Parashat Yitro פָּרָשַׁת יִתְרוֹ
INTRODUCTION:
Parashat Yitro (Ex. 17:1-20:23) contains the following sidrot:
Sixtieth Sidra՚, lending the meeting with Jethro, his advice to Moses, and the arrival at Mount Sinai;
Sixty-First Sidra՚, preparations for the revelation, the beginning of the revelation and the giving of the Ten Sayings (commonly known amongst Christians as the Ten Commandments, however, the Hebrew calls them the Ten Sayings - עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים).
ANALYSIS:
Sixtieth Sidra՚ (Ex. 18:1-19:5): The meeting with Jethro, his advice to Moses, and the arrival at Mount Sinai.
Jethro the Priest of Midian [יִתְרוֹ - His Excellency, a title and not a name; his actual name was רְעוּאֵל - Ruՙu՚el (see Ex. 2:18)] hears about all the wonders and miracles that YHWH had done for Moses and Israel. He takes Zipporah [צִפֹּרָה - bird] Moses' wife (the phraseology of the Hebrew suggests that Zipporah and Moses were divorced) along with Gershom [גֵּרְשֹׁם - a sojourner there] and Eliezer [אֱלִיעֶזֶר - my God helped] Moses' two sons, to meet Moses at Mount Sinai. There is a reunion between Moses and his family, and Moses tells Jethro all that has happened since they last met. Jethro rejoices and blesses YHWH when he hears about all the good that YHWH has done for Israel. Jethro then offers sacrifices to YHWH as a thanksgiving for Israel's deliverance. Aaron and the Elders of the People join Jethro in the partaking of the sacrifices.
The next morning Moses is sat before the people in the role of judge, "and the people stood before Moses, from the morning until the evening" (Ex. 18:13). When Jethro sees this he tells Moses that acting as sole judge over the people is not good as he will not only wear himself down but also the people. For this is too heavier a burden for the shoulders of one man to bear. Jethro advises Moses to teach the people the Torah, "make known to them the way they should walk in, and the deeds that they should do" (Ex. 18:20), and to select from the people worthy men who fear God, men of truth who hate unjust gain; and to set them up as judges over the people. They are to judge the smaller cases while Moses will judge the more difficult cases; thus lightening the burden on Moses and the people. Moses heeds Jethro's advice. Jethro has taught Moses a valuable lesson; 'a leader must learn to delegate responsibilities for his own welfare and for that of his people'. Jethro departs from Moses and the people.
In the Third Month i.e. Siwan, on the first day of the month the people enter the wilderness of Sinai and encamp before the Mountain. YHWH calls to Moses from the Mountain and Moses ascends to God. YHWH tells Moses to relay to the people, "You have seen, what I did to Egypt; and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to Me. And now if you shall hearken - hearken to My voice, and keep My covenant; you shall be to Me a treasure from among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine." (Ex. 19:4-5).
Sixty-First Sidra՚ (Ex. 19:6-20:23): Preparations for the revelation, the beginning of the revelation and the giving of the Ten Sayings.
This sidra՚ opens with the words, "And you - you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Ex. 19:6). Moses acts as an intermediary between YHWH and Israel; he assembles the Elders of the People and relays to them the words of YHWH. All the nation responds together, "All that YHWH has spoken we will do; and Moses reported the words of the people to YHWH" (Ex. 19:8). YHWH tells Moses, "Here I am coming to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you, and also in you they shall believe for ever" (Ex. 19:9). YHWH gives Moses some precise instructions to relay to the people. They are to be sanctified today and tomorrow. They are to launder their clothes and are not to approach a woman; so as not to become impure. Boundaries are set around the Mountain and the people are not to ascend or touch its perimeter; anyone who touches the Mountain is to be put to death: "For on the third day YHWH will come down before the eyes of all the people upon Mount Sinai" (Ex. 19:11). Only when the trumpets sound may the people ascend the Mountain.
On the morning of the third day there was thunder, lighting, and a heavy cloud on the Mountain along with the very loud sound of trumpeting. The entire nation trembles. Moses brings the people out of the camp to the foot of the Mountain. The Mountain is surrounded by smoke, "Since YHWH had descended upon it in fire; and its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and all of the mountain trembled exceedingly" (Ex. 19:18), and the sound of trumpeting becomes even louder. YHWH calls Moses from the Mountain, and Moses ascends. Moses is told to go back down the Mountain and to bring Aaron back up with him, but the priests and the people must not come up otherwise they will be destroyed by fire. YHWH then proclaims the Ten Sayings to the entire nation:
And ՚Elohim spoke, all these words saying. I am YHWH your ՚Elohim; who brought you out from the Land of Egypt from the house of slavery. There shall not be to you other gods before My presence. You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any form, that is in the heavens above, or that is on the earth beneath; or that is in the waters beneath the earth. You shall not to bow down to them and you shall not serve them; for I YHWH your ՚Elohim am a jealous god, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons upon the third and upon the fourth (generation) of those that hate Me. And showing kindness to the thousandth (generation); of those that love Me and keep My commandments. You shall not take up the name of YHWH your ՚Elohim for falsehood; for YHWH will not clear (him), that takes up His name for falsehood.
