Why does the Torah call Yocheved and Miriam by the names Shifra and Puah? These were the mother of Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam—and Miriam HaNeviah herself. Why hide their identities behind names that mean "she made the baby beautiful" and "she cooed to calm them down"?

Rashi explains that names reveal essence—and Rabbi Klapper shows how this principle runs through the entire parsha. Moshe had ten names, yet Torah only uses the one given by Bas Paro, because it captured his core: mesirus nefesh for others. She pulled him from the water at risk to her own life, and that act of chesed became who Moshe was. So too, Shifra and Puah aren't lesser names—they're the truest names. The small acts of feminine care, the attention to making someone feel a little more loved, a little more comfortable—these are the qualities that built the houses of kehuna and malchus.

Discover why the Torah honors what looks small. Learn how the details we dismiss—calming a baby, cleaning a newborn—are the foundation of everything that came after.

Hosted by Rabbi Ari Klapper and produced by Eli Podcast Productions, this episode is part of the Why Did Rashi Say That series, available on RealJudaism.org. Don't forget to subscribe and share to stay connected with our weekly Torah insights!