click to download
1/23/13
Tu B'Shvat: This coming Shabbath
I love trees, especially the native fruit-bearing trees of Israel
that are mentioned in the Torah - olives (photo above), grapes, figs,
dates, and pomegranates. Our citrus and deciduous orchards here are
magnificent too, and if you've ever tasted Israeli fruit, it's hard to
eat anything else.
My best personal prayer sessions and musical inspirations are out in the orchards.
Trees are a metiphor to our existence. The deeper our roots, the stronger we are. I write about it this week on Breslev Israel web magazine, so check out Save the Trees. My esteemed and beloved teacher Rav Shalom Arush also speaks in tree imagery this week in First, the Peel. Tal Rotem is also in a Tu B'Shvat mood in Here to Stay, writing how no one can uproot us from our holy land as long as we cling to our roots.
Rivka Levy talks about The Two Voices in your head. Racheli Reckles starightens people's thinking in The Look of Love. Chaya Ovadia is tested From Head to Toe. Dr. Zev Ballen gives a knockout to traditional psychological thinking in Depressed? So What!
Yael Karni acquaints us with basic mystical concepts in Divine Illumination.
This week's Torah portion is Beshalach. Don't miss Rav Dovid Charlop's elaboration in A Kiss From Above.
Bright Beams Blessings for a beautiful week!
Guardian of Israel with Rabbi Lazer Brody בס"ד
What is the secret of our miraculous survival - both physical and spiritual - for the last 3300 years? Once we learn the answer, fear and anxiety no longer plague us...
http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/2013/01/guardian-of-israel.html
Tu b'Shevat Seder
On Tu B'Shevat we celebrate a New Year for the Trees, rejoicing in
the fruit of the tree and the fruit of the vine, celebrating the
splendid, abundant gifts of the natural world which give our senses
delight and our bodies life.
Tu B'Shevat marks the beginning of spring in Israel. Sustaining rains
are at the peak of their power and the world responds, brimming with
buds of fragrant life. To mark this moment, school children plant trees.
Often these trees have been provided by the contributions of Jewish
students abroad through the good offices of the Jewish National Fund.
For Jews outside of Israel, Tu B'Shevat is a celebration of the
renewal of vision and awareness, a celebration of connections and
connectedness--to our own inner-selves, to the social world of human
beings, and to the natural world and its Source.
The Tu B'Shevat Seder
In the 17th century, the Kabbalists, the Jewish mystics of Safed, developed a special seder (order service). Their efforts were influenced by the esoteric meaning in the verse Deuteronomy 20:19: "For man is like the tree of the field".
In the 17th century, the Kabbalists, the Jewish mystics of Safed, developed a special seder (order service). Their efforts were influenced by the esoteric meaning in the verse Deuteronomy 20:19: "For man is like the tree of the field".
Modeled on the Passover seder, the Tu B'Shevat seder included
drinking four cups of wine with varying percentages of red and white
wine, representing perhaps the shifting of yearly seasons. The seder
also included readings on trees and fruit from a range of Jewish
literature.
The new form of celebration spread from Safed to Sephardi communities
in Turkey, Italy and Greece, and later in Europe, Asia and North
Africa. Modern adaptations of this centuries old practice have been
created by Hillels, Jewish environmental groups and others involved in
Jewish renewal.
Download Tu B'Shevat Seder materials:
Preparation for the Tu B'Shevat Seder
You can download or print the seders from the links above.
You can download or print the seders from the links above.
In addition you will need to purchase both red and white wine and 15
different types of fruits and nuts; five from each of the following
three categories:
1) fruits or nuts with an inedible outer shell and an edible inner
core: pineapple, coconut, orange, pomello, banana, walnut, pecan,
grapefruit, starfruit, pinenut, pomegranate, papaya, brazil nut,
pistachio, or almond. (Note: purchase the whole fruit or nut so you can
remove the outer shell during the seder).
2) fruits with edible outer flesh and pithy, inedible cores: olive,
date, cherry, loquat, peach, apricot, jujub, persimmon, avocado. plum,
or hackberry. (Note: purchase the whole fruit so you can remove the pit
or core during the seder).