Remember the Shabbath day to make it holy. Six days you shall work, and do all your mela՚kha[1]. But the seventh day, a Shabbath for YHWH your ՚Elohim; you shall not do any mela՚kha you and your son and your daughter your servant and your maid and your beast, and your sojourner that is within your gates. For in six days YHWH made the heavens and the earth the sea and all that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; therefore YHWH blessed the Shabbath day and He sanctified it. Honour your father and your mother; in order that your days shall be long, upon the soil, which YHWH your ՚Elohim gives to you. You shall not murder you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal, you shall not testify as a false witness against your neighbour. You shall not desire your neighbour's house; you shall not desire your neighbour's wife or his servant or his maid or his ox or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbour's. (Ex. 20:1-14)
The people are frightened as they think they will die if they continue to hear the voice of YHWH. The people ask Moses to continue acting as an intermediary. Moses reassures the people, "Do not fear, for it is to test you, that God has come; and so that His fear shall be upon your faces so that you do not sin" (Ex. 20:17). YHWH then tells Moses how to build an altar. It should be built from either earth or stone that has not been hewn, but there cannot be steps going up to the altar for reasons of modesty.
AUTHOR’S THOUGHTS:
Many people through the centuries have tried to discover the exact location of Mt. Sinai, however, it is 'what' happened at Mt. Sinai that is important and not 'where'. The events at Mt. Sinai were not the climax of the Exodus but the birth of a new beginning; a new way of being. This is a defining moment in the history of mankind! In parasha Yitro YHWH presents to Israel the foundation of all morality; the essences of the Torah. The Revelation did not take place on some mystical spiritual plain, and the Ten Sayings are not esoteric truths taught only to members of the cult. It was in the physical world that the Revelation took place, and it is within our mundane everyday existence that the Ten Sayings are to be applied. We must constantly ask ourselves, "Is the society that we are building in accordance with the principles laid down at Mt. Sinai?" Do we care more about the glitter and glam of our technological society than we do about the poverty and hatred that is engulfing our world? If we are to embrace the spirit of Mt. Sinai then we must embrace our fellow human.
[1] Mela՚kha is a concept word. The word is used in association with vocation, business, occupation, employment, creative activity i.e. productivity.
Parashat Yitro (Ex. 17:1-20:23) contains the following sidrot:
Sixtieth Sidra՚, lending the meeting with Jethro, his advice to Moses, and the arrival at Mount Sinai;
Sixty-First Sidra՚, preparations for the revelation, the beginning of the revelation and the giving of the Ten Sayings (commonly known amongst Christians as the Ten Commandments, however, the Hebrew calls them the Ten Sayings - עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים).
ANALYSIS:
Sixtieth Sidra՚ (Ex. 18:1-19:5): The meeting with Jethro, his advice to Moses, and the arrival at Mount Sinai.
Jethro the Priest of Midian [יִתְרוֹ - His Excellency, a title and not a name; his actual name was רְעוּאֵל - Ruՙu՚el (see Ex. 2:18)] hears about all the wonders and miracles that YHWH had done for Moses and Israel. He takes Zipporah [צִפֹּרָה - bird] Moses' wife (the phraseology of the Hebrew suggests that Zipporah and Moses were divorced) along with Gershom [גֵּרְשֹׁם - a sojourner there] and Eliezer [אֱלִיעֶזֶר - my God helped] Moses' two sons, to meet Moses at Mount Sinai. There is a reunion between Moses and his family, and Moses tells Jethro all that has happened since they last met. Jethro rejoices and blesses YHWH when he hears about all the good that YHWH has done for Israel. Jethro then offers sacrifices to YHWH as a thanksgiving for Israel's deliverance. Aaron and the Elders of the People join Jethro in the partaking of the sacrifices.
The next morning Moses is sat before the people in the role of judge, "and the people stood before Moses, from the morning until the evening" (Ex. 18:13). When Jethro sees this he tells Moses that acting as sole judge over the people is not good as he will not only wear himself down but also the people. For this is too heavier a burden for the shoulders of one man to bear. Jethro advises Moses to teach the people the Torah, "make known to them the way they should walk in, and the deeds that they should do" (Ex. 18:20), and to select from the people worthy men who fear God, men of truth who hate unjust gain; and to set them up as judges over the people. They are to judge the smaller cases while Moses will judge the more difficult cases; thus lightening the burden on Moses and the people. Moses heeds Jethro's advice. Jethro has taught Moses a valuable lesson; 'a leader must learn to delegate responsibilities for his own welfare and for that of his people'. Jethro departs from Moses and the people.
