לזכר נשמת אמי מורתי שולמית בת הר’ יעקב אליעזר
In memory of my mother, Mrs. Shulamith Rabinowitz A”H
וַיִּקְרָא אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֵאמֹר׃
The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying (Vayikra 1:1)
The Midrash points out that Moshe is alluded to and mentioned in Tanach (Scriptures) by ten different names. From Shemos 2:10 we know that Batya the daughter of Pharaoh, who pulled Moshe out of the Nile as he was floating as a baby in a basket, gave him the name Moshe כִּי מִן־הַמַּיִם מְשִׁיתִהוּ “because I drew him from the water.” The Midrash states that Hashem declared to Moshe that by all the names he could be called by, the name Hashem will call him by is the name given to him by Batya. We see this from from the opening words of the parsha that state וַיִּקְרָא אֶל־מֹשֶׁה, and He called to Moshe.
What is the significance of this name over the others?
What was Batya’s intention in giving him the name that carried the message of “I drew him from the water”? It would seem that she wanted Moshe to always remember that the reason he’s alive is because she took him out of the water. Was this for selfish purposes?
I would suggest not. Batya is a fascinating person. Her father, the Pharoah, decrees for all Israelite male babies to be drowned and she defies him. She calls this baby by a name which publicizes what she did! And after all she did to save him, she allows him to connect and interact with the slaves that he came from as it says, (Shemos 2:11) וַיְהִי בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם וַיִּגְדַּל מֹשֶׁה וַיֵּצֵא אֶל־אֶחָיו וַיַּרְא בְּסִבְלֹתָם “And it was in those days, when Moshe grew up, he went out to his brethren and witnessed their labor.” These are signs of a righteous individual.
Perhaps Batya wasn’t looking for Moshe to remember what she did for him, rather to remember what Hashem did for him. The hand of Hashem was clear in his survival. Not only did he not drown in the waters, he was saved by none other than the daughter of Pharoah who wanted to kill every last Jewish baby boy! Her message to Moshe was to remember for his entire life the clear kindness that Hashem did for him. This would engender a tremendous sense of gratitude from Moshe to Hashem. Gratitude to Hashem is the greatest motivator to humbling oneself before Him and dedicating one’s life in His service.
Therefore Hashem declared that the greatest leader of the Jewish people will be called by the name Batya gave him because that name carries the key to everything that Moshe represented in his life. Acknowledge the kindness that Hashem has bestowed upon you and show your gratitude by dedicating yourselves to His will.
Rabbi Avigdor Miller, of blessed memory, was well known for living by this principle. One night his grandson found him pacing back and forth. When he asked his grandfather if he was okay. Rabbi Miller responded that he was thinking how he would ever be able to pay Hashem back for the wonderful children and their spouses he was blessed with! The next day Rabbi Miller passed away.
At the Passover Seder, in the section of Magid we read,
צֵא וּלְמַד… אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי, וַיֵּרֶד מִצְרַיְמָה וַיָּגָר שָׁם בִּמְתֵי מְעָט, וַיְהִי שָׁם לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל, עָצוּם וָרָב
Go out and learn […]. As it is stated, “An Aramean was destroying my father and he went down to Egypt, and he resided there with a small number and he became there a nation, great, powerful and numerous.”
(Deuteronomy 26:5)
At this point we will recount the story of the Exodus from Egypt through the verses that one proclaims when bringing Bikurim (the first ripened fruits to the Beit HaMikdash). The mitzvah of Bikkurim and the verses recited then are our expression of gratitude to Hashem for blessing us with the new fruits of the holy land and for His guiding hand that took us out from Egypt and brought us to this point. Using these verses on the Seder night tells us that when recounting the story of the Exodus our goal is to express and internalize our gratitude to Hashem for redeeming us from Egypt and making us his chosen nation.
Shabbat Shalom and best wishes for a kosher and joyous Passover!
Yitzchak