Monday, January 16, 2017

names - Does a Jew named after a respected historical figure need to hold himself to a higher standard of behavior?



This question may sound strange but it relates to the power of names on Judaism.


Typically, when a Jew is named after respected figures from Jewish history, it's done because we hope for our children to live up to the characteristics of such individuals.



  • The humbleness of Moses

  • The faith of Abraham

  • The beauty of Esther

  • etc.


That being said, people are human and they don't always live up to the names they are given. Some even go in the opposite direction in certain cases.


My question is simple. If a Jew is named after respected individuals, can it be argued that they have to be careful in how they act because their mistakes are simultaneously tainting the name they share with such respected figures?



If someone named Moses does something terrible and they are seen in the community as having done something terrible, does the fact they share Moshe Rabbeinu's name inadvertently cast an insult on the person they're named after?




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