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"Michal" was one of the Biblical names embraced by Zionism, very rarely found in pre-Zionist communities. It is a very common female first name in contemporary Israel. Michal is not a form of Michael, but possibly means "brook," or "stream." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michal

According to Louis Ginzberg (Talmudist and leading figure in the Conservative Movement of Judaism of the twentieth century), the Rabbinic tradition is that she (Michal) was of "entrancing beauty."

Michal (Hebrew: מיכל‎) was a daughter of Saul, king of Israel, who loved and became the wife of David, (1 Samuel 18:20-27) who later became king of Judah, and later still of the united Kingdom of Israel. Their story is recorded in the Book of Samuel. It is recorded that she chose the welfare of David over the wishes of her father. When Saul's messengers were searching for David in order to kill him, Michal secretly sent him away while pretending he was ill and laid up in bed. She let David down through a window and hid teraphim in his bed as a ruse. (1 Samuel 19:11-17)

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