Kfir and Ariel Bibas were kidnapped on October 7, together with their mother, Shiri, and taken to Gaza, where they were brutally murdered. With their red hair and winning smiles, these boys captured our hearts, and the final news of their death was devastating. What do their names mean?

Both Kfir and Ariel are both related to the Hebrew words for “lion.”

There are several Hebrew words for lion:

  • Aryeh (אריה) is the catch-all term
  • Lavi (לביא) is a lioness
  • Kfir (כפיר) is a lion cub (as is gur, גור)

Ariel means “Lion of G‑d,” a contraction of Ari (lion) and E-l (G‑d). At times it refers to the Altar or the Holy Temple in Jerusalem

This gave rise to the rabbinic teaching (Yalkut Shimoni, Nach, 259):

A lion came in the Zodiac of the lion
And destroyed the Ariel
So that the Lion will come
And rebuild the Ariel

And Kfir, “cub,” is the perfect name for his baby brother.

May G‑d indeed rebuild us all, as we mourn the loss of Ariel and Kfir—forever our lion cubs.