Most of the Oilam answered
that שלא שינו את שמם
applies to a Goyishe names.
The only time there
is a problem is when changing
to a Goyishe name.
I would like to take a
different approach and say.
Perhaps the concept of שלא שינו
את שמם only applies
to not changing the name
of a person who has already
a name.*
One may**, however, name a
child who never
had a name with a made up
name and possibly even
a non-Jewish name.The rule
of שלא שינו את שמם won't
apply in
such a case.
This might explain the Gemoro
in Gittin 11b that says
מפני
שרוב ישראל שבחוץ לארץ שמותיהן כשמות עכו"ם
and explain why throughout
the ages Ashkenazim
have names in Yiddish,
Polish, Russian and Sephardim
have names in Spanish &
Ladino etc.
Harav R. Chaim Kanievsky
Shlita is very Makpid not
to name newly invented
modern Hebrew names. He
claims that it's not a name
at all and one must change
it to a proper name.
R. Chaim considers only names
that appear in תנ"ך or
in בית שמואל (E.H. Hl.
Gittin) or established names from
previous generations, as
proper Jewish names.
His Psak is based on a
Midrash Rabah (Breishis 37:7)
"The Rishonim who knew
their Yichus and had Ruach
Hakodesh they were allowed to
name after events
that occurred. We who are not
at that level may only
name names of our
forefathers."
When asked why modern Hebrew
names are different
than the names in Yiddish
etc. that were given back in
Europe. R Chaim insists that
they must have had their
own reasons and it is not
applicable to modern Hebrew
names of today.
R. Chaim has a very strong
opinion on the matter. He
refers to those who name
their children with modern
Hebrew names as משוגעים
*One of the Meforshim on the Midrash (שה"ש פ"ד)
writes
"Being there are רמזים of the גאולה in the
names of
the שבטים, therefore, they were Zoche to go out of
Mitzrayim
by not changing their names(seems even changing to a
Loshon Hakodesh name would have been problematic)
** When I write "may" I mean that there is no
problem
with שינו את שמם but you still may not do it
because
of the Breishis Rabah 37:7
1) The Loshon שלא שינו sounds better for changing an existing name rather than not giving a (Goyishe) name.
ReplyDelete2) The Midrash explaining שלא שינו says they didn't call Reuvain Rupis and Shimon Lulini etc. The Midrash doesn't say they didn't call their children Rupis, Lulini etc. Seems only if they had already a name then they didn't change it