Parashat Shemot is the very first sedra in the second of the five books of the Torah.  The word Shemot, which means “names”, is derived and taken from the very first verse, as it is written, “And these are the names of the Children of Israel who came out of Egypt, with Yaakov, each man and his household came” (Exodus 1:1).  Rashi, citing the Midrash Tanchumah, explains that the names of the tribal ancestors had been mentioned in their lifetimes and they are repeated here as they pass from the scene.  They are likened to the stars, which Hashem brings forth by number and by name (Isaiah 40:26).  He counts and enumerates them when they come out and again when they are “gathered in”.  This shows that the forefathers, like the stars, are precious to Hashem.

 

Still, we wonder why the second book of the Torah is called Shemot. The Exodus from Egypt is the dominant theme, not names. Furthermore, what is the significance of a name that a whole sefer should be called by it? The Talmud (Berachot 7b) reads an interesting implication into names.  On the verse: “Come, behold the works of Hashem, who has made desolations in the earth” (Psalms 46:9), the Talmud declares, “Read not desolations (Shamot) but names (Shemot)”.  This is used by the Talmud to indicate the potency of names in individual destiny.  Moreover, the desolations represent the “destruction” and Shemot (names) represent the “construction”.  The Exodus occurred once in Jewish history, and belongs in the past.  The giving of names, on the other hand, is meant for the future.

 

Moshe Rabbeinu said to Hashem, “Behold, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The G-d of your forefathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His Name?’- What shall I say to them?”  Hashem answered Moshe, “I Am That I Am (I Shall Be As I Shall Be).”  And He said: “So shall you say to the children of Israel, ‘I Am (I Shall Be) has sent me to you.’”  (Exodus 3:13-14).  Rashi explains Hashem’s Name. “I will be with them in this suffering as I will be with them in their future subjugation under other kingdoms.”  Then Moshe said to Him, “G-d of the Universe! Why should I mention to them other sufferings?  They have enough with this suffering.”  Hashem replied to him, “You have spoken rightly, tell them the short version- I Am (or I Shall Be) only.”  The Ramban interprets Hashem’s Name by saying that Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu the Name which fully teaches His existence and His providence.  Hashem responded with a name that indicates that “whenever they need Me, they can call upon Me.  I will be with them in all their afflictions.”

 

Rabbi Yaakov Baal Ha’Turim questions the unusual beginning of the Book of Shemot.  It starts with the word and these (Ve’eh’leh). Normally, when there is a conjunctive “and” (vav Ha’Chibur), the verse is a continuation of the last part or written segment.  At the very end of Sefer Bereishit, we find the story of the death of Yoseph Ha’Tzadik.  Before his death, he instructed and told his brothers to keep their Hebrew Names, and not to change them.  By keeping their original Hebrew Names, says the Baal Ha’Turim, the Israelites merited to be redeemed and liberated from the servitude of Egypt.  The Baal Ha’Turim notes further that the first verse starts with the letter VAV and ends with the letter VAV.  In gimatriya, the numerical value of the two Hebrew letters is twelve, corresponding to the twelve tribes.  In this same verse, the Baal Ha’Turim finds a reference to Shabbat and Milah, two mitzvot that served as demarcations of merit for the Bnei Yisrael. Every Hebrew name given to a Jewish boy and girl is given in the presence of a minyan (quorum), and has a profound meaning to the child, whether or not the parents thought of the importance of the name. 

 

There are three partners in creating us, our parents and Hashem.  When the parents choose a name, G-d gives His approval and blessings for their right choice. The Hebrew names are pillars of hope, leading the children to a good future.  The Hebrew name becomes a holy word and no one is allowed to delete or erase that name, as if erasing the name shortens the life and negatively alters the fate of a person.   Therefore, in case of illness or sickness, we add a name in a proper manner.

The example pertaining to the Father of our Nation, Avraham Avinu, emphasizes the profound significance of a name. “…Hashem spoke with him saying, “As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You shall be a father of a multitude of nations; your name shall no longer be called Avram, but your name shall be Avraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations; I will make you exceedingly fruitful, I will make nations of you, and kings shall descend from you” (Genesis 17:3-6).  Hashem blessed Avraham and promised him a great future, following the giving of his new name.  The name Avraham has an enormous impact on our long history.  The Torah gives us a hint that Hashem created the world specifically for the sake of Avraham. “He created them male and female.  He blessed them and called their name Man on the day they were created (Hee’bah’reh’am) (Bereishit 5:2).  The letters of the word “Hee’bah’reh’am” rearranged spell “Avraham.”  Also, his wife Sarah Imeinu had her name changed from Sarai to Sarah, which means rulership and dominion, as she represented herself accordingly. 

 

“Rabbi Shimon said: There are three crowns- the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of kingship; but the crown of a good name surpasses them all” (Pirkei Avot, 4:17).

 

May we merit to obtain good names for our endeavors and effort.

 

Shabbat Shalom!

* * * * *

This week we have an extra dvar Torah on Parshas Shemos due to its high relevancy to our times today.

 By Rabbi Eli Baruch Shulman, Mara D'Asra, Young Israel of Midwood

 

The following drosho was delivered at the Young Israel of Midwood in 5761. Unfortunately, it remains relevant today...

 

As משה רבינו approached the סנה , the Torah tells us that he turned his face away, fearing to look at the Divine apparition: ויסתר משה פניו כי ירא מהביט אל האלוקים .