3) fruits which are edible throughout. Here no protective shells,
neither internal nor external are needed. The symbolic fruits may be
eaten entirely and include: strawberry, grape, raisin, fig, raspberry,
blueberry, cranberry, carob, apple, pear, kiwi or quince.
http://www.hillel.org tu b'shevat
We mark the day of Tu B’Shevat by eating fruit, and especially grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. On the night of Tu B'Shevat (last night) many set a festive table with platters of dried and fresh fruit and nuts, and some embue the holiday with even greater meaning by participating in a Tu B'Shevat seder, originated by Jewish Kabbalists living in Israel in the 16th century.
Israelis are preparing to celebrate the unique Jewish holiday of Tu B’Shevat – the New Year of Trees – with planting and celebrations all around the country.
The holiday marks the beginning of a “new year” for trees in their fruit-bearing cycle in the Land of Israel. It is a time in which the earliest-blooming trees in the country emerge from their winter slumber.
The holiday is also marked with a special seuda, or festive meal, which is likened by some to the Passover seder -- albeit with culinary offerings of a very different nature. It is customary to eat fruit on the holiday, particularly those praised in the Torah as part of the bounty of the Land of Israel. These include grapes, figs, pomegranates, dates and olives.
This year Tu B’Shevat, the 15th day of the month of Shevat on the Jewish calendar, falls on the Sabbath, January 26, when it is forbidden by Torah law to plant.
On Friday at 9:00 a.m., the Women in Green group will be planting trees in Netzer, nestled among the hills of Judea in the Gush Etzion bloc between the communities of Elazar and Alon Shvut.
Gush Etzion’s Regional Rabbi Gideon Perl and Local Council head Davidi Perl will participate in the planting, organizers said.
“How much love, how much yearning for our beloved land, how much work, how much hope has been invested in Netzer,” WIG co-founders Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar commented in a statement. For information about transportation to the site, please call Yehudit at 050-716-1818, Nadia at 050-550-0834, or in Jerusalem, Renee at 052-329-4194.
On Saturday night, following the Sabbath, the Rachel’s Children Reclamation Foundation headed by Evelyn Haies will hold a Tu B’Shevat Melave Malka holiday celebration at Beit Bnei Rachel, next to Rachel’s Tomb within the walled complex.
Among the activities will be a special Torah class for “singles and couples” plus a festival meal with music and singing with vocalist Dov Shurin. A shuttle bus will leave the Kings’ Hotel in Jerusalem at 7:00 p.m., but participants must register at 054-224-2649.
Arutz Sheva
1/22/13
our Jewish little place: tu b'Shevat Yerushalayim Window Bulletin Board
1/20/13
1/19/13
Shavua Tov
Reprove not a scorner lest he hate you; reprove a wise man and he will love you
– Proverbs 9:8
1/18/13
Shabbath Shalom
Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
1/17/13
A Hebrewman's Thoughts and Deeds: Planting blueberry bush in Shomron for Tu B'Shavat...
A Hebrewman's Thoughts and Deeds: Planting blueberry bush in Shomron for Tu B'Shavat...: Dear Friends, Tu B'Shevat, which means the 15th day of the Hebrew month Shevat, is considered in the Jewish tradition to be the "N...
