The Curious Case of Leora Gittel

Two names. That's what we did with Shai, so why change the formula (x+y)? The second would be after my Fathers mother (c) and the first would just be something that we liked (a+c). We happened to like several names and managed to narrow it down to two earlier this week (t/l). We decided not to settle on the first name until after she was born, but felt that one of them sounded better with the second (t+c). Then she popped out.



When the Doctor held her in front of us I had the most unexpected feeling- the baby looked just like my Father-in-laws mother (g). She did not simply resemble her. She did not look the way she might have 90 years ago. My daughter looked like my wife's Grandmother did just a few years ago, like my wife had just given birth to a 90 year old baby. Like her Grandmother had just popped out. This baby was indeed going to be named after a grandmother, but not mine. She was even doing this thing with her tongue that Rusi's Grandmother used to do. It was downright eerie.

As I wrestled with the change of her second name I wondered if the first one was appropriate either. I imagined calling her (t) and just didn't feel that it fit. It felt far more comfortable, more natural, to call her (l). During the first few moments of her life I had realized her name was not (t+c) but (l+g). I wondered what my wife thought.

The next three hours I concerned myself with the health of my two ladies and did not worry about her name. Since I would not be naming her until two days later it wasn't something that I needed to discuss with Rusi at 1am. But of course I was curious. So right before I left I asked Rus if she gave the baby's name any thought. She said she had. She said that she had in such a way that I knew something was bothering her. I knew that she had not only decided which of the two names we liked she wanted to use (t/l) but that another name, a name that was never on the table, was fitting. It was late and Rusi suggested talking about it tomorrow, anticipating that I may be upset with her new suggestion. But I was curious. I assured Rusi that it was ok, that she could tell me what she thought. That she could tell me the name that she had in mind. So she told me-

"Leora Gittel"

In Judaism we have a concept called Ruach Hakodesh or Divine Inspiration. Back in the day it was widespread and many worthy figures often received secret information via this holy communication (Tweets from G-D). Nowadays we aren't up to snuff. We don't have the direct contact that our ancestors once had. It is, however, believed that there is a little bit of this Divine Inspiration left in the world. That parents receive Ruach Hakodesh when naming their children. I have no doubt that is what happened to us this week.