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Parshat Yitro: the First Convert?

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Parshat Yitro: the First Convert? Parshat Yitro: The First Convert? וַ ִיּ ְשׁ ֞ ַמע יִ ְת ֨רוֹ כ ֹ ֵ֤הן ִמ ְדיָ֙ן חֹ ֵ֣תן מ ֹ ֔ ֶשׁה ֵא ֩ת ָכּל־ ֲא ֨ ֶשׁר ָע ָ֤שׂה ֱאE ִהי ֙ם ְלמ ֹ ֔ ֶשׁה וּ ְליִ ְשׂ ָר ֵ֖אל ַע ֑מּוֹ ִ ֽכּי־הוֹ ִ֧ציא ׳ה ֶאת־יִ ְשׂ ָר ֵ֖אל ִמ ִמּ ְצ ָ ֽריִם׃ וַ ִיּ ַ֗קּח יִ ְתר ֙וֹ חֹ ֵ֣תן מ ֹ ֔ ֶשׁה ֶאת־ ִצפּ ָֹ֖רה ֵ֣א ֶשׁת מ ֹ ֶ֑שׁה אַ ַ֖חר ִשׁלּוּ ֶ ֽחי ָה׃ וְ ֵ֖את ְשׁ ֵ֣ני ָב ֶ֑ני ָה ֲא ֨ ֶשׁר ֵ֤שׁם ָ ֽה ֶא ָח ֙ד ֵגּֽ ְר ֔שׁ ֹם ִ֣כּי אָ ֔ ַמר ֵ֣גּר ָה֔יִי ִתי ְבּ ֶ֖א ֶרץ נָ ְכ ִר ָיּֽה׃ וְ ֵ֥שׁם ָה ֶא ָ֖חד ֱא ִלי ֶ֑ע ֶזר ִ ֽכּי־ ֱאE ֵ֤הי אָ ִב ֙י ְבּ ֶע ְז ִ֔רי וַ ַיּ ִצּ ֵ֖לנִי ֵמ ֶ֥ח ֶרב ַפּ ְר ֽע ֹה׃ Exodus 18:1-4 Jethro priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, how the LORD had brought Israel out from Egypt. So Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after she had been sent home, and her two sons—of whom one was named Gershom, that is to say, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land”; and the other was named Eliezer, meaning, “The God of my father was my help, and He delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.” וַ ָיּ ֞ב ֹא יִ ְת ֨רוֹ חֹ ֵ֥תן מ ֹ ֶ֛שׁה וּ ָב ָ֥ניו וְ ִא ְשׁ ֖תּוֹ ֶאל־מ ֹ ֶ֑שׁה ֶאל־ ַה ִמּ ְד ֗ ָבּר ֲא ֶשׁר־ ֛הוּא חֶֹ֥נה ָ֖שׁם ַ֥הר ָה ֱאE ִ ֽה ׃םי וַ ֙יֹּא ֶמ ֙ר ֶאל־מ ֹ ֔ ֶשׁה ֲא ִ֛ני חֹ ֶתנְ ֥` יִ ְת ֖רוֹ ָ֣בּא ֵא ֶ֑לי` וְ ֨ ִא ְשׁ ְתּ ֔` וּ ְשׁ ֵ֥ני ָב ֶ֖ני ָה ִע ָ ֽמּהּ׃ 5-6 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought Moses’ sons and wife to him in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons.” Moses went out to meet his father-in-law; he bowed low and kissed him; each asked after the other’s welfare, and they went into the tent. וַ ֵיּ ֨ ֵצא מ ֹ ֜ ֶשׁה ִל ְק ַ֣ראת ֽחֹ ְת ֗נוֹ וַ ִיּ ְשׁ ַ֙תּח ֙וּ וַ ִיּ ַשּׁק־ ֔לוֹ וַ ִיּ ְשׁ ֲא ֥לוּ ִאישׁ־ ְל ֵר ֵ֖עהוּ ְל ָשׁ ֑לוֹם וַ ָיּ ֖ב ֹאוּ ָה ֽא ֹ ֱה ָלה׃ וַיְ ַס ֵ֤פּר מ ֹ ֶשׁ ֙ה ְל ֣חֹ ְת ֔נוֹ ֵא ֩ת ָכּל־ ֲא ֨ ֶשׁר ָע ָ֤שׂה ׳ה ְל ַפ ְר ֣ע ֹה וּ ְל ִמ ְצ ַ֔ריִם ַ֖על אוֹ ֣ד ֹת יִ ְשׂ ָר ֵ֑אל ֵ֤את ָכּל־ ַה ְתּ ָלאָ ֙ה ֲא ֶ֣שׁר ְמ ָצ ָ֣א ַתם ַבּ ֶ֔דּ ֶרh וַ ַיּ ִצּ ֵ֖לם ׳ה ׃ 7-8 Moses then recounted to his father-in-law everything that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had befallen them on the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. וִַ֣יּ ַח ְדּ יִ ְת ֔רוֹ ֚ ַעל ָכּל־ ַהטּוֹ ֔ ָבה ֲא ֶשׁר־ ָע ָ֥שׂה ׳ה ְליִ ְשׂ ָר ֵ֑אל ֲא ֶ֥שׁר ִה ִצּי ֖לוֹ ִמ ַ֥יּד ִמ ְצ ָ ֽריִם׃ וַיֹּא ֶמ ֮ר יִ ְתר ֒וֹ ָבּ ֣רוּh ׳ה ֲא ֨ ֶשׁר ִה ִ֥צּיל ֶא ְת ֶ֛כם ִמ ַ֥יּד ִמ ְצ ַ֖ריִם וּ ִמ ַ֣יּד ַפּ ְר ֑ע ֹה ֲא ֶ֤שׁר ִה ִצּי ֙ל ֶאת־ ָה ֔ ָעם ִמ ַ֖תּ ַחת יַד־ ִמ ְצ ָ ֽריִם׃ ַע ָ֣תּה יָ ַ֔ד ְע ִתּי ִ ֽכּי־ ָג ֥דוֹל ׳ה ִמ ָכּל־ ָה ֱאE ִ֑הים ִ֣כּי ַב ָדּ ֔ ָבר ֲא ֶ֥שׁר ָז ֖דוּ ֲע ֵלי ֶ ֽהם׃ וַ ִיּ ֞ ַקּח יִ ְת ֨רוֹ חֹ ֵ֥תן מ ֹ ֶ֛שׁה ע ָֹ֥לה וּ ְז ָב ִ֖חים ֵ ֽלאE ִ֑הים וַ ָיּ ֨ב ֹא אַ ֲה ֜ר ֹן וְ ֣כ ֹל ׀ ִז ְק ֵ֣ני יִ ְשׂ ָר ֗ ֵאל ֶל ֱא ָכל־ ֶ֛ל ֶחם ִעם־חֹ ֵ֥תן מ ֹ ֶ֖שׁה ִל ְפ ֵ֥ני ָה ֱאE ִ ֽהים׃ 9-12 And Jethro rejoiced over all the kindness that the LORD had shown Israel when He delivered them from the Egyptians. “Blessed be the LORD,” Jethro said, “who delivered you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, yes, by the result of their very schemes against [the people].” And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to partake of the meal before God with Moses’ father-in-law. 1) Targum Pseudo-Jonathan He said to Moses: “I am your father in law, Jethro, I have come to you in order to convert. And if you won’t accept me on my own account, accept me for the sake of your wife and two sons who are with me. 2) Mechilta d’Rabbi Yishmael, Yitro 18:6:1 “He sent word to Moses, ‘I, your