Yichus (יִחוּסyḥws), aHebrew-basedYiddish word meaning "lineage". In some past and presentJewish communities, goodyichus—meaning descent from a family of high reputation—is necessary for a person to be considered as a potential marriage partner. Colloquially, the term refers to the chain of origin for a statement, creative work or object.[1]
Yichus first appeared in theHebrew Bible in theBook of Ezra.[2] It appears inEzra 2:62 andNehemiah 7:5), where the Hebrew root (yud-chet-sin) means "relation to" or "related to."[2] In the later rabbinic Hebrew, the last letter of the root changed fromsin (ש) tosamekh (ס), though the pronunciation and meaning remained unchanged. The latter spelling (yud-hey-samech) appears frequently in rabbinic literature.[3]
Although the wordyichus originated in Hebrew,[4][5] the term is generally accepted as aYiddish word that has flowed into modern English. The anglicized word has been transliterated asyichus,[6]yikhes,[7][8]yiches,[9] andyikhus.[10]
As far back as theTalmudic era, being son-in-law to someone widely respected was valued.[11] Subsequently, even theyichus of being son-in-law to the son-in-law and similar lineage links were valued. From the 14th century onwards,yichus was an important concern for Eastern European Jews.[7] Goodyichus could refer to Torah scholarship or wealth, while badyichus resulted from the suspicion of illegitimate descent.[7] However, many rabbis disapproved of the concept ofyichus, instead insisting on judging individuals based on their personal merits.[2] "In Lithuania some Jewish families hid theirYikhus (lineage)".[12] There was a tension betweenyichus on one hand, and "meritocratic leadership based on scholarship" on the other.[7] Judgments ofyichus became one of the mechanisms which determined social hierarchies.[7] From the 19th century, the significance ofyichus declined as more marriages were based on romantic love,[13] and reformers criticizedyichus for leading to inbreeding within small circles of "acceptable" families.[7] However, nowadaysyichus is still an important qualification for marriage incharedi communities.[14][15]
Thefamily trees, or pedigree charts, of Jewish families, listinggenealogy and family history records, have been identified with several names, among which are yichus book,[16][17][18] yichus brief,[19] and yichus record.[20][21] To help a child trace lineage, some families would write a "yichus book".[22] The focus of a yichus brief (letter of relationship)[23] is not as extensive as a yichus book[24][23][25] whereas a yichus book or yichus record/"sefer yuchsin"/registry[20] is community-oriented. Some families also kept a separate "Register of Circumcisions".[22]
Being themechutan (מְחוּתָּן, father of one's child's spouse[26]) of a notable person is sometimes considered important enough to include in a wedding invitation and in giving other credentials.[27][28] Although primarily used for same generation relatives, it can be used beyond that generation.[29] Being aben achar ben (literally son-after-son, i.e.patrilineal) descendant is sometimes considered more notable than other forms of descent.[30][31][32][33]
For various reasons,surnames/family names were changed, and sometimes reverted.[22] Thus, Jewish family names have not always been a reliable indicator of ancestry. For example: certain family names, such as Cohen, are not as strongly indicative of being aKohen asKatz.
Each group could claim that its candidate had the necessary family ties. Benzion Aryeh Leib was a holy seed and was the recognizedrav-tza'ir, as well as theben-achar-ben, son, grandson, and great-grandson of the first, second, and third Bobover Rebbes. Although he had no sons, Naftali, the Fourth Rebbe, had two daughters, and [...]
My FIL is a ben achar ben
... a ben achar ben of the famed ...
.. is a descendant ben achar ben of ..
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