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"Hidden in the Hebrew"
Parasha Shemot - Exodus 1:1-6:1
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The Hebrew name for this week's reading is "Shemot", which in English means, "Names". The title is taken from the first verse of the reading: "And these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each coming with his household ..."
Already it is obvious that 'names' are significant in the Hebrew Bible. In this opening statement, the patriarch Jacob (Ya'akov) is titled two ways: one with name given to him by his family, Jacob, and another by his God-given name, Israel. Jacob's children are in some sense given a new identity as well - they are the children of Israel - a name tied to the Patriarch's struggle with a mysterious (divine) being. In Hebrew the name Israel can be understood in several ways. One meaning is taken from the verb 'to struggle' and so the name translates as "he struggled with God" - a meaning that is suggested by the story itself. It is also a meaning that aptly applies to the people who carried this identity throughout history.
In this Parasha, the people Israel are residing in Egypt, a trip they made out of necessity when famine ravaged Canaan in the days of Joseph. In those days they were a favored people, but by the time of the birth of Moses a new king and a new people rule in Egypt, and Israel has been relegated to forced labor, building cities for the new Pharaoh.
With the story of Shemot (names) it is interesting that few characters are identified by their own names. Historians and bible scholars have long speculated on who the unnamed Pharaoh of this Parasha might have been. Knowing his name would have allowed us to date the life of Moses and the events of the Exodus from Egypt. Unfortunately for us, we have not been given Pharaoh's name. Instead, the story proudly records the names of two Hebrew midwives - Shiphrah and Pu'ah - a seemingly strange omission and even more strange inclusion!
Most likely, the fact that the personal name of Israel's G-d is revealed in this week's story (Ex. 3:1-18) is the reason that this particular Pharaoh's name was considered irrelevant. Egyptian Pharaohs rise and her Pharaohs will fall; and with each successive change comes a new name for the King. The name of the Israel's G-d and supreme King, unlike that of the Egyptians, will never change - it will be the same 'forever'. It is his appellation for all eternity. In light of this unchanging reality, one could hardly expect the Bible to make mention of the fleeting names of mere men in the same breath as the everlasting name of G-d.
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And what is G-d's 'name'? "Tell the children of Israel," said G-d to Moses, "that My name is Eh-he-yeh." The name translates into English as: "I will be that which I will be."
What could G-d mean by giving such a name to his children? It is as though he is saying to them: "I am being, I am existence, I am reality. In whatever form that I choose to appear in the physical plane, it is I who will still be with you. I do not conform to a mold or a description - I can take any form and affect any outcome. I am there with you, suffering with you, praying for redemption together with you. If you cannot see Me, it is not for My ethereality; it is because I am so real. That is how 'I will be that which I will be' for you."
Read more about this week's Parasha (Portion of the week) by visiting the following sites:
http://www1.chabad.org/parshah/default.asp
http://www.yadavraham.org
http://www.aish.com/torahportion
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