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Why did Moshe name his firstborn Gershom "ki ger hayisi b'eretz nochriah" when he grew up as Egyptian royalty? The Targum Yonasan reveals that "nochriah" means "lo ladidi"—a land not owned—echoing the Bris Bein HaBesarim's definition of galus. Moshe was declaring that despite his princely status in Egypt, he was a ger because it wasn't his land, thus sharing the full Jewish exile experience.
The shiur examines a puzzling chronological inversion in the naming of Moshe's two sons. The first son, Gershom, is named "ki ger hayisi b'eretz nochriah" (for I was a stranger in a foreign land), referring to Moshe's time in Midyan. The second son, Eliezer, is named "ki Elokei avi b'ezri vayatzileini micheirev Paroh" (for the God of my father helped me and saved me from Pharaoh's sword), referring to Moshe's earlier escape from Egypt. Logically, the first son should commemorate the first event (the escape from Egypt) and the second son the second event (being in Midyan), yet the Torah (תורה) reverses this order. The Aruch HaShulchan suggests that because Moshe was physically in Midyan when Gershom was born, the more immediate experience was more compelling to name the child after. However, this explanation doesn't fully address the deeper question of what message Moshe was conveying with the name Gershom.
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Shemos 18:3-4
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Why didn't Noach daven for his generation while Avrohom advocated for Sedom? Noach viewed each person as an independent island responsible only for their own teshuvah. Avrohom understood that all humanity is interconnected through shared perspective and values, making prayer for others both possible and necessary.
