In a message dated 2/19/01 3:04:55 PM Eastern Standard Time,
dotvic@... writes:

<< Chaim Manaster asks a question about the combination of Chaim with
other names. I, too, would like an answer. My grandfather's name has
been Nathan on every document I've found. Now, I have his gravestone
interpreted and it says 'Chaim Natan".

Could we get the replies to Chaim Manaster on this discussion group,
please? >>

Angels have one track minds, according to Jewish tradition. They are
programmed to do only one task at a time, then they return to base to be
reprogrammed.

The Angel of Death is given a name and address for a very sick person. He
finds the address and looks for Moshe Shapira. But there's no Moshe here,
only Chaim, and he returns to base task incomplete.

(A leading politician in Israel, Moshe Shapira, was seriously wounded in a
grenade attack in the Knesset and not expected to survive. On his deathbed
his family "officially" changed his name to Chaim--and he survived another
13 active years. True story)

So lots of people get Chaim tagged on to their names. And since it's often
done when they're at death's door, we need not be surprised if the only
record of that change is on the tombstone.

Chaim (or Haim) is Hebrew for "Life."

Michael Bernet, New York

WOLFF (Pfungstadt, Frankfurt/M, Koenigsberg, Amsterdam, N.Carolina); BERNET,
BERNERT, JONDORF(Frensdorf, Bamberg, Nurnberg); FEUCHTWANGER
(Schwabach, Hagenbach & Fuerth); KONIGSHOFER (anywhere); BERG, WOLF(F),
(Demmelsdorf & Zeckendorf); Shim`on GUTENSTEIN (Bad Homburg ca 1760);
FRENSDORF/ER (anywhere); MAINZER (Lorsch); anyone in Ermreuth or Floss;
GOLDSCHMIDT (B. Homburg, Hessdorf). ALTMANN (Silesia); TIMMENDORFER