וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ גֵּרְשֹׁ֑ם כִּ֣י אָמַ֔ר גֵּ֣ר הָיִ֔יתִי בְּאֶ֖רֶץ נָכְרִיָּֽה׃ (פ)
Lalu perempuan itu melahirkan seorang anak laki-laki, dan ia menamainya Gersom, sebab katanya, “Aku telah menjadi pendatang di negeri asing.”
Shemot Rabbah
“Moses decided to dwell with the man, and he gave his daughter Tzipora to Moses” (Exodus 2:21).
“Moses decided [vayoel]” – Rabbi Yehuda says that he took an oath to him, as vayoel is nothing other than an expression of an oath, as it is stated: “Saul administered an oath [vayoel] to the people” (I Samuel 14:24). Why did he administer an oath to him? He said to him: ‘I know that Jacob your ancestor, when Lavan gave him his daughters, he took them and left without [Lavan’s] knowledge. Perhaps, if I give you my daughter you will do the same to me.’ Immediately, [Moses] took an oath to him, and [Yitro] gave him Tzipora.
Rabbi Neḥemya said: He accepted upon himself to stay the night with him, as vayoel is nothing other than an expression of staying the night, as it is stated: “Please agree [hoel] and stay the night” (Judges 19:6). Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said that he accepted upon himself to herd his flocks, as vayoel is nothing other than an expression of beginning. When he married his daughter, he began and accepted upon himself to herd his flocks.
“She bore a son and he named him Gershom because he said: I was a stranger [ger] in a foreign land” (Exodus 2:22).
“She bore a son and he named him Gershom.” It is the way of the righteous to name their sons after an event. In Joseph’s regard what does it say? “He named the firstborn Manasseh…and the second he named Ephraim”72Manasseh, “because God has made me forget [nashani] all my toil and all my father’s household.” Ephraim, “because God has made me fruitful [hifrani] in the land of my affliction.” (Genesis 41:51–52), in order to recall the miracles that the Holy One blessed be He performed on his behalf. Moses, too, named his son Gershom after the miracle that the Lord performed on his behalf; that he was a stranger in a foreign land, and the Holy One blessed be He brought him success there.
“Moses decided [vayoel]” – Rabbi Yehuda says that he took an oath to him, as vayoel is nothing other than an expression of an oath, as it is stated: “Saul administered an oath [vayoel] to the people” (I Samuel 14:24). Why did he administer an oath to him? He said to him: ‘I know that Jacob your ancestor, when Lavan gave him his daughters, he took them and left without [Lavan’s] knowledge. Perhaps, if I give you my daughter you will do the same to me.’ Immediately, [Moses] took an oath to him, and [Yitro] gave him Tzipora.
Rabbi Neḥemya said: He accepted upon himself to stay the night with him, as vayoel is nothing other than an expression of staying the night, as it is stated: “Please agree [hoel] and stay the night” (Judges 19:6). Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said that he accepted upon himself to herd his flocks, as vayoel is nothing other than an expression of beginning. When he married his daughter, he began and accepted upon himself to herd his flocks.
“She bore a son and he named him Gershom because he said: I was a stranger [ger] in a foreign land” (Exodus 2:22).
“She bore a son and he named him Gershom.” It is the way of the righteous to name their sons after an event. In Joseph’s regard what does it say? “He named the firstborn Manasseh…and the second he named Ephraim”72Manasseh, “because God has made me forget [nashani] all my toil and all my father’s household.” Ephraim, “because God has made me fruitful [hifrani] in the land of my affliction.” (Genesis 41:51–52), in order to recall the miracles that the Holy One blessed be He performed on his behalf. Moses, too, named his son Gershom after the miracle that the Lord performed on his behalf; that he was a stranger in a foreign land, and the Holy One blessed be He brought him success there.
Midrash Tanchuma
And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanite (Exod. 13:5). (Scripture mentions) five nations though there were (in fact) seven nations.17Cf. Mekhilta (Lauterbach), p. 161. Which he swore unto thy fathers to give thee (ibid.). Where did that occur? When he assured Abraham: In that day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying: “Unto thy seed have I given this land” (Gen. 15:18). When he swore unto Isaac: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, etc. (ibid. 26:3), and when he swore unto Jacob: The land whereupon thou liest, to thee will I give it (ibid. 28:13). Thou shalt keep this service (Exod. 13:5). That is, just as you performed this service in Egypt, so you must perform it in the generations to come. Where did He assure us that it would be? And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning which I lifted up My hand (ibid. 6:8). Into the land of the Canaanite (ibid. 13:11). Why did Canaan deserve to have the land called by his name? When Canaan heard that the Israelites were approaching, he departed from that place. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Because you left that place, the land will be called by your name, and I will give you a land as beautiful as your own. What land was this? Africa. And it shall be given to thee (ibid.). This is written lest one should claim: “I inherited it from my ancestors.”
Midrash Tehillim
From Egypt I called out to God. "Mitzrayim" is what the Jewish people call the Lord in all languages, and He answers them. They called Him "Shaddai" in the fields, as it says, "May El Shaddai bless you" (Genesis 28:3), and He answered them in the fields, as it says, "I am El Shaddai; be fruitful and multiply" (ibid. 35:11). They called Him "Elohim," as it says, "O Lord, what can You give me?" (Exodus 2:22), and He answered them, as it says, "And their cry for help rose up to God" (ibid. 2:23). They called Him "Hashem," as it says, "And we cried out to Hashem" (Deuteronomy 26:7), and He answered them, as it says, "Hashem heard our voice" (ibid. 26:8). They called Him "Yah" from Egypt, as it says, "From Egypt I called out to Yah, and He answered me in the expanse of Yah" (Psalms 81:6). Similarly, it says, "For what great nation is there that has a god so close to it as Hashem our God whenever we call upon Him?" (Deuteronomy 4:7). Another meaning of "Mitzrayim" is "speaking of Egypt," as it says, "And they embittered their lives with hard labor, with mortar and with bricks" (Exodus 1:14). "In the expanse of Yah" means that God broadened His kindness to me, as it says, "The wings of a dove are sheathed with silver" (Psalms 68:14). Another meaning is in reference to David. When David left his brothers and they left him, all of Israel at that moment lifted their eyes to heaven, and David said, "A song of ascents. I will lift my eyes to the mountains" (Psalms 121:1). The Holy Spirit answered him and said, "Do not let your foot slip; your Guardian does not slumber" (ibid. 3). In the expanse refers to how God broadened the way for David, and all of Israel followed him until they arrived at the Philistine camp, as it says, "And the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines" (1 Samuel 17:53).