Parsha Yitro 5767: The Bow, the Kiss and Drawing