The child grew up, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became like her son. She named him Moshe, and she said, "For I drew him from the water." (2:10) The Midrash Rabbah Vayikra 1:3 at the beginning of Vayikra states that Moshe had ten names which are found throughout Tanach: Yered, Chever, Yekusiel, Avigdor, Avi Socho, Avi Zonoiach, Tuvia, Shmaya, Ben Nesanel, Hasofer and more. He was called by 10 names. Yered (the one who goes down); Chever (friend, member, group); Yekuti'el (G-d will provide/support); Avi G'dor (My father, Fence/Bound in); Avi Socho (My father, his annointed one); Avi Zanoach (My father, he abandons); Rabbi Yehuda in the name of Rabbi Eilaye said his name was also Tovyah, as it is written (Shemos 2:2) "and when she saw how good (tov) he was. Yet he is known by the name Moshe that Batya, the daughter of Pharaoh, gave him.
The Midrash Rabbah Shemos 1:26 says “She named him Moshe” – from here you learn the reward of those who perform of acts of kindness. Although Moshe had many names, the name that was set for him throughout the Torah was only the one that Batya, daughter of Pharaoh, called him. Even the Holy One blessed be He did not call him by any other name. The question may be asked that the Gemarra says Baba Basra 10a “The kindness of the nations is sin”—that all the charity and kindness done by the nations of the world is only for their self-glorification. If so why was Batya rewarded?
However, the Gemarra Sota 12b says "And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river” (Shemos 2:5). Rabbi Yochanan says in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai: This teaches that she came down to the river to cleanse herself from the impurity of her father’s idols, as she was immersing herself as part of the conversion process. If so, she was a Jew when she gave the name Moshe. Hence, the reward to a Yid of doing Chesed is huge.
(Yehuda Z. Klitnick)
