Now the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one who was named Shifrah, and the second, who was named Puah. And he said, "When you deliver the Hebrew women, and you see on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall put him to death, but if it is a daughter, she may live." (Exodus 1:15-16)
Rashi comments as to the true identity of these two women.
Shifrah. This was Yocheved, [called Shifrah] because she beautified [מְשַׁפֶּרֶת] the newborn infant. Puah. This was Miriam, [called Puah] because she cried (פּוֹעָה) and talked and cooed to the newborn infant in the manner of women who soothe a crying infant.
These were no ordinary women. These brave and heroic women defied Pharoah and saved the Jewish children knowing full well that they had put their own lives at risk. They were also the mother and sister of Moshe Rabbeinu. Their actual names were Yocheved and Miriam, and their descriptive names were Shifrah and Puah. But why not introduce us to them using their actual names and introduce the descriptive names later?
The Lubavitcher Rebbe (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, 1902-1994) explains that each of us has two names. There is the name we are given at birth. This name is conferred upon us by our parents, and with Divine assistance, captures the essence of who we are. And there is a second name – this is the name we create for ourselves through the accomplishments we accrue throughout the journey of life. What I do, how I act, the sacrifices I make creates an identity, and this identity births another name. The Torah introduces us to Yocheved and Miriam with their life-accomplishment names, Shifra and Puah to teach us that your accomplishment name is more important than your birth name. Shifra and Puah were the names they earned through selfless dedication to their people. These descriptive, accomplishment names become their dominant identity. The name you are given at birth is given to you by someone else, your accomplishment name is created by you, for you.
As we go through life, we acquire many different names. There is identity created from our success and identities forged in failure. But you can always change your name. I can always choose to become someone else. Your birth name is here to stay, but your accomplishment name, your Shifra/Puah identity, if yours to create and mold.
As we celebrate our last Shabbos in our current Shul and get ready for our Chanukas HaBayis on Sunday IYH, we should give thought to who we want to be in this next iteration of our spiritual life. What should my davening look like? How should I interact with others? What should I keep doing, and what should I stop? This dramatic change and new beginning offer untold promise and potential. May we be zocheh to maximize it and become the people we aspire to be.