Snow bicycling in the Shiloh Bloc
ביום חמישי האחרון, ברגע של חזיון (יש שיגידו שיגעון), הצעתי לרון, שותפי לדרך, תרתי משמע, לצאת ולרכוב בסינגל הכרמים עוטה השלג. לא היה לי מושג אם נצליח בכלל להגיע לאזור ואם כן, אם נצליח לרכוב בתנאים כאלה. לאיש מאיתנו לא היה נסיון קודם בתחום. מסתבר, שלפעמים צריך משוגע אחד שיחלום ועוד אחד שיאמין, בכדי לממש חוויה מטורפת שלא תשכח לעולם... בדרך אספנו מודיעין מהשטח והזמנו את דביר רביב, חבר ושותף נוסף, להצטרף. הוא לא הבין מה אנחנו רוצים, אבל זינק על האוכף ללא היסוס. כך מצאנו את עצמנו, שלושה רוכבי YETI, רוכבים על מפלצות השלג שלנו -- בשלג. כפי שתראו מיד, ההימור השתלם ובגדול. ברגעים הראשונים, כשתוך שניות קפאו קצות אצבעותינו והתחושה הלכה ונמוגה, לא האמנתי שהחוויה תימשך יותר מ 5-10 דקות. אבל אלה הרגעים שאתה צריך לדבוק במטרה... קיוויתי שנצליח להתחמם במהלך הטיפוס לשיא הגובה ממנו מתחילה הגלישה בסינגלים. לשמחתנו, ברגע שהגענו לנקודה, הפציעה השמש, חיממה מעט את האווירה ויצרה תפאורה דהימה לחוויה מטורפת. קינחנו את הרכיבה בקפה ומאפה פרי ידיה של צופיה שאירחה אותנו בקידה. תודה לרון שהאמין ולדביר שאירח. מקווה שתהנו ולא פחות חשוב, תבואו לרכוב שם, גם בלי שלג. שווה.
הסינגל נבנה בחסות מועצה אזורית מטה בנימין ומחלקת התיירות שלהם.
העבודות על השביל עומדות לקראת סיום ובקרוב ייפתח לקהל הרוכבים.
הסינגל נבנה בחסות מועצה אזורית מטה בנימין ומחלקת התיירות שלהם.
העבודות על השביל עומדות לקראת סיום ובקרוב ייפתח לקהל הרוכבים.
Bo - the 29th day
And Jonathan said to [David]: Tomorrow is the new month; you will be remembered, for your seat will be vacant. I Samuel 20:18
In the first mitzvah commanded us as a nation, G‑d decreed that we link our lives to the moon. He instructed us to establish a calendar that is predicated upon the lunar month—the 29.5-day cycle in which the moon, as perceived by an earthly observer, completes its revolution around the earth.
Thus, the Jewish calendar is a calendar of months, measured by the duration from one new moon to the next. Twelve such months add up to a year of approximately 354 days, eleven days short of the 365.25-day solar cycle. The Jewish year therefore alternates between 12 and 13 months, the extra month (added seven times in a 19-year cycle) serving to align the lunar months with the solar cycle of seasons. (In contrast, the months of solar-based calendars are wholly artificial, being merely the division of the solar year into twelve more-or-less equal segments. These months bear no relation to the lunar cycle, or to any other natural phenomenon.)
The new moon is the night on which the moon is first visible after its monthly disappearance from our nighttime sky. The alignment and movement of the moon in relation to the earth and sun means that, to the earthly observer, the moon passes through phases in which it grows and diminishes—and, at one point in its cycle, disappears altogether. When the moon is closest to the sun, positioned between the sun and earth, its lighted side—the side illuminated by the sun’s light—faces away from the earth, so that it is invisible to us. As it moves away from the sun to orbit the earth, it appears first as a thin crescent of light, and continues to grow and fill for the next fifteen days. Midway through its orbit, when it is furthest from the sun and the earth is between the sun and the moon, the lighted half of the moon is entirely visible on earth, so that it appears as a complete sphere in the heavens and bathes our night with the full luminescence of its pacific glow. Then, as the moon continues its orbit of the earth, moving closer to the sun, less and less of it is visible to us; the sphere shrinks by nightly increments to a half-sphere and then to progressively leaner slivers of light, until, at the point of its greatest proximity to the sun, it once more disappears from our view.
In the first mitzvah commanded us as a nation, G‑d decreed that we link our lives to the moon. He instructed us to establish a calendar that is predicated upon the lunar month—the 29.5-day cycle in which the moon, as perceived by an earthly observer, completes its revolution around the earth.
