Rabbi Roodyn

Today we named our daughter Miriam Gila (you can check her out below!), a name that is laden with layers of meaning and holds particular significance for us, especially at this time of year.

Miriam is in honour of Yael’s grandmother Mimi (Miriam Rivka) who passed away last year. She was a woman born in an era of transition, the first child to be born on British soil to her European born parents. She was the daughter of an esteemed Talmid Chacham, Rav Yechiel Nosson Schwimmer zt’’l and his wife Chaya Dreisel (nee Fleischer); she succeeded in transmitting proud Jewish values to her children. She lived out her final years in the Holy City of Yerushalayim, surrounded by her family. Our children had the privilege of meeting her one last time, a year and a half ago and it was clear that she took great pleasure from that visit.

Miriam HaNeviya, a visionary and prophetess was born into bitter (mar) times for the Bnei Yisrael, at the height of the Egyptian slavery. When Pharaoh decreed that all baby boys should be cast into the water, all seemed lost and the Jewish men (including her father) divorced their wives, not wishing to bring more children into such a world; Miriam was then a mere six years old. Wise beyond her years, she convinced her father to remarry her mother and to do so publicly, so that everyone else could learn from her. The Gemara writes that when he did so, she sang and danced in front of her mother, convinced that their marriage would bring the redemption.

Miriam’s optimism is hinted to by the end of her name: even though she was born into an era that was (mar) bitter, she remained focused on the salvation that would take place at the yam (sea). It was this optimism and commitment to the future of our nation that motivated her and her mother to defy Pharaoh’s decrees and in what was possibly the first ever act of civil disobedience against a tyrannical regime, refused to carry out Pharaoh’s dirty work of killing the babies at birth. Rather she calmed them, soothed them and restored them to life. According to the Midrash Rabba (Shemos Rabba 1:13) she actively disobeyed Pharaoh and cursed him to his face, surviving only as a result of her mother’s quick thinking, blaming her words on her young age and lack of understanding. It is against this backdrop that she facilitates the birth of her brother Moshe and saves his life, thereby ensuring the redemption of Klal Yisrael.

Miriam, a woman of courage and optimism, a leader who inspired others through action and song, a woman who was passionate and committed to the future of the Jewish people, is a role model for all who seek to play a part in the destiny of the Am Yisrael.

Gila is the spontaneous outburst of rejoicing as a response to the revelation of Hashem’s salvation.  As we say in hallel, Zeh hayom asa Hashem nagila ve nismecha bo. Gila is a feeling that comes from the heart. Unlike Simcha, which is an ongoing state of being, Gila is a momentary feeling of elation. It is the emotion that one feels immediately after hearing good news or experiencing something phenomenal. It is not a feeling that lasts, but rather an initial sense of euphoria that then needs to be channelled. Rav Hirsch connects the world Gil to the world Kol and explains that Gila is a form of vocal rejoicing, as opposed to Simcha (related to the word Tzmicha) which is a quiet inner joy or delight.

The world Gila has another meaning, namely to reveal. Hashem’s goodness is always present but it is often concealed. One who is able to peel back the veil that conceals His actions in this world will rejoice at seeing how all of life is part of Hashem’s master plan. The pasuk says ואני בחסדך בטחתי יגל לבי בישועתך אשירה לה’ כי גמל עלי, But I trusted in Your loving-kindness, my heart will rejoice in Your salvation; I will sing to Hashem for He has bestowed [it] upon me (Tehillim 13:6).  One who has developed a sense of Bitachon, trust in Hashem will expect Him to perform acts of kindness and can count on them happening even before they have done so. However, there are times when Hashem so to speak ‘outdoes Himself’ and grants salvation even though we don’t deserve it and can’t expect it. The only response we can offer to unexpected yeshuos that we feel we don’t deserve is Gila.

The idea of Gila being connected to revealing something concealed is not limited to Hashem’s hashgacha over the world. The Torah itself, the emanation of Hashem’s wisdom is to many a closed book, one whose secrets are only revealed to those who are dedicated to working hard to applying themselves to understanding its wisdom. David Hamelech in Tehillim 119:18 begs Hashem גל עיני ואביטה נפלאות מתורתך,  uncover my eyes and I shall look at hidden things from Your Torah.

Gila therefore reveals and rejoices in Hashem’s wisdom both in the way that He runs the world and in the depth that He has concealed within His Torah.

We felt by using the name Gila, we would also bring honour to the memory of yael’s great grandmother Golda Feldmann a’’h, wife of Rav Dovid Feldmann zt’’l, as we acknowledge her efforts to build her family and facilitate her husband’s monumental contribution to the Jewish people.

We feel privileged to endow our fourth daughter today with this meaningful and joyous name, honouring two matriarchs in the family of Yael’s late father z’’l, whose physical presence we miss always, but whose investments to build our family remain with us forever.

May our Miriam Gila merit to emulate the positive attributes of her namesakes, bringing much joy and optimism to those around her and may she stay steadfast in the knowledge that she will sing and dance with her tambourine at the ultimate salvation as the pasuk says,

וְאָמַר בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא הִנֵּה אֱלֹהֵינוּ זֶה קִוִּינוּ לוֹ וְיוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ זֶה ה’ קִוִּינוּ לוֹ נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בִּישׁוּעָתוֹ ‘And they shall say on that day, “Behold, this is our G-d: we hoped for Him that He would save us; this is the L-rd for Whom we hoped; let us rejoice and be happy with His salvation”.