Four Measures in Names and Leah Who Named Her Sons

(Genesis 29:32) "And Leah conceived and bore a son." Rabbi Yose bar Hanina said: There are four measures in names. There are those whose names are pleasant but whose deeds are ugly: Esau, who is from the root meaning to do, yet he does not do [good]; Ishmael, whose name means he hears, yet he does not hear [God]. There are those whose names are ugly but whose deeds are pleasant: these are the children of the exile (Ezra 2:51), "the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur," who were worthy and went up and built the Temple. There are those whose names are ugly and whose deeds are ugly: these are the spies, "Setur son of Michael" who is read as bar mistorin [a man of hidden, ruinous secrets], "Gadi" who is like bitter sinews. And there are those whose names are pleasant and whose deeds are pleasant: these are the tribes. Reuben, read as re'u ben [see, a son] among the sons; Simeon, who hears [shome'a] the voice of his Father in heaven. Rabbi Yose bar Hanina said: The names of the tribes are not a smudge upon them but a covering of honor for them. (Genesis 29:33) "And she said: Because the LORD has heard that I am hated." This one [Simeon] is destined to raise up a hater [Zimri], and who heals his wound? Phinehas, who stands from Levi. (Genesis 29:34) "This time my husband will be joined to me." This one [Levi] is destined to join sons to their Father in heaven, "therefore she called his name Levi." Wherever it is said "therefore she called his name," the tribe is great in numbers. (Genesis 29:35) "This time I will thank the LORD." A parable: a priest was standing at the threshing floor, and one man gave him a kor of tithe and the priest held him no gratitude; then another came and gave him a handful of ordinary grain and the priest held him gratitude. The first said: My lord priest, I gave you a whole kor and you held me no gratitude, while this man gave you only a handful and you held him gratitude. The priest answered: You gave me from my own portion [which was owed me], but this man gave me from what was his own. So too, since the matriarchs supposed that each would raise up three sons, when Leah bore a fourth son she said: This time I will thank the LORD.