“Can you spell that [Yiddish name] please?”
Every letter in a person’s name in Lashon HaKodesh (the Holy Tongue) is precise—whether the name is of Hebrew-language origin or what is known as la’az (foreign-language). A correct spelling is most halachically significant with regard to a get (bill of divorce) as has been explained in a previous halachah (Halachah #141). There are some main principles to follow (although there are always exceptions, and comprehensive halachic writings have lists of the correct spellings of many popular names).
One formula applies to a name that ends with the patach or kamatz sound “ah.” A Hebrew name with this ending syllable usually concludes with the letter ? (hey), for example, ???? (Rivkah).
On the other hand, a Yiddish name, or one with etymology in most foreign languages, ends with an ? (alef), like ????? (Golda). Also, ???????? (Victoria) for Sephardim. Ashkenazim spell the same name????????? .
The last letter of a diminutive of a Hebrew name in a foreign language that ends in “ah” is generally ? as well, such as ???? (Riva), ????? (Rivkela) and?????? (Rivkula), although there are exceptions. In cases where the correct spelling—ending in ? or ?—is not verifiable, a ? is optimal.
Another rule refers to the tzeireh syllable “ei,” as in the name ??? )Leib(, spelled by Ashkenazim with a single ? (yud). However, the name has alternate pronunciations based on locale, and where the name is enunciated “Lahyb” (similar to light), the spelling ???? is preferred.
When a person is unsure of the correct spelling of a name, an experienced Rav who is knowledgeable in these matters should be consulted.
??? ????? ???? ???????
??? ???? ???? ????? ????? ????. ?????? ????? - ??? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????. ??? ???? ??? ?.
??? ????? ??? ?????, ???? ???? ??????? ????? (???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ????. ???? ??? ??? ???. ??? ????? ?????. ?? ????? ????. ??? ????? ????? ???? ?????) - ?????? ??? ???? ?????? ?????, ????? ?? ??? ??? ????? ????? ???? ?? ?? - ????? ???? ? ?????. ?? ? ????. ????? ?????. ????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ? ?????, ????? ?????. ??? ????? ?? ???? ????? ??????? ?????? ????? ?????? ????? ??? ??????. ?????? ?? ???? ? ????.
????? ???? ????? ????? ?????, ???? ?? ????? ???? ???, ????? ???? ??????? ????? ??? ??? ????? ???, ??????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?????. ???, ????????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ??? ???? ??? - ?????? ???. ??????, ??? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ??????.
?????? ???? (?????) ???? ????, ????? ?? ?? ??? ???? ???? ??? ??????, ??????? ??? ???? ???????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ??????. (??? ????? - ????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ?????, ???? ?? ?????? ?? ?????? (??? ???? ??? ????? ????. ?????) ???? ??? ??????).
???? ???? ???? ????? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ????, ?????? ??? ??? ???? ?????. ???? ???? ???? ??? ?????????? ????? ????? ????.
???? ?? ?????? ????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ?? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?????, ????? ????? ????? ????? ???.
[?????? ??? ????? ????? - ??? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???? ??????].
?????? ??? - ??? ??? ??? ???. ???? ???? - ?? ??? ???. ???? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?????.
????, ????? ??? ???, ????? ????? ??????? (?????? ??), ?? ???? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ??, ????? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ??????, ????? ??? ????? ??? ? ??? ??? ??? ????? ????, (???? ?? ?? ????? ???), ???? ????? ???? ????? ????? ??? ????? ??? ???? ???? - ???, ????? ????? ??, ????? ?? ??? ???? ???? ??????, ??? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ?????. ???? ??? ????? ??? ? ????, ??? ??? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ??????, ??????? ?????? ???? ?????? ??????. (???? ???? ???? ????? ????? ?? ?????? ??????). ?????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ????? ????? ??? ????? ????? ??? ??????. ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ?. ?????? ???? ?????? ????? ????? ??? ?? 515. ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ??????? ??? ?????? (???? ?????. ?? ?????. ?????. ?????. ???????? ???? ????), ??? ??? ??? ??? ???????. ???? ?? ????? ???? ?????.
?????? ?? ?????? ????? ????? ??? ??? ?????? (???? ????? ?? 106. ????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????. ???? ????? ???? ???? ?????. ?? ?????).
?????? ???? ????? ????? ??? ???? - ??? ???? ?? ???? ??? ??. ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ??? ????. ????? ??? ???? ??? ????.