Moses how many children

The defeat of Amalek. All this, and not a single additional word about Gershom or his nameless brother. What else does our Bible tell us about Eliezer or his older brother, Gershom? While we learn nothing about Gershom himself, we do learn that his son, Jonathan also identified as Shebuel , becomes an apostate priest, leading the tribe of Dan in the worship of an idol. Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the time that the land went into captivity.

While we learn nothing about Eliezer himself, it seems safe to say that his progeny did not become idolaters who led others into idolatry. The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

The sons of Eliezer: Rehabiah the chief; Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous. So what else is there to say about this second son of Moses? We know that he died sometime during the 40 years the Israelites were wandering in the midbar, that forbidding desert wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula and the desolate stretch of land east of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea.

We know this because, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, all those born before the Exodus, spiritually deadened by the slave mentality, were doomed to die in the wilderness, never setting foot in the Promised Land. Where in his father crowded world of crushing responsibilities was there room for him? I would like to think that Eliezer lived out his life in the desert satisfied with his lot.

It could be that if we were able to trace our lineage back far enough, we would discover that Eliezer, son of Moses, is a root in our own family tree and, as such, a humble participant in an ancient chapter of our own stories. They both married women raised in pagan societies. Yet most importantly neither lost the yearning to reconnect their bond with their people.

We read of one son and then a second one. Here too, we sense the pain of loss and sadness associated with one name and the joy of redemption with the other. With Joseph we read a logical sentence structure that talks of a first born son HaBechor and then of a second Hashem. Events that flow from one to the other. Seemingly separated events. Why would that be? Genesis ". From this the Holy Ari teaches that the name the parents choose for their baby is actually a 'small prophecy'.

The choice of name given by parents is in fact a prophetic inspiration of the exact name destined for that child. That name then defines the child's potential, direction or his or her challenge. Yet at the same time it is also formed by the spiritual state of the parent making the choice. When Moshe left his brethren in Egypt and escaped into Midian he was a broken man.

He also experienced joys and mercies. Yet he did not yet understand that the two spiritual experiences were inexorably linked. So the text describes the naming of one child as 'the one' Haechad , followed by the naming of the second as " the one" HaEchad. It was only after the experience of the Exodus, the crossing of the Red Sea, and the complaints and difficulties of the journey did he realize what Joseph intuitively knew.

They are connected and flow from one to the other. Redemption always comes through trials and tribulations. In the beginning of this journey we hear Moshe crying out "O Hashem!

Why have You harmed this people? Why have You sent me? Yet it is later that we see that Moshe has himself understood this deep spiritual truth. It is then that we hear the same Moshe responding to the fears of his people with the declaration "Don't be afraid! Stand firm and see Hashem's salvation " ibid That is the lesson for us all as we experiences the twisting turnings in our personal lives and in the lives of our people.

The keys of growth in this journey seem to be faith patience and hopeful expectancy.