(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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