 

Now this turning away would seem to be a praiseworthy thing since it stemmed, as the פסוק tell us, from his fear of השם ; we know, after all, that משה רבינו epitomized the quality of יראת השם , and the fear that he demonstrated here was an expression of that trait.

 

And, indeed, the Gemara in ברכות quotes the view of רב שמואל בר נחמני who says that משה רבינו was ultimately rewarded for turning away from gazing at the סנה : ultimately meriting to have the שכינה shine through his own countenance to such a degree that the people were afraid to approach him, as he had once been afraid to approach the סנה .

 

That is one view in the Gemara. However, the Gemara there also cites an opposing view, and it is on that opposing view that I would like to focus your attention.

 

For against the view of רב שמואל בר נחמני , who considers משה רבינו 's turning away as deserving of reward, the Gemara cites the view of רבי יהושע בן קרחה , who maintains that משה רבינו was punished for turning away from looking at the סנה ; for when משה later asked: הראנו נא את כבודיך show me Your glory, הק1"ה said to him: כשרציתי לא רצית, עכשיו שאתה רוצה אני איני רוצה . When I had wanted you to look at My manifestation in the burning סנה , you did not want to; now that you want, I am no longer willing.

 

Apparently ר' יהושע בן קרחה believes that משה was at fault; that he should have forced himself to look at the bush, rather than turn away in fear.

 

Now we need to understand this. After all, as we have seen, משה turned away out of fear of השם , which is one of our highest values. What fault is there in that? Or, to put the question differently, what imperative was there to look at the סנה , that ought to have overridden the fear that Moshe felt and that ought to have made him keep his gaze fixed on the fire.

 

I would like to suggest the following answer:

 

We all know that as human beings we have a moral obligation to alleviate the suffering of our fellow man; and as Jews, we have a particular obligation to alleviate the suffering of our fellow Jews. This is an obligation that is embodied in countless particular mitzvos, as well as in the general injunction of והתהלכת בדרכיו , to walk in the ways of הקב"ה ; מה הוא רחום אף אתה היה רחום , as He is merciful so are we required to be merciful.

 

Of course, in order to help people we have to first listen to them, we have to pay attention to their needs. And, therefore, חז"ל spoke with special disdain of someone who is מעלים עיניו מן הצדקה , who turns his eyes away from those who seek his charity. Helping begins with looking.

 

So we need to listen, and to look, at suffering, in order to help alleviate it.

 

But what if we can't help? What about cases of suffering where we know that there is nothing we can do or say that will be of any help? Can we turn away then, when - after all - looking will do no good?

 

The answer to this question can be found in a Gemara in Sanhedrin. The Gemara tells of a certain woman who was a neighbor of רבן גמליאל , and who had lost a son. Every night she would stay up crying, and רבן גמליאל , in his home, would hear her and cry along with her, until - the Gemara tell us - he become sick from it.

 

Now obviously anything Rabban Gamliel might have done to help this woman he must have done; but her son was dead, and Rabban Gamliel could not bring him back. What was the point, then, of his listening to her crying and crying along with her? After all, she didn't even see him do it. Why didn't Rabban Gamliel simply shut his shutters tight, delve into his learning and ignore her cries?

 

Apparently Rabban Gamliel believed that so long as he could hear her crying he had a moral obligation to cry along with her. Even though there was nothing he could do to help, and even though she didn't even know that he was crying.

 

And that too stems from our emulation of the ways of הקב"ה . For when the Jews were suffering in Egypt הקב"ה appeared to Moshe in a סנה , in a lowly thorn bush. And חז"ל tell us that by doing so הקב"ה was revealing to Moshe one of the most amazing things that the Torah teaches about השם : that when man suffers, and when the Jewish people suffer, the שכינה , as it were, suffers along with them. עמו אנכי בצרה , הקב"ה is with us in our pain.

 

And here we come back to the point from whence we began. When Moshe saw the burning bush he turned away in fear. And ר' יהשוע בן קרחה maintains that that was wrong; despite his fear, he should have looked. Because what הקב"ה was showing משה was the צער השכינה , the pain of the שכינה itself; משה was given the opportunity to gaze into the mystery of the צער השכינה . That must have been a terrible, an awesome thing to gaze it. And so משה turned away in fear. We can certainly understand that. And yet - he should have looked. Despite the fear, despite the awe, even despite יראת שמים , he should not have turned away. Because there is an obligation not to turn away from suffering; to look suffering in the face. And for משה רבינו , in his uniqueness, that obligation extended even to the suffering of the שכינה itself.

 

רבותי , there is a great deal of suffering in ארץ ישראל today. Young men and women killed in their prime; innocent children maimed; and no one able to say how it will all end. Now it may well be that, from a practical point of view, there is little that we here in America can do. Yet we have a moral obligation not to turn our gaze away; hard as it is, there is a moral obligation to look suffering in the face.

 

In these trying times it is especially important for us to be in touch with our friends and relatives in ארץ ישראל , to call, to write, to visit if possible, in order to say to our brothers and sisters there: עמכם אנחנו בצרה ; we are with you, your pain is ours, your worry is ours, your travails are ours. And as we are with you now in your time of trouble, we will be with you too in your time of deliverance and rejoicing, may it come השתא בעגלא ובזמן קריב , speedily in our day,  אמן .