Vayeira 19:38 · unit 1

Parashas Vayeira · Passuk 19:38

The Complete Passuk

וְהַצְּעִירָ֤ה גַם־הִוא֙ יָ֣לְדָה בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ בֶּן־עַמִּ֑י ה֛וּא אֲבִ֥י בְנֵֽי־עַמּ֖וֹן עַד־הַיּֽוֹם׃

And the younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the children of Ammon to this day.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Nazir 23b (and parallel in Bava Kamma).

TT lemma: בן עמי.

Sefaria — Nazir 23b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
בֶּן עַמִּי. תַּנְיָא, אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְקַפֵּחַ אֲפִלּוּ שְׂכַר שִׂיחָה נָאָה? דְּאִלּוּ בְּכִירָה דְּקָרְיָתֵיהּ מוֹאָב, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה אַל תָּצַר אֶת מוֹאָב וְאַל תִּתְגָּר בָּם מִלְחָמָה – מִלְחָמָה הוּא דְּלָא, הָא אַנְגַּרְיָא עָבֵיד בֵּיהּ; וְאִלּוּ צְעִירָה דְּקָרְיָתֵיהּ בֶּן עַמִּי, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה אַל תְּצֻרֵם וְאַל תִּתְגָּר בָּם – אֲפִלּוּ אַנְגַּרְיָא לָא לְעָבֵיר בְּהוּ.

English: “Ben-Ammi.” It was taught: Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: From where do we know that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not withhold even the reward for refined speech? The first-born, who named her son Moav (“from father”), was told concerning Moav, “Do not harass Moav and do not contend with them in war”—war is forbidden, but forced labor is permitted. The younger, who named her son Ben-Ammi (“son of my people”), was told, “Do not harass them and do not contend with them”—even forced labor is not to be imposed upon them.

On the daf / in context: The difference in the names chosen by the two daughters produces a corresponding difference in the later commandments protecting their descendants.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. Refined versus crude speech is rewarded with graded protection.

What Is Learned

Hashem does not withhold even the reward for refined speech: the younger daughter’s more modest name “Ben-Ammi” earned her descendants fuller protection than the franker name “Moav.”