Vayeira 19:37 · EXTRA

EXTRA · Parashas Vayeira · Passuk 19:37

Supplementary classical material; Torah Temimah lists no citation under this passuk.

The Complete Passuk

וַתֵּ֤לֶד הַבְּכִירָה֙ בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ מוֹאָ֑ב ה֥וּא אֲבִ֖י מוֹאָ֥ב עַד־הַיּֽוֹם׃

The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moav; he is the father of Moav to this day.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Rashi on Genesis 19:37.

Sefaria — Rashi on Genesis 19:37

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
מוֹאָב. זוֹ שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה צְנוּעָה פֵּרְשָׁה שֶׁמֵּאָבִיהָ הוּא, אֲבָל צְעִירָה קְרָאַתּוּ בְּלָשׁוֹן נְקִיָּה, וְקִבְּלָה שָׂכָר בִּימֵי מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בִּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן אַל תִּתְגָּר בָּם – כְּלָל, וּבְמוֹאָב לֹא הִזְהִיר אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא יִלָּחֵם בָּם, אֲבָל לְצַעֲרָן הִתִּיר לוֹ.

English: “Moav.” She who was not modest publicized that he was from her father; but the younger called him by a clean expression and received reward in the days of Moshe: concerning the children of Ammon it says “do not contend with them” at all, whereas concerning Moav He only forbade warring against them, but permitted harassing them.

On the daf / in context: The naming difference between the sisters becomes a lasting distinction in how their descendants are treated in the Torah’s later commands.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Rashi) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The names themselves encode relative modesty and later divine response.

What Is Learned

Even a single word of naming can reveal character; the younger sister’s restraint earned a milder decree for her descendants than the open declaration of the elder.