Thus, the Jewish calendar is a calendar of months, measured by the duration from one new moon to the next. Twelve such months add up to a year of approximately 354 days, eleven days short of the 365.25-day solar cycle. The Jewish year therefore alternates between 12 and 13 months, the extra month (added seven times in a 19-year cycle) serving to align the lunar months with the solar cycle of seasons. (In contrast, the months of solar-based calendars are wholly artificial, being merely the division of the solar year into twelve more-or-less equal segments. These months bear no relation to the lunar cycle, or to any other natural phenomenon.)
The new moon is the night on which the moon is first visible after its monthly disappearance from our nighttime sky. The alignment and movement of the moon in relation to the earth and sun means that, to the earthly observer, the moon passes through phases in which it grows and diminishes—and, at one point in its cycle, disappears altogether. When the moon is closest to the sun, positioned between the sun and earth, its lighted side—the side illuminated by the sun’s light—faces away from the earth, so that it is invisible to us. As it moves away from the sun to orbit the earth, it appears first as a thin crescent of light, and continues to grow and fill for the next fifteen days. Midway through its orbit, when it is furthest from the sun and the earth is between the sun and the moon, the lighted half of the moon is entirely visible on earth, so that it appears as a complete sphere in the heavens and bathes our night with the full luminescence of its pacific glow. Then, as the moon continues its orbit of the earth, moving closer to the sun, less and less of it is visible to us; the sphere shrinks by nightly increments to a half-sphere and then to progressively leaner slivers of light, until, at the point of its greatest proximity to the sun, it once more disappears from our view.
The 35 Heroes of Gush Etzion from the 1948 War of Independence
1/12/13
Shavua Tov
The word in Hebrew for political party, miflaga, comes
from the root word lefaleg, which means “to separate”. What our country
needs is not one party or the other, we need less bickering and more
unity. As it is, Hashem decides everything here anyway. Any connection
between the politicians and their platforms is purely coincidental, as
we’ve seen time after time in recent decades.
Rabbi Lazer Brody 1/11/13
Shabbath Shalom
Why did Aaron's rod swallowed the Egyptians' rods/serpents only after it had reverted back to its original form, rather than as a serpent itself?
This is to teach us that even when he wages war, the Jew is not a warrior. Even when he must destroy the serpents of the enemy, he is not a serpent himself, spewing poison and hate. His instrument of vengeance is as devoid of vengeful feeling as a lifeless stick.
(From the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe)
1/9/13
Rosh chodesh Shevat
Shevat is the 11th month of the Jewish calendar. Moses began explicating the Book of Deuteronomy, his final address to the Children of Israel, on Rosh Chodesh Shevat. Shevat contains the final new year of the Jewish calendar, the New Year for Trees. The House of Shammai maintains that this New Year occurs on the first of Shevat, while the House of Hillel (which we follow) holds that it is on the 15th.
Tu B'Shevat, the Jewish New Year for Trees is on the 15th of Shevat. This holiday was significantly developed by the Kabbalists of 16th Century Safed who saw it as a way to celebrate the Kabbalistic understanding of the world, which is best symbolized by nature. To celebrate Tu B'Shevat, the kabbalists developed a Tu B'Shevat seder in which we eat many types of fruit and recognize the different kabbalistic realms through which our world exists. The holiday was further developed by the Zionist movement which saw in the New Year for Trees a natural opportunity to promote its goal of developing the Land of Israel.
Shabbat Shira, the Shabbat on which we read the Torah portion Beshalach from the Torah, which contains the Song of the Sea, always falls during the month of Shevat. This portion also contains the Song of Miriam in which Miriam leads the Israelite women in singing and dancing to celebrate their salvation at the sea. The haftarah for this portion contains the song of another woman leader - Deborah the Prophetess. Deborah's song celebrates the victory of the Israelites over the Canaanites and Sisra their general. Sisra was killed by another famed Jewish woman, Yael.
source
1/8/13
1/7/13
Va'era
Moshè described to the Children of Israel the nature of their new homeland in the following way:
For the land which you are entering to inherit is not like the
land of Egypt from which you are coming... it is a land of hills and
valleys, which drinks water of the rain of the heavens
Our Sages explain that this distinguishes the Land of Israel from
"the land from which you are coming" since "The land of Egypt does not
drink rainwater; rather, the Nile rises and waters it" (Rashi)
Rain represents the reciprocal relationship between heaven and earth. Chassidic teaching cites the Torah's description
of the first rainfall: "A vapor rises from the earth" to the heavens,
and the heavens return it as rain which "quenches the face of the land."
