Title: | BAGELS and other things of Jewish interest |
Notice: | 1.0 policy, 280.0 directory, 32.0 registration |
Moderator: | SMURF::FENSTER |
Created: | Mon Feb 03 1986 |
Last Modified: | Thu Jun 05 1997 |
Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
Number of topics: | 1524 |
Total number of notes: | 18709 |
When a religious Jew is gravely ill, teetering on the edge of life and death, it is customary to give him an additional name. Why is this?
T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
491.1 | If he can't be found... | YOUNG::YOUNG | Fri Jul 01 1988 14:34 | 4 | |
I'd heard that it was to confuse the Angel of Death. Paul | |||||
491.2 | Baby X | GRECO::FRYDMAN | wherever you go...you're there | Tue Jul 05 1988 11:19 | 5 |
This is also the reason for the custom among European Jews that the name of a newborn is not revealed until the brit (8 days later) or the "naming ceremony" of the girl (at least 8 days later in some chassidic communities). The first week is one in which the child is quite vulnerable. |