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Why did Yisro have seven different names? The shiur explores how each name—Yeser, Putiel, Reuel, Yisro, Chovev, Chever, and Keni—represents a distinct stage in his spiritual progression. Yeser reflects his drive for growth and "adding on" (yoser), which paradoxically led him first through comprehensive Avodah Zarah before his ultimate transformation through geirut to Yisro.
Rabbi Zweig analyzes the Midrashic teaching that Yisro had seven names, exploring what each name reveals about different stages in his spiritual journey. The shiur begins by examining the parallel between Yisro's name change and Avrohom Avinu's transformation from Avram to Avrohom. Just as Avrohom's name changed when he underwent bris milah as part of the geirut process, Yisro's name changed from Yeser to Yisro after his conversion. The Gemara (גמרא) teaches that one who calls Avrohom "Avram" violates lo tonu es ha'ger—it's as if calling a Jew by his previous gentile name—suggesting the name change is integral to the geirut process itself. The shiur probes why the Torah (תורה) uses different names at different points in the narrative. Reuel appears when his daughters first meet Moshe; Yisro appears when Moshe returns after the burning bush; and Yeser appears in later contexts. The Midrash states that Yeser was his original name as a gentile, and after conversion he added a letter (vav) to become Yisro. But this raises fundamental questions: Why is the added letter a vav rather than a hei (as with Avrohom)? And if Putiel was actually his idolatrous name (she'piteim es kol Avodah Zarah), why isn't that listed as his original gentile name?
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Parshas Yisro
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