THE NAME GAME

 

PARSHAS HASHAVUA פרשת ויצא                THE NAME GAME In this week's Parsha we have the birth of eleven of the שבטי קה and the birth of דינה. All of them were named by women except for לוי*. In Parshas  (35:18) וישלח we find both parents naming their sons. The mother called him בן-אוני and the father called him בנימין. (different names) In Parshas   (38:3,4,5) וישב we find the parents taking turns. The first son was named by the father. The second son by the mother. The third son was named again by the mother. Rishonim say that's why the Torah points out והיה בכזיב בלדתה אותו to tell us the reason she was the one who named this son even though it wasn't her turn, because the father was out of town. An interesting observation I have no Pshat yet.    *Rashi quotes the Midrash, Gavriel was the one who named him לוי The Redak holds it was Yaakov who named him.