Talk:Akiva Eiger

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I have never seen this posek referred to as "Eger" in any English-language publication. Google gives 13,000 hits for "Eiger"[1] as opposed to 1,050 for "Eger"[2]. JFW | T@lk 16:23, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

[[3]]Yellowmellow45 16:30, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

A family tree is nice, but is it indicative of his "official" name? If I had the Sinason book at hand I'd be able to quote it. JFW | T@lk 08:46, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

I sent an email enquiring about the correct spelling to the Leo Baek Institute and received the following reply:

Dear Mr. Koehne,

thank you for your email.

The spelling found in the authority headings of the Library of Congress, which are used by US libraries in their catalogs, is as follows:

Eger, Akiva ben Moses Guens, 1761-1837

This is also the spelling we use in our catalog.

Sincerely,

Viola Voss

Yellowmellow45 15:07, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Are you suggesting the article is moved back? JFW | T@lk 20:40, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

well, yesYellowmellow45 20:53, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

How about a vote? I have almost never seen the spelling Eger; I vote for Eiger. Ayinyud 00:04, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

I think the choice of Sinason is quite convincing. JFW | T@lk 00:14, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

what's this about Sinason? Who what why? Ayinyud 00:38, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

Just one second. try reading this: Wikipedia:Naming_conventions_(common_names). It is blatantly stated that

    * We want to maximize the likelihood of being listed in external 
search engines, thereby attracting more people to Wikipedia. For 
example, the pagename is Jimmy Carter and not "James Earl Carter, Jr.";
 the string "Jimmy Carter" in the page title make it easier to find:   
search engines will often give greater weight to the contents of the 
title than to the body of the page. Since "Jimmy Carter" is the most 
common form of the name, it will be searched on more often, and having 
that exact string in our page title will often mean our page shows up 
higher in other search engines.
    * We want to maximize the incidence that people who make a link  
guessing the article name, guess correctly; people guessing a different 
name may think there is no article yet, which may cause duplication.
   * Using a full formal name requires people to know that name, and to  
type more.

I have often heard of Rabbi Akiva Eiger, but never Rabbi Akiva Eger. A simple google search will show us that 'Eiger is more common. End of story. If this doesn't make sense, it's too bad. It's 3 in the morning, South African time, and I'm signing off.Ayinyud 00:54, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes but Akiva Eiger redirects here anyway, so if someone typed that in, they would still find the right page. In my view, we have already resolved the problem now. Anyhow, it seems Eger is the most common among academics Yellowmellow45 11:45, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

A google search would not bring up a redirect. So, we have NOT solved the problem. Furthermore, Wikipedia is aimed at EVERYONE, not just academics. Any convincing arguments from Yellowmellow45?Ayinyud 00:23, 25 December 2005 (UTC)

Wikipedia is not solely based upon Google, or any other internet seach engine for that matter, it is also based on "books" and any other reputable source. Wikipedia has to contain correct information, which does mean that sometimes, we have to use information gleaned from academics. Yellowmellow45 14:15, 25 December 2005 (UTC)

It doesn't do any good if we have an article which no one will ever read, as it uses an uncommon name instead the more common, yet incorrect, one. Take a look at the quote I brought from the naming conventions. We are not dealing with anything new here; this type of issue is covered in the official wikipedia policy, and the rules say that it is better to use the incorrect name. Ayinyud 09:51, 29 December 2005 (UTC)

If there are other editors who think that policy should be interpreted as such I will support a move back to Akiva Eiger. For the moment, the redirect will make sure people wanting to know about him will still reach this page. JFW | T@lk 13:01, 29 December 2005 (UTC)

Hmm

As a descendant of Akiva (or Akiba as I was told) Eiger, I believe "Eiger" IS the proper spelling, as that's what family has told me. When coming through Ellis Island Eiger became "Eager" as the last name, and there is no mention of "Eger."

-Max

For the record, no names were changed at Ellis Island. There was no mechanism for doing so, no law permitting or requiring it, and no evidence that it ever happened.Roger.Lustig (talk) 19:39, 25 February 2023 (UTC)

So, we're distantly related. It is very possible that over the years, the name changed, it was after all only taken up as a legal requirement at the time and so wouldn't have been so highly regarded amoungst Jews themselves.I still retain that 'Eger' is the correct spelling (I posess a family tree which uses the spelling) and I have recently contacted the Leo Baek Institute who concur. I am interested though as to where you fit into the tree.

Dave 17:52, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

Nationality

An editor has bestowed Hungarian nationality on Akiva Eger. Is there any evidence for this? (Indeed did Hungarian nationality exist in the 18th century?) --Redaktor 22:38, 16 October 2007 (UTC)

Indeed there wasn't. The Habsburg lands were loosely known as "Austria", but I don't think he would have been regarded as an Austrian citizen; the most accurate name to have given him would be "Habsburg subject", so if a flag is to be used (somewhat anachronistically) it should be the black-and-yellow one of the Austrian Empire. However, since he's best known as rav of Posen, which was in Prussian Poland, it makes most sense to regard him as being from Poland. -- Zsero (talk) 15:09, 30 June 2010 (UTC)

New picture

I am opposed to the new picture as the old one is the most widely used and recognised picture of the subject. Chesdovi (talk) 13:19, 30 June 2010 (UTC)

Maybe. I just think the new one is nicer. And since it was owned by the subject's cousin, it's perhaps likely to be more accurate. If the article were longer it could accommodate both. -- Zsero (talk) 14:54, 30 June 2010 (UTC)

Sitting Shiva

The article claims that Rabbi Akiva Eger was not an enemy of the Hassidim. I think that's likely a rosy version of the historical facts. Whether or not Shloimeleh sat shiva for his son, the chances are that he very well might have, and if the article suggests otherwise, the burden of proof is on the author. To quote from the wiki page on "Misnagdim": For the remainder of the 19th century, the Misnagdim would remain in their own communities and continue to denounce the Hasidism through the continued issuance of polemics even as their own numbers waned.[4] Rabbi Akiva Eiger was one of the foremost leaders of Misnaged Jewery in the early 19th century, and it would probably be decades after his death, before Hassidim and Misnagdim would band together against non-Orthodox factions. But let's keep an open mind- I just think it's uncomfortably rosy. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.136.249.153 (talk) 01:45, 1 September 2016 (UTC)

You could tag that statement with a {{Citation needed}} template or even a {{Dubious}} template. Debresser (talk) 14:37, 1 September 2016 (UTC)

Couldn't find much on this subject. Some Chabad site says "הגאון רבי עקיבא איגר מרוב צדקתו אמר שאין הוא נוטה לשום צד ובעיניו כולם צדיקים"' and some misnagdishe site that says "על אף כי רעק"א עצמו היה מתנגד גדול לחסידות". YeshivaWorld says "R' Akiva Eiger respected the Chassidim and said the misnagdim spoke false against them." and Rabbi Wein wrote a book about him and says "Though known for his incisive Torah mind and his iron-willed opposition to Chassidus".

The picture I get is that he was against chassidus, but that by virtue of his character his didn't fall into blind, fanatical opposition. Debresser (talk) 14:46, 1 September 2016 (UTC)