father in law Jethro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons’.” R. Yehoshua says: He wrote him a letter. R. Eliezer Hamodai says: He sent him word by messenger, saying: “Do it for my sake, and if you won’t do it for me, do it for the sake of your wife, and if not for your wife, then at least for the sake of your sons.” It is for this reason, says R. Eliezer, that it was said to Moses: “I/Anochi”. www.orhamidbar.org “I am the one who said: ‘Let the world be’; I am the one who brings near and does not push away… I am the one who brought Jethro near and did not push him away. Thus, when a person comes before you to convert, and has come with good intentions, you too shall bring that person near and not push that person away. From this we learn that one should push away with the left hand while bring close with the right… 3) Mechilta d’Rabbi Yishamael, Yitro 17:16 R. Eliezer says: The Lord swears by the throne of glory: If there comes a person of all the nations to be proselytized, they will be accepted; but Amalek and their household will not be accepted, as is written, (II Samuel 1:13) "And David asked the youth who told him: Where are you from? And he said: I am the son of an Amalekite convert." David remembered at that time what had been told to Moses our teacher, that if there comes a man of all the nations of the world to be proselytized, he should be accepted, but if he is of the house of Amalek, he should not be accepted, whereupon (II Samuel , Ibid.) "David said to him: Your blood is on your own head, for your mouth testified against you." … 4) R. Yisrael Al’nekawa (Spain, 14th cent.), Menorat Ham’or R. Eliezer says: A foreigner who comes to convert [and be part of] the Jewish people, is viewed as if that person has treated the entire Jewish people with kindness. This we know from what Saul said to the descendants of Jethro: “for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they left Egypt.” (I Sam. 15:6). Is it possible that one person [Jethro] treated all of the thousands and thousands of Israelites with kindness?! Rather, we say that when he chose to be part of the Israelite nation and said: “Praised be the Lord who delivered you from the Egyptians…” (Ex. 18:10) – it is as if he treated everyone with kindness. 5) Exodus 18:27 Then Moses bade his father-in-law farewell, and he went his way to his own land. 6) Mechilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:24:2 "And Moses sent his father-in-law": R. Yehoshua says: He sent him with gifts. R. Elazar Hamodai says: He sent him with all the honor in the world, as is seen in his (Moses') response to him, as it is written (Numbers 10:30) "I pray you, do not leave us," telling him: You gave us good and beautiful counsel, and the Lord consented to your words. "I pray you, do not leave us." Yithro replied: Is a candle of benefit other than in a place of darkness? Can sun and moon benefit from a candle? You are the sun and Aaron your brother is the moon. What can a candle do between you? Let me go to my land and I will convert all of my countrymen and bring them to the study of Torah and under the wings of the Shechinah. One might think that he went but did not do so. It is, therefore, written (Judges 1:16) "And the children of Keni, the father-in-law of Moses, went up from the city of date-palms," and (Ibid.) "and they went and settled with the people," "the people" signifying "wisdom," (in this instance, Torah study), viz. (Iyyov 12:2) "Truly you are a people, but will wisdom die with you?" Read if not "tamut" ("die"), but "tumat" ("put to death"). So long as a sage lives, his wisdom endures. When he dies, his wisdom is lost with him. ( www.orhamidbar.org .
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