In the Third Month i.e. Siwan, on the first day of the month the people enter the wilderness of Sinai and encamp before the Mountain. YHWH calls to Moses from the Mountain and Moses ascends to God. YHWH tells Moses to relay to the people, "You have seen, what I did to Egypt; and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to Me. And now if you shall hearken - hearken to My voice, and keep My covenant; you shall be to Me a treasure from among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine." (Ex. 19:4-5).
Sixty-First Sidra՚ (Ex. 19:6-20:23): Preparations for the revelation, the beginning of the revelation and the giving of the Ten Sayings.
This sidra՚ opens with the words, "And you - you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Ex. 19:6). Moses acts as an intermediary between YHWH and Israel; he assembles the Elders of the People and relays to them the words of YHWH. All the nation responds together, "All that YHWH has spoken we will do; and Moses reported the words of the people to YHWH" (Ex. 19:8). YHWH tells Moses, "Here I am coming to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you, and also in you they shall believe for ever" (Ex. 19:9). YHWH gives Moses some precise instructions to relay to the people. They are to be sanctified today and tomorrow. They are to launder their clothes and are not to approach a woman; so as not to become impure. Boundaries are set around the Mountain and the people are not to ascend or touch its perimeter; anyone who touches the Mountain is to be put to death: "For on the third day YHWH will come down before the eyes of all the people upon Mount Sinai" (Ex. 19:11). Only when the trumpets sound may the people ascend the Mountain.
On the morning of the third day there was thunder, lighting, and a heavy cloud on the Mountain along with the very loud sound of trumpeting. The entire nation trembles. Moses brings the people out of the camp to the foot of the Mountain. The Mountain is surrounded by smoke, "Since YHWH had descended upon it in fire; and its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace, and all of the mountain trembled exceedingly" (Ex. 19:18), and the sound of trumpeting becomes even louder. YHWH calls Moses from the Mountain, and Moses ascends. Moses is told to go back down the Mountain and to bring Aaron back up with him, but the priests and the people must not come up otherwise they will be destroyed by fire. YHWH then proclaims the Ten Sayings to the entire nation:
And ՚Elohim spoke, all these words saying. I am YHWH your ՚Elohim; who brought you out from the Land of Egypt from the house of slavery. There shall not be to you other gods before My presence. You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any form, that is in the heavens above, or that is on the earth beneath; or that is in the waters beneath the earth. You shall not to bow down to them and you shall not serve them; for I YHWH your ՚Elohim am a jealous god, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons upon the third and upon the fourth (generation) of those that hate Me. And showing kindness to the thousandth (generation); of those that love Me and keep My commandments. You shall not take up the name of YHWH your ՚Elohim for falsehood; for YHWH will not clear (him), that takes up His name for falsehood.
Remember the Shabbath day to make it holy. Six days you shall work, and do all your mela՚kha[1]. But the seventh day, a Shabbath for YHWH your ՚Elohim; you shall not do any mela՚kha you and your son and your daughter your servant and your maid and your beast, and your sojourner that is within your gates. For in six days YHWH made the heavens and the earth the sea and all that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; therefore YHWH blessed the Shabbath day and He sanctified it. Honour your father and your mother; in order that your days shall be long, upon the soil, which YHWH your ՚Elohim gives to you. You shall not murder you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal, you shall not testify as a false witness against your neighbour. You shall not desire your neighbour's house; you shall not desire your neighbour's wife or his servant or his maid or his ox or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbour's. (Ex. 20:1-14)
The people are frightened as they think they will die if they continue to hear the voice of YHWH. The people ask Moses to continue acting as an intermediary. Moses reassures the people, "Do not fear, for it is to test you, that God has come; and so that His fear shall be upon your faces so that you do not sin" (Ex. 20:17). YHWH then tells Moses how to build an altar. It should be built from either earth or stone that has not been hewn, but there cannot be steps going up to the altar for reasons of modesty.
AUTHOR’S THOUGHTS:
Many people through the centuries have tried to discover the exact location of Mt. Sinai, however, it is 'what' happened at Mt. Sinai that is important and not 'where'. The events at Mt. Sinai were not the climax of the Exodus but the birth of a new beginning; a new way of being. This is a defining moment in the history of mankind! In parasha Yitro YHWH presents to Israel the foundation of all morality; the essences of the Torah. The Revelation did not take place on some mystical spiritual plain, and the Ten Sayings are not esoteric truths taught only to members of the cult. It was in the physical world that the Revelation took place, and it is within our mundane everyday existence that the Ten Sayings are to be applied. We must constantly ask ourselves, "Is the society that we are building in accordance with the principles laid down at Mt. Sinai?" Do we care more about the glitter and glam of our technological society than we do about the poverty and hatred that is engulfing our world? If we are to embrace the spirit of Mt. Sinai then we must embrace our fellow human.
[1] Mela՚kha is a concept word. The word is used in association with vocation, business, occupation, employment, creative activity i.e. productivity.
