Shemos 2:18 · unit 1 — Reuel their father

Parashas Shemos

The Complete Passuk

וַתָּבֹ֕אנָה אֶל־רְעוּאֵ֖ל אֲבִיהֶ֑ן וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מַדּ֛וּעַ מִהַרְתֶּ֥ן בֹּ֖א הַיּֽוֹם׃

When they returned to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come back so soon today?”

Chabad.org — 2:18

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to TT on 2:18 (verified).

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text

אל רעואל אביהן — וכי רעואל שמו והלא חובב בן רעואל הוא? אלא מכאן שהתינוקות קורין לאבי אביהן אבא.

English: “To Reuel their father” — is his name Reuel? Is he not Chovav son of Reuel? Rather, from here [we learn] that children call their father’s father “father.”

On the daf / in context: The verse calls Yisro by his father’s name; the midrash explains the usage as the common practice of grandchildren addressing a grandfather as father.

Type of Learning

Custom

What Is Learned

Chazal resolve the name discrepancy by noting that grandchildren commonly call a grandfather “father.”