussion on the net but probably should not be.

[1]  Dr. J. H. Hertz, C.H., (editor), "The Pentateuch and Haftorahs", Second
Edition, London, Soncino Press, 5728--1967.


Many thanks on this subject.


-- 

    - Peter J. Gergely, Defence Research Establishment Atlantic
                        P.O. Box 1012, Dartmouth, N.S. B2Y 3Z7 Canada (POSTAL)
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