Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site aecom.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!genrad!wjh12!talcott!harvard!seismo!cmcl2!philabs!aecom!teitz From: teitz@aecom.UUCP (Eliyahu Teitz) Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish Subject: Re: Avrum Message-ID: <1040@aecom.UUCP> Date: Tue, 18-Dec-84 12:12:57 EST Article-I.D.: aecom.1040 Posted: Tue Dec 18 12:12:57 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 21-Dec-84 01:41:17 EST References: <266@moscom.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Albert Einstein Coll. of Med., NY Lines: 28 > > Being the son of Avrum I am curious as to the original posting that said > that it was not a legal name for a Jew. My father and five second cousins > were all named Avrum after a mutual multi-great grandfather. My relatives > in the Ukraine and Bessarabia were not exactly wild-eyed radicals who would > knowingly violated tradition or bubbe-meinsehs (for the uninitiated those are > grandmother's tales that have basis in fact). > > If you think Avrum has problems consider Cain (a murderer), Amnon (an incestuous > rapist), or even David (a usurper, murderer, and adulterer). > David ben Avrum (mosom!de) The problem with Avram is that the Torah said specifically that it should not be used. The others you mentioned do not have a similar prohibition. ( As a side point, your reason for not using certain names has no basis. No one is perfect, so using the name of someone who sinned shouldn't be considered wrong. If that was your criterion, then you'd be limited to the seven people of whom the G'mara said they never sinned ( I think the G'mara is at the end of the first chapter of Baba Kamma although I'm not sure ). A question could be raised thoug of a person who is called Avram. Was the prohibition not to call a peron known as Avraham by the name Avram ( was the contraction prohibited ). Or was the use of the name Avram pro- hibited? I'm not sure. If the former is the case then naming someone Avram should not be wrong. However if the latter is true then the name should not be used. Eliyahu Teitz.