The Name Sinai

When Rav Sinai was born, his father, Rav Boruch of Gorlitz, asked his own father, the Divrei Chaim of Sanz, what to name the baby. The Sanzer Rav said to name him after Rav Boruch’s maternal great-grandfather, Rav Elazar Nissan of Drohobitch, the father of Rav Boruch’s father-in-law, the Yetev Lev of Sighet. But then the Divrei Chaim asked another Torah giant who was present.

“It is the custom,” the Gadol replied, “that one does not name after a person who was niftar young.” Rav Elazar Nissan had been niftar young.

The Divrei Chaim thought for a moment. “Then name him Sinai,” he said, “for that has the same letters as Nissan, and may he grow up to be a Sinai V’Oker Harim (one who is both a Sinai and an uprooter of mountains), a giant in the depth and breadth of Torah.”