This, explain the Chassidic masters, represents the spiritual truth
that "an arousal from below evokes an arousal from above"--that G-d responds to the efforts of man, reciprocating our prayers, yearnings and deeds with nurture from Above.
But rain alone does not suffice to make the land flourish and give
fruit. The soil must be plowed--broken up and softened--before it can
receive the seed and absorb the rain. Spiritually, this means that it is
not enough to send up "vapors" of lofty feelings and virtuous works;
one must first "plow" one's ego, crush the clods of coarseness and
arrogance in one's personality, to make one's life receptive to the flow
of divine nurture from Above.
In the "Land of Israel" one plows, and is nourished by rain. But in
"Egypt" things were different. Egypt was nourished not by descending
rain but by the overflow of the Nile, which would periodically flood the
land. Nor was it necessary to plow its soil: the floodwaters of the
Nile would leave behind a layer of fertile silt which required no
breaking up prior to planting.
The spiritual "Egyptian" is one who does not recognize the Heavenly source of the blessings of life. He believes that all is generated from below--that everything he has and has achieved is of his own making. Nor does he see the need for any "plowing" of his personality--he is fine as he is, clods and all.1/5/13
Near Shilo: Arabs Injure 11 Jews, Damage Vineyards
About 250 Arabs rioted Saturday afternoon near Esh Kodesh, close to Shilo in the Binyamin region, injuring 11 Jews.
According to the Tatzpit news agency, the rioters tore down the fences surrounding the Jewish residents' vineyards, causing them serious damage.
About 30 Jewish residents from the Shilo area rushed to the location and at first had to use rocks to get the Arabs to back off.
Israeli security forces
instructed the local emergency team to go into action, and the
responders fired in the air until the IDF arrived in the scene.
According to a report from Esh Kodesh, about 11 Jews were injured in the rioting. One of them suffered a head injury and was taken by MDA to a hospital. The rest of the casualties, including the Military Routine Security Officer ("ravshatz") were slightly hurt and received treatment on the scene.
Heavy damage was caused to some of the residents' vineyards, including the uprooting of saplings. Givot Shilo's security vehicle was damaged with a slingshot. Arutz Sheva
The David Ha’ivri Very Special Tour of Israel
The David Ha’ivri - Behind the Scenes Tour of Israel
Love Israel Tours Is Proud to Offer : The David Ha’ivri Very Special Tour of Israel
April 8 – 17, 2013 . Led by David Ha’ivri
learn more at : A Hebrewman's Thoughts and Deeds
Walking the Line
photo by Mati Milstein
1/4/13
Shabbath Shalom
Chazal inform us that the basket carrying Moshe was too far for Pharoah's daughter to reach from where she was standing. Still, she stretched out her hand (amasah) in the direction of the basket and Hashem miraculously lengthened her arm for her.
R' Meir Shapiro, the rosh yeshivah of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin, called for an emergency meeting of the leaders of Lublin to discuss a certain person whose life was in danger. R' Shapiro demanded of them to do something to save his life.
"This matter that you speak of" responded one of the leaders, "is beyond our capabilities. We regrettably do not believe that we can carry it out."
"In this week's parsha" replied R' Shapiro, "the Torah states: "And she sent her maidservant". Chazal teach us that the arm of Pharoah's daughter was miraculously lengthened in order for her to take hold of Moshe's basket.
"I wonder" continued R' Shapiro, "why did Pharoah's daughter even attempt to retrieve the basket in the first place? After all, if it is obvious to an individual that something is not within his reach, does he waste his energy trying to obtain it?"
"We see from here" concluded R' Shapiro, "that when a person is expected to accomplish something, he should not deliberate whether or not he is capable of succeeding - he must try! Let him first make an effort, and then Heaven will assist him."
Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein
1/2/13
A Simple Jew asks a Breslover: Individualism & Breslov
A Simple Jew asks:
Do you feel that Breslov is a more individualistic path than others? Does the community or “chaburah” (group) loom as large in Breslov Chassidus as elsewhere in the Chassidic world?
Rabbi Dovid Sears answers:
First, I think there is no way for anyone to follow a spiritual path
except as an individual. As the old folk song goes, “You got to walk
that lonesome valley by yourself.” This point is brought out very
powerfully by the Rebbe’s story of the “Lost Princess.” The Viceroy
first sets off with an attendant, but eventually must set off all alone
into the great desert (where he finally encounters the three giants).
But you’re right, there is something different about Breslov. I don’t
know if any Chassidic group stresses the inner path as much as Rebbe
Nachman does. You can belong to Bobov or Klausenberg or Satmar or Chabad
without being overly concerned about introspection or deveykus. But that’s not true of Breslov. In Breslov these concerns are essential.
And the opposite side of the coin is also true. Belonging to a kehillah or a chaburah
is what defines most Chassidim. But in Breslov, it isn’t really the
main thing. If a person walks into a Breslov shul and it becomes obvious
that he learns the Rebbe’s seforim and considers himself a
Breslover, nobody would question his “credentials,” even if he doesn’t
dress like a chassid or speak Yiddish, etc. That wouldn’t be the case
anywhere else that I can think of. At least, not the traditional places.
In this sense, Breslov is a very “portable” Chassidus.
1/1/13
Rabbi Lazer Brody speaking at Torah Day School
Beautiful talk that Rabbi Lazer Brody gave at Torah Day School, Dallas on Thu 11/15/2012. Please check out www.breslev.co.il for more information.
The names of Moshè
The Ibn Ezra says that Bithiah gave Moses the Egyptian name Munius, which the Torah translates into Hebrew as Moshe (Moses). Alternatively, the Ibn Ezra
suggests the possibility that Bithiah actually had learnt to speak
Hebrew, and it was she who gave Moses his Hebrew name. This latter
explanation is also given by other commentators.
1. Yered (ירד), implying descent. According to one opinion, Miriam gave him this name, for because of him, she went down (yarad) to the Nile to see what would become of him. Alternatively, Moses was called this name because he brought the Torah down to the Jewish people, and the Divine Presence back down to this physical world.
2. Avigdor (אבי גדור), master of the fence. According to the Yalkut Me'am Loez, he was called this (by his grandfather, Kehat), because "since Moses' birth, G‑d has fenced in Pharaoh, not allowing him to continue his decree to drown Jewish infants."
3. Chever, (חבר) meaning, companion, or connector. Either because Moses connected the Jewish people with their heavenly Father, or because he prevented Heavenly retribution for their sins. Some say that Amram, his father, gave Moses this name, because Moses was born after his father had once again joined his wife after having divorced her.
4. Avi Socho, (אבי סוכו) Father of Seers. He was given this name by his grandfather, Kehat (alternatively, by the nurse who helped Moses' mother raise him), because Moses would grow up to be the "master" (avi) of the seers (sochim) and prophets.
5. Yekutiel (יקותיא-ל), from the root kavei (קוה) meaning hope. His mother Jochebed called him this name because she had hope and trust in G‑d that He would return Moses to her. Alternatively, because she foresaw that Moses would be the Jewish nation's great hope.
6. Avi Zanuach (אבי זנוח), literally, "master of rejection." Aaron, Moses' brother gave him this name, saying "My father rejected my mother, but took her back because of this child." Alternatively, because Moses would make Israel reject idols.
7. Tuvia (טובי'ה), implying goodness.5
8. The Jewish people called him "Shemaya (שמעי-ה) ben [the son of] Nethanel."6 They predicted that in his days, G‑d would hear (שמע) their prayers.
9. Ben Avitar (בן אביתר), son of pardon, since Moses was the Jewish son who would solicit G‑d's pardon (ויתר) for the Jewish people's sin of the Golden Calf.
