Skip To Main Content
[Dvar Torah] Shemot

Parashat Shemot begins with the famous story of the birth of Moshe. We learn of Moshe’s mother’s sacrifice and ingenious strategy of placing him in a תיבה - Tovah (basket), which travelled down the River Nile, after Pharaoh's decree to kill all of the newborn Jewish boys. 

Although the Nile was treacherous, Baby Moshe survives the journey through being saved by Pharaoh's daughter. At this point in the story, we feel scared and nervous, and why shouldn’t we? The daughter of the Pharaoh, who has sent the order to kill all newborn Hebrew boys, has just found one trying to escape. Why should she not hand him over? But here, we see a great moment of compassion and pure kindness as Pharaoh's daughter, knowingly defying her father’s orders, pulls the Teivah out of the water and saves the baby, as it says in the Torah:  וַתֵּרֶא אֶת־הַתֵּבָה בְּתוֹךְ הַסּוּף וַתִּשְׁלַח אֶת־אֲמָתָהּ וַתִּקָּחֶהָ׃ “She saw the box among the reeds and sent her maid and she fetched it”. 

Rabbi Sacks teaches us a valuable lesson. He says that in דברי הימים, the Book of Chronicles, we learn of a woman named Batya Bat Pharaoh and the Sages teach that she is the same woman who saved Moshe from the River Nile. Rabbi Sacks teaches us that after saving Moshe from the river, Hashem looked favourably at Pharaoh’s daughter and gave her the name ‘Batya’. Rabbi Sacks asks “Why does the daughter of Pharaoh, one of the worst oppressors the Jews have faced in the Torah, be given the name Batya, which translates to “The daughter of G-d”?. He explains, “From this, the Sages drew one of their most striking lessons: “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her: ‘Moshe was not your son, yet you called him your son. You are not My daughter, but I shall call you My daughter.’” Rabbi Sacks teaches us that from this explanation, we can understand that the rewards that we may receive from going out of our way to do kindness can be beyond our wildest dreams.

She then names him Moshe. Is “Moshe” a Hebrew word? If it is, how could she possibly choose a name from a language she likely didn’t speak? The Torah provides insight, stating that the name Moshe is derived from the Hebrew phrase “משיתיהו,” meaning "I drew him from the water." But how would she know to name him this? Rashi explains that the daughter of Pharaoh named him the Egyptian name “Meses”, which means “child” in English. Why is this so important? Because we have seen that non-jewish names and unholy names have been changed by Hashem before, such as Abram’s name changing to Abraham, or Jacob’s name changing to Israel. Even though Moshe’s name is unholy and non-jewish, Hashem recognised the power of his name and left it untouched. 

Rabbi Shimshon Refael Hirsch teaches us that this name is more than just a label; it carries a deep lesson for both Moshe and us. By naming him Moshe, Pharaoh's daughter instills in him the value of kindness. She wants him to remember the moment of his rescue, reminding him of the compassion she showed him. This act of naming becomes a lifelong lesson for Moshe about his purpose: that he is alive to do good in the world. 

Moshe learns that his entire existence is rooted in kindness, and he must carry forth the teachings imparted through his name. This lesson extends to us as well. Each of us can reflect on how we can embody kindness in our daily lives. Whether it’s helping a family member, a friend, or even a stranger in need, we are reminded of our responsibility to act with compassion.

Moreover, we should never feel ashamed or afraid to seek help ourselves when we need it. Instead, we should feel empowered to reach out, just as Moshe’s name encourages us to remember the kindness we receive and to pay it forward. 

In all, Pharaoh’s daughter teaches us that we must learn to live in kindness and to strive to help others, no matter what comes our way. 

Thank you and Shabbat Shalom.

Yair, Grade 10