Friend with Father’s Name

Question

I made a new friend who has exactly the same given name as my father. Is there any problem with me calling my friend by his name?

0

Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    Almost any approach that you will take with regards to your friend’s name will have authorities who rule accordingly. For example, some authorities rule that you can only call your friend by his name if you change the name slightly. For example, if your friend and your father are both called Mordechai, you should call your friend Mordy. However, many authorities rule that you are allowed to call your friend using his regular name even if your father is present, because the assumption is that your father will not mind. Another approach is that you should not call your friend by his name when your father is present. A last approach is that if the name is a common one (such as Mordechai), there is no problem with calling your friend Mordechai. If, however, your father’s name is not a common one, you should try to avoid calling your friend by that name.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team