Suppose a son is the Gabbai in a Shul and needs to call up his father for an aliyah (or his brother who is the son of his father). Does the son say his father's name? Does he say something else instead?

Please don't answer that someone else should call him up... After all, imagine a case where a father is davening with his 9 sons. Or, where 10 brothers are davening together.

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    "Please don't answer that someone else should call him up": actually, why not? If the gabbai himself is going to get an aliyah, he's going to have to ask someone else to do so, no? – Alex Feb 23 '12 at 19:31
  • @Alex Edited in answer to your comment – yydl Feb 24 '12 at 20:41

The Shu"t Beit Avi (5:56) was asked this question and concludes that one should call him up as "Abba Isaac ben Moses" (for example).

He says that by using the honorific "Abba" one alleviates the issue of calling one's parent by their first name (outlined in Shulchan Aruch YD 240:2). He notes that even though the Shulchan Aruch sounds like it is forbidden to do so, this can't be the proper read because many times in the gemara (as outlined in the Aruch HaShulchan YD 240:14-15) great rabbis referred to their parents by their first names. Rather, he argues, it is permissable to do so with a proper honorific.

Additionally, he notes that the longstanding custom in Yeshivot is to call up the Rosh HaYeshiva by his name with a title (eg Moreinu HaRav Shimon ben Moreinu HaRav Gamliel) even though a similar restriction regarding name calling applies to one's rabbis whom one must also honor (see Shulchan Aruch YD 242:1 and 242:15).

I note finally that such is the practice in my shul.

EDIT: The Sefer Dinei Kriyas HaTorah by Rabbi Naftali Hoffner seems to imply my way as well. Compare how he explains calling up a rabbi here with how he explains calling up a father here. Note the ellipses in both cases. (h/t @GershonGold)

  • My sons call me up as 'Avi Mori' plain. They do refer to their sons as 'Bni Ploni' (or daughters in the mi sheberach) without using ben or bas and their names. When they call up their brother, they say 'Ploni ben Avi Mori' – sabbahillel Apr 2 '14 at 18:21
  • @sabbahillel So? – Double AA Apr 2 '14 at 18:22

In the Shul I daven in the Gabbai's father Davens there often and the Rav told him to call him up Yaamod Avi Mori.

I found that Sefer Dinei Kriyas HaTorah - Rabbi Naftali Hoffner says that you should call the father up as Yaamod Avi U'Mori........

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    I've seen the same thing in many places. – Reb Chaim HaQoton Feb 23 '12 at 19:34
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    I was once informed that I should do the same. – HodofHod Feb 23 '12 at 21:34
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    You misread that source. He is not saying to just say avi mori. He is saying to say avi mori Isaac ben Moses as I have in my answer. That's why he has the ellipse afterward. Compare to how he writes the way to call up a rabbi on the previous page. – Double AA Feb 24 '12 at 6:12
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    Double AA - Agreed. Yes after rereading the Sefer I yield to you that this Sefer is saying what is done in your Shul. yydl - Please accept Double AAs answer as the correct one. However the first part of my answer stands - which is that in my Shul that is how they call up the Gabai's father. – Gershon Gold Feb 24 '12 at 14:30
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    @GershonGold "accept Double AAs answer as the correct one" - please note - accepting an answer has absolutely nothing to do with correctness. It merely indicates which answer is the most helpful to the asker... – yydl Jun 13 '12 at 3:58

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