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What posuk does one choose at the end of shmonei esrei if one has two names? do you use two pesukim? or take the posuk that starts with the first initial of the first name and ends with the last initial of the second name?

Isaac Moses
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shoshana
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1 Answers1

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As Menachem mentioned in the comments, there is a letter from the Lubavitcher Rebbe (here) where he says that the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe was instructed by his father to say two pesukim, one for each of his names.

I don't have sources, but as far as actual practice goes, all the people I know with two names (of which I am not one), say both pesukim. I know some Chassidim say the Pasuk of their Rebbe. Those who follow this custom say both Pesukim if their Rebbe has two names

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HodofHod
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    Any idea which chasidus's chasidim say the pasuk of their rabbi? I've never heard of this AFAIR. – msh210 Sep 14 '11 at 04:41
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    @msh210: In a letter, http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=15924&pgnum=38 , the Rebbe writes that it is the custom of many chassidim to say the passuk for their name and the Rebbe's name. Interestingly, he uses the singular Passuk (and not Pessukim), even though the Previous Rebbe had two names. I don't know what that means, but I always heard, like the answer, that if someone has two names, they say a passuk for each name. – Menachem Sep 14 '11 at 07:35
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    @msh210: Here's a letter from the Lubavitcher Rebbe where he discusses the sources for this custom. maybe one of those sources will say explicitly what to do when one has two names. http://chabadlibrary.org/books/default.aspx?furl=/admur/ig/2/404 - In that letter he also writes the Previous Rebbe was told by his father, the Rebbe Rashab, to say two pessukim, one for Yosef (Tehillim 138:8), one for Yitzchok (Tehillim 107:14). – Menachem Sep 14 '11 at 07:52
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    @Menachem: and similarly, Chabad chassidim since 1950 have been saying two verses for the Rebbe's names - Prov. 15:30 (for Menachem), and Num. 24:5 (for Mendel). – Alex Sep 14 '11 at 15:31
  • If one's rebbe is dead, is saying his verses still necessary? Seemingly he already dealt with the forgetting/remembering of his name. – Double AA Apr 05 '16 at 23:55
  • @DoubleAA I've never heard that it's supposed to be for the Rebbe's benefit. – HodofHod Apr 07 '16 at 15:47
  • Why stop at two? I have three names and my minhag is to say all three pesukim. – DonielF Jun 17 '16 at 18:17
  • Why say a separate passuk for Mendel? It's a kinuy of Menachem (as is Menke, but no one uses it anymore) – Noach MiFrankfurt Feb 09 '17 at 05:16
  • Note that the source for the entire practice is Sabbatian. – mevaqesh Feb 09 '17 at 06:28
  • @mevaqesh According to some non-mainstream opinions. – HodofHod Feb 09 '17 at 19:05
  • It's a historical question. If "mainstream sources" don't happen to know history, history doesn't change. The classical source is a sabbatical work. Are you aware of some earlier source. If not, then it seems like a simple war with fact. You are entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts. – mevaqesh Feb 09 '17 at 19:10
  • @mevaqesh That "the classical source is Sabbatical" is not universally agreed upon. Not to mention that it seems no one is entirely sure when it was inserted into Rashi (on Micha) or by whom. However, chabad.org cites R' Naphtali Hirch Treves' Perush on the Sidur, published in 1560, long before Shabbatai Tzvi. "You are entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts." And your snootiness is not appreciated. – HodofHod Feb 12 '17 at 23:07
  • @HodofHod Thank you for enlightening me. The source I always saw was the Kitsur Shelah. I am looking forward to checking out the Trevas Siddur when I have time in the future. – mevaqesh Feb 13 '17 at 02:18