10.Levi (לוי), so named after the tribe to which Moses belonged.
Despite all these names, throughout the Torah, he is referred to as Moses. Moreover, G‑d Himself addresses Moses only by this name. Our sages tell us that this teaches us the importance of raising a child, especially when doing so requires special self-sacrifice.
Rabbi Eliezer Danzinger for Chabad.org2. Avigdor (אבי גדור), master of the fence. According to the Yalkut Me'am Loez, he was called this (by his grandfather, Kehat), because "since Moses' birth, G‑d has fenced in Pharaoh, not allowing him to continue his decree to drown Jewish infants."
3. Chever, (חבר) meaning, companion, or connector. Either because Moses connected the Jewish people with their heavenly Father, or because he prevented Heavenly retribution for their sins. Some say that Amram, his father, gave Moses this name, because Moses was born after his father had once again joined his wife after having divorced her.
4. Avi Socho, (אבי סוכו) Father of Seers. He was given this name by his grandfather, Kehat (alternatively, by the nurse who helped Moses' mother raise him), because Moses would grow up to be the "master" (avi) of the seers (sochim) and prophets.
5. Yekutiel (יקותיא-ל), from the root kavei (קוה) meaning hope. His mother Jochebed called him this name because she had hope and trust in G‑d that He would return Moses to her. Alternatively, because she foresaw that Moses would be the Jewish nation's great hope.
6. Avi Zanuach (אבי זנוח), literally, "master of rejection." Aaron, Moses' brother gave him this name, saying "My father rejected my mother, but took her back because of this child." Alternatively, because Moses would make Israel reject idols.
7. Tuvia (טובי'ה), implying goodness.5
8. The Jewish people called him "Shemaya (שמעי-ה) ben [the son of] Nethanel."6 They predicted that in his days, G‑d would hear (שמע) their prayers.
9. Ben Avitar (בן אביתר), son of pardon, since Moses was the Jewish son who would solicit G‑d's pardon (ויתר) for the Jewish people's sin of the Golden Calf.
10.Levi (לוי), so named after the tribe to which Moses belonged.
Despite all these names, throughout the Torah, he is referred to as Moses. Moreover, G‑d Himself addresses Moses only by this name. Our sages tell us that this teaches us the importance of raising a child, especially when doing so requires special self-sacrifice.
Rabbi Eliezer Danzinger for Chabad.org
Shemot - the name of Moshè
One of the greatest enigmas in the Bible concerns the name of its most oft-mentioned character, Moses.
"Moses" was not his given name…The name Moses is mentioned 740 times in the Five Books of Moses, and 770 times throughout all of Scripture. Yet "Moses" was not his given name… Among all of the heavyweights mentioned in the Bible, Moses' name stands out due to its unusual origins.
"Pharaoh's daughter went down to bathe by the river… She saw a basket among the reeds… She opened it and saw a boy crying…and he was a son to her. She called his name Moses, as she said, 'For I drew him from the water.'"1
It turns out that the name the Torah elected to call its key player was the one given him by Pharaoh's daughter!
Why?
It's not as if his parents neglected to name him. The Midrash2 records four names he was given at birth, one by each of his family members. One of these names was Tuvyah, which means good, for "She [his mother] saw that he was good."3
So what possessed the Torah to ignore the name given him by his pious parents at birth, using instead the name given him by a stranger?
This question intensifies according to the mystical teaching that one's name is not just utilitarian and random, but is inherently intertwined with the make-up of the name-bearer's soul and destiny.
If that's the case, doesn't the name Tuvyah – which means goodness – encapsulate Moses' essence and lifetime more than the name Moses, which commemorates but a single (albeit lifesaving) episode in his life?
He was the people's prince and was headed towards a bright political futureHe was being groomed for nobility and honor. His every whim was tended to, and he was pampered with all sorts of luxuries. He was adored by all of Egypt, having been recognized as a brilliant young man who possessed vision and courage. He was the people's prince and was headed towards a bright political future.
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