Q. I just heard that there is an issue on naming a baby girl with the name Rochel. Can that be true?
A. The Arizal (Shaar Hapsukim – Vayetzeh) explains that the reason that the names of the Imahos (matriarchs) of our nation, contains the letter ‘hai’ at the end (as Sarah, Rivkah, Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah) is to demonstrate that they had the potential of bearing children. The sole exception was Rochel, and indeed she was barren.
That is way she gave her servant Bilhah to Yakov, since her name contains a double letter ‘hai,’ so she would contribute that letter to her own name Rochel, and the children to be born would be credited to her.
Kovetz Beis Hilel (p. 71 ) quotes Ohr Letzion, that he advised an ill and childless woman to change her name Rochel to another more propitious name and she was healed and bore children. When questioned by his talmidim if he advises not to give that name to daughters, he said that they should indeed avoid that name.
However Derech Sicha (end of Bereishis), mentions that Horav Chaim Kanievsky’s Shlit’a opinion is emphatically and unequivocally, that the name Rochel should not be avoided , as many so named women had children, such as the wife of Rabi Akiva and the mother of Mori Bar Rochel and countless others throughout all generations. (See Aliba Dehilchesa – Shabbos 154a).
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is similar.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as advised by Horav Shlomo Miller and Horav Aharon Miller Shlit’a
Important Numbers
