A thought on פרשת יתרו

"...va'yishma Yisro...va'yisaper Moshe..."

"...and Yisro heard...and Moshe told..." (18:1,8)

The Torah recounts how Yisro, in far-away Midian, heard about all of the wonders and miracles which HaShem had displayed for our nation in Egypt. Yisro traveled to join up with Moshe and escort the people as they sought a campsite in the wilderness.

It seems important to clarify what Moshe explained to his father-in-law. The first verse says that Yisro had heard about the miraculous events, yet further on the Torah writes that Moshe told Yisro those events. Even though they both stood near the cliffs of Sinai, surely these words of Moshe were more than just "cliff notes" reviewing the news already heard.

The Ralbag has many observations here and I want to share two of them this week. He says that we learn from Yisro that "hearing is believing." It may have been accurate to say that Yisro heard about the events, but what propelled him to seek out our nation was that upon hearing about HaShem's wonderous acts, Yisro was convinced. He even proclaimed, "atoh yodati ki gadol HaShem" - "I now know that HaShem is great" (18:11). The Ralbag points out that if someone can be moved this profoundly upon hearing of HaShem's wonders, all the more so must one who experiences such Divine intervention focus and hold on to his awe, and propel himself along the path of firmer faith in HaShem. After all, reminds the Ralbag, in his opinion, HaShem makes His presence known in those ways in order to impress upon us that He is the Omnipotent Presence, and in order that we relate this to our children and they to their descendants for all time. This is the lesson of Yisro coming at this point. Whether you see it or hear about it, believe it and tell it over so that others come to believe and accept it as well.

The Ralbag adds that this is why the Yisro episode is introduced just prior to the saga of MatanTorah. Feeling, sensing, believing, knowing that HaShem is always near was a prerequisite for our being able to accept the Torah. Without attaining such a lofty level of clarity, who knows how people might have reacted to the events at Sinai? Maybe some would have been in shock. Maybe others would have been terrified. No one would have been able to appreciate what was taking place. It would have been like handing a precious gemstone to a child. He would either think it was pretty, edible, disposable or worthless.

The second lesson the Ralbag offers is an understanding of what Moshe needed to tell Yisro after all that Yisro had already grasped. It was more than just an eye-witness review. There was another reason for Moshe's detailed explanation. Whereas Yisro was deeply moved by all that he had heard, he was also deeply bothered. He had heard that many Egyptians had suffered. To top it off, the Jews had taken away Egyptian riches upon exiting Egypt. Where was the justice in this? How was that rationalized? How could HaShem sanction that?, Yisro asked.

This is what Moshe explained to him. There was a bigger story, a longer history, that Yisro had not known. There were the years of slavery. There was the genocide. There were the eventual warnings given Pharaoh, and his stubborn resistance. There were indeed Divinely ordained and severe punishments, and there was another side to these, which was the rescue of the Jewish people. The Egyptians began to understand who was right and what was appropriate. They even learned to admire the Jews, and to rethink their posture. The gifts were a partial demonstration of their contrition.

Hearing an event leaves some parts ambiguous and open to interpretation, or perception. Being given the chance to grasp the broader picture through the words of someone who was there and truly knew the reality, was the only way to put the ambiguous into accurate perspective. Thus, Yisro heard what he heard, and sought clarification from Moshe, who had seen the reality. Honest reporting.

Good Shabbos. D Fox