1 1) Text of Parashah Yitro February 2, 2021 10-11: 15 am 2) 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. ַויִּ ֗ ַקּח יִ ְתר ֙וֹ ח ֹ ֵ֣תן מ ֹ ֔ ֶשׁה ֶא ִת־צפָֹּ֖רה ֵ֣א ֶשׁת מ ֹ ֶ֑שׁה אַ ַ֖חר ִשׁלּוּ ֶחֽי ָה׃ When Jethro heard….Was it only Jethro who heard? We are told that all the nations heard and trembled and ran away from God. Jethro heard and moved closer. Who else moved close to God or noticed God while others ran away? Why is this significant? ____________________________________________________________________________ 3) So Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after she had been sent home, ְו ֵ֖את ְשׁ ֵ֣ני ָב ֶ֑ני ָה ֲא ֨ ֶשׁר ֵ֤שׁם ָהֽ ֶא ָח ֙ד ֵגּֽ ְר ֔שׁ ֹם ִ֣כּי אָ ֔ ַמר ֵ֣גּר ָה ֔יִ ִיתי ְבּ ֶ֖א ֶרץ נָ ְכ ִר ָיּ ֽה׃ and her two sons—of whom one was named Gershom, that is to say, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land”; ְו ֵ֥שׁם ָה ֶא ָ֖חד ֱא ִלי ֶ֑עזֶר ִכּֽי־ ֱאל ֵ֤הי אָ ִב ֙י ְבּ ֶעזְ ִ֔רי ַויַּ ִצּ ֵ֖לנִי ֵמ ֶ֥ח ֶרב ַפּ ְר ֽע ֹה׃ and the other was named Eliezer, meaning, “The God of my father was my help, and He delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.” Her two sons, she was raising them by herself in her father’s kingdom. Zohar This is the first glimpse we have into Moses’ domestic life. When he is required by God to take leadership of the Jewish people, he is already married to Zipporah, a Midian Priestess. He leaves her in her father’s kingdom, while he leads the Israelites. She goes out to him twice and conceives two children, who she names after Moses’ experiences. In Parashah Beshellach, where the Israelites cross the sea, there is another story called the bloody bridegroom. Moses was supposed to come home for his son’s birth and circumcision, but he is late. After 8 days, Zipporah readies herself to circumcize her son Eliezer. She says the blessings and takes for foreskin off of her son with a flint knife. At that moment, Moses runs into the scene. She is furious and throws the piece of skin that was cut from her son into Moses’ face. She yells at his that he is a husband of blood to her. This is one of the most mysterious section of Torah. Not one commentator has been able to truly make sense of what the words mean? The best that they can come up with is- “now you are committed to me through the blood of our son.” “ From the mouth of Zipporah- you owe me. I, the non-Jew, made sure that your son is a Jew”. Jethro sees that there is conflict in the marriage and goes to Moses with Zipporah and his sons to address the issue of leadership and parenting. One of the issues that parent’s struggle with today. 2 ______________________________________________________________________ ַויָּ ֞ב ֹא יִ ְת ֨רוֹ ח ֹ ֵ֥תן מ ֹ ֶ֛שׁה וּ ָב ָנ֥יו ְו ִא ְשׁ ֖תּוֹ ֶאל־מ ֹ ֶ֑שׁה ֶאל־ ַה ִמּ ְד ֗ ָבּר ֲא ֶשׁר־ ֛הוּא ח ֶֹנ֥ה ָ֖שׁם ַ֥הר ָה ֱאל ִהֽים׃ 4) Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought Moses’ sons and wife to him in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. ַו ֙יּ ֹא ֶמ ֙ר ֶאל־מ ֹ ֔ ֶשׁה ֲא ִנ֛י ח ֹ ֶתנְ ֥ך יִ ְת֖רוֹ ָ֣בּא ֵא ֶ֑ליך ְו ִ֨א ְשׁ ְתּ ֔ך וּ ְשׁ ֵנ֥י ָב ֶ֖ני ָה ִע ָמּֽהּ׃ He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons.” ַויֵּ ֨ ֵצא מ ֹ ֜ ֶשׁה ִל ְקַ֣ראת ֽח ֹ ְת ֗נוֹ ַויִּ ְשׁ ַ֙תּח ֙וּ ַויִּשּּׁק־ ֔לוֹ ַויִּ ְשׁ ֲא ֥לוּ ִאישׁ־ ְל ֵר ֵ֖עהוּ ְל ָשׁ ֑לוֹם ַויָּ ֖ב ֹאוּ ָה ֽא ֹ ֱה ָלה׃ 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. ַויְ ַס ֵ֤פּר מ ֹ ֶשׁ ֙ה ְל ֣ח ֹ ְת ֔נוֹ ֵא ֩ת ָכּל־ ֲא ֨ ֶשׁר ָע ָ֤שׂה יְה ָו ֙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 ֶרך ַויַּ ִצּ ֵ֖לם יְהוָ ֽה׃ 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. ַויִִּ ַח ְדּ יִ ְת ֔רוֹ ֚ ַעל ָכּל־ ַהטּוֹ ֔ ָבה ֲא ֶשׁר־ ָע ָ֥שׂה יְהָ֖וה ְליִ ְשׂ ָר ֵ֑אל ֲא ֶ֥שׁר ִה ִצּי ֖לוֹ ִמ ַיּ֥ד ִמ ְצָ ֽריִם׃ And Jethro rejoiced over all the kindness that the LORD had shown Israel when He delivered them from the Egyptians. And Jethro rejoiced… do not read Va-hilad as rejoiced rather as Hadah ( a sharp sword). Rav said that he passed a sharp sword over himself (circumcised himself). Why would Jethro want to convert at this moment? 5) ( ( ַויּ ֹא ֶמ ֮ר יִ ְתר ֒וֹ ָבּ֣רוּך יְה ָ֔וה ֲא ֨ ֶשׁר ִה ִ֥צּיל ֶא ְת ֶ֛כם ִמ ַיּ֥ד ִמ ְצַ֖ריִם וּ ִמ ַיּ֣ד ַפּ ְר ֑ע ֹה ֲא ֶ֤שׁר ִה ִצּיל֙ ֶאת־ ָה ֔ ָעם ִמ ַ֖תּ ַחת יַד־ ִמ ְצָ ֽריִם׃ “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. Blessed be the Lord..It was shameful that neither Moses nor the 600,000 ever used the formulation “Blessed Be” and that Jethro was the one that initiated the phrase. Jethro is an innovater in expressing thanks to God. The Israelites had praised God for what God had done for them. Jethro praised God for God’s actions. R. Shlomo of Radosk Baruch HaShem Yom Yom 6) ַע ָ֣תּה יָ ַ֔ד ְע ִתּי ִכּֽי־גָ ֥דוֹל יְהָ֖וה ִמ ָכּל־ ָה ֱאל ִ֑הים ִ֣כּי ַב ָדּ ֔ ָבר ֲא ֶ֥שׁר זָ ֖דוּ ֲע ֵלי ֶהֽם׃ Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, yes, by the result of their very schemes against [the people].” Moment of conversion. Statement that God is the God 3 ַויִּ ֞ ַקּח יִ ְת ֨רוֹ ח ֹ ֵ֥תן מ ֹ ֶ֛שׁה ע ֹ ָ֥לה וּזְ ָב ִ֖חים ֵלֽאל ִ֑הים ַויָּ ֨ב ֹא אַ ֲה ֜ר ֹן ְו ֣כ ֹל ׀ זִ ְק ֵ֣ני יִ ְשׂ ָר ֵ֗אל ֶל ֱא ָכל־ ֶ֛ל ֶחם ִעם־ח ֹ ֵ֥תן מ ֹ ֶ֖שׁה ִל ְפ ֵנ֥י ָה ֱאל ִהֽים׃ 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. ַויְ ִה ֙י ִמֽ ָמּ ֳח ָ֔רת ַו ֵיּ֥ ֶשׁב מ ֹ ֶ֖שׁה ִל ְשׁ ֣פּ ֹט ֶאת־ ָה ָ֑עם ַויַּ ֲע ֤מ ֹד ָה ָע ֙ם ַעל־מ ֹ ֔ ֶשׁה ִמן־ ַה ֖בּ ֹ ֶקר ַעד־ ָה ָעֽ ֶרב׃ 7) Next day, Moses sat as magistrate among the people, while the people stood about Moses from morning until evening. ַויַּ ְר ֙א ח ֹ ֵ֣תן מ ֹ ֔ ֶשׁה ֵ֛את ָכּל־ ֲא ֶשׁר־ ֥הוּא ע ֹ ֶ֖שׂה ָל ָ֑עם ַו ֗יּ ֹא ֶמר ָמֽה־ ַה ָדּ ָ֤בר ַהזֶּ ֙ה ֲא ֨ ֶשׁר ַא ָ֤תּה ע ֹ ֶשׂ ֙ה ָל ֔ ָעם ַמ ֗דּוּ ַע ַא ָ֤תּה יוֹ ֵשׁ ֙ב ְל ַב ֶ֔דּך ְו ָכל־ ָה ָ֛עם נִ ָ֥צּב ָע ֶ֖ליך ִמן־ ֥בּ ֹ ֶקר ַעד־ ָעֽ ֶרב׃ But when Moses’ father-in-law saw how much he had to do for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing to the people? Why do you act alone, while all the people stand about you from morning until evening?” Moses as this kind of leader can be seen as hubris or need to be needed. My first job, I worked around the clock, taking calls in the middle of the night. My senior Rabbi pulled me aside one day and said, “ You are dispensable”. At first I was offended because those were his only words. When I realized that the synagogue had been around long before I was born and would be around once I left, I focused on key areas of my Rabbinate. There were three of us and we each had different strengths and weaknesses. As we were three, we could divide and conquer playing to our strengths. ַו ֥יּ ֹא ֶמר מ ֹ ֶ֖שׁה ְלח ֹ ְת ֑נוֹ ִכּֽי־יָ ֥ב ֹא ֵא ַ֛לי ָה ָ֖עם ִל ְד֥ר ֹשׁ ֱאל ִהֽים׃ Moses replied to his father-in-law, “It is because the people come to me to inquire of God. ִכּֽי־יִ ְה ֨יֶה ָל ֶ֤הם ָדּ ָב ֙ר ָ֣בּא ֵא ֔ ַלי ְו ָ֣שׁ ַפ ְט ֔ ִתּי ֵ֥בּין ִ֖אישׁ וּ ֵ֣בין ֵר ֵ֑עהוּ ְוהוֹ ַד ְע ִ֛תּי ֶאת־ ֻח ֵ֥קּי ָה ֱאל ִ֖הים ְו ֶאת־תּוֹר ֹ ָתֽיו׃ When they have a dispute, it comes before me, and I decide between one person and another, and I make known the laws and teachings of God.” 8) ַו ֛יּ ֹא ֶמר ח ֹ ֵ֥תן מ ֹ ֶ֖שׁה ֵא ָ֑ליו לא־טוֹ ֙ב ַה ָדּ ֔ ָבר ֲא ֶ֥שׁר ַא ָ֖תּה ע ֹ ֶ ֽשׂה׃ But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing you are doing is not right; נָ ֣ב ֹל ִתּ ֔בּ ֹל ַגּם־ ַא ֕ ָתּה ַגּם־ ָה ָ֥עם ַה ֶ֖זּה ֲא ֶ֣שׁר ִע ָ֑מּך ִכּֽי־ ָכ ֵ֤בד ִמ ְמּ ֙ך ַה ָדּ ֔ ָבר לא־תוּ ַ֥כל ֲע ֖שׂ ֹהוּ ְל ַב ֶדּֽך׃ you will surely wear yourself out, and these people as well.