MEANING
EXPLANATION AND OTHER DETAILS
NAME IN HEBREW
GOOD or G-D-IS-GOOD!
תניא, רבי מאיר אומר טוב שמו/רבי יהודא אומר טוביה שמו
“... Rabbi Meir says, “Tov” is his name. Rabbi Yehuda says, “Tovia” is his name”
טובאוטוביה
GOOD FRIEND
שחיבר לב ישראל לאביהן שבשמים
“The one who [re]joined the hearts of [his] parents and may he join the hearts of the Israelites to their Father in Heaven”
{ Bestowed upon Mosheh by his father Amrom }
חבר
HOPE-TO-G-D
ַ ְקשעשה את הבנים מִים לאביהם שבשמיםו
“Through him my hope in G-d returned and may he make the Children of Israel hope to their Father in Heaven”
“This is the child I hoped for from G-d and to G-d I hope for his return to me”
{ Bestowed upon Mosheh by his mother Yocheved }
יקותיאל
BRINGER-DOWN
זה שירד מן לישראל בימיו/זה שהוריד את התורה /את השכינה מלמעלה למטה
“The one who will bring down the Monn to the Israelites in his days, the ruler who will bring down from On High the Torah / the Divine Presence”
{ Bestowed upon Mosheh by his sister Miriam }
ירד
CHIEF ATONER
שהזניח עונותיהם של ישראל
“The one who helped to remove the sin of idolatry from the Israelites and through him G-d will reject those that accuse the Israelites of idolatry”
{ Bestowed upon Mosheh by his brother Aharon }
אביזנוח
PROTECTOR / CHIEF-SEER
שנעשה להם ישראל כסוכה /שהיה אבי הנביאים שסחו ברוח הקודש
“The one who became like the shelter of the Israelites and he will be the Chief Prophet who sees with the Holy Spirit”
{ Bestowed upon Mosheh by his nanny }
אביסוכו
CHIEF-WHO-FENCED-IN-HIS-PEOPLE
שגדר פרצותיהןשל ישראל
“The one who, with his birth, the decree of Par’o that the Israelite children should be killed, ended”
“The one who will help to fence-in the Israelites that they shall not sin”
“The one who will help the Israelites to reject idol-worship”
{ Bestowed upon Mosheh by his grandfather Kehos }
אביגדור
G-D-HEARS-HIS-PRAYERS
ששמע י-ה תפילתו
“He [through] whose prayers G-d hears [our prayers]”
{ Bestowed upon Mosheh by the Israelite People }
שמעיה
G-D’S LAWGIVER
בן שניתנה לו תורה מיד ליד
“The one through whom G-d gave His Torah from His Hand to the hands of the Nation of Israel”
{ Bestowed upon Mosheh by the Israelite People }
נתנאלבן
DRAWN-OUT
כי מן המים משיתיהו
“Because I drew him out from the water”
“The one who will draw out the Israelites from Egypt”
{ Bestowed upon Mosheh by Bityoh the daughter of Par’o, who saved him }
משה
,חייך,למשההואברוךהקדושלואמרשמותמכלשנקראולך,פרעהבתבתיהשקראתךבשםאלאאותךקוראאיני
"}נכהאלוהשמותמןאחדלאואףתורהחומשיבחמשהתב"—ילקוטמעםלועזשמותבי{
Of all these names, the only one by which he is known is “Mosheh,” the name given to him by the daughter of Par’o.
None of the other names is even mentioned in the Torah.
And so too, G-d Himself addressed him only by the name “Mosheh.”[See Vayikroh Rabboh, 1:3]
