Moed Katan 25b: Rabbi Chanin, son-in-law of the Nasi, had no children. He prayed for children and got one, but on the day his son was born, he died. The eulogizer said, “Happiness was turned into sorrow, rejoicing and sadness joined together. At the time of his joy he sighed, at the time that he was graced, his grace went lost.” They named him Chanin after him.
מועד קטן כה ע”ב: רבי חנין חתניה דבי נשיאה הוה, לא קא הוו ליה בני, בעא רחמי והוו ליה. ההוא יומא דהוה ליה ־ נח נפשיה. פתח עליה ההוא ספדנא: שמחה לתוגה נהפכה, ששון ויגון נדבקו, בעת שמחתו נאנח, בעת חנינתו אבד חנינו. אסיקו ליה חנן על שמיה.
A husband in Bnei Brak went to shul the Shabbos after his wife had given birth to a baby girl – their 12th child. “What should we name her?” he asked. “Whatever you want – surprise me!” said his wife. The husband decided that Rivka would be a beautiful and fitting name. The Mi Shebeirach was said, the name was given, and davening ended.
Coming in the door of his apartment, he announced the new name in a loud voice. “Rivka?” his wife looked at him, puzzled. “But we already have a Rivka!” Suddenly it dawned on the husband as well. He had so many children that he had forgotten the name of one of his older daughters, and reused it!
He went and asked Rabbi Yitzchok Zilberstein, who showed him a similar story about the author of the Nesivos Hamishpat, printed recently in the Sefer Zikaron Olas Shlomo. The Nesivos’s father, Reb Yaakov, was a great lamdan, famous for his hasmada and deep concentration in learning. At the bris, when the mohel turned to him, Reb Yaakov, in the midst of a sugya, thought he was asking for his name, so he responded, “Yaakov.” Thus the baby was named “Yaakov ben Yaakov.”
Apparently, the Nesivos’s father didn’t mind, and took no steps to change his baby’s name. On the contrary, it would be a Kiddush Hashem, leading to more dedication to learning. Whenever people heard the Nesivos being called up for an aliyah as “Yaakov ben Yaakov” they would recall how the story happened and they would be reminded of what true hasmada is.
Here too, perhaps having two daughters with the same name would lead to people remarking, “Wow, they raised such a large family that they could sometimes forget their own children’s names. We too should aspire to bring more children into the world!”
Source: Tuvcha Yabiu, v. 1 p. 37, quoted in Veyikarei Shmo Beyisroel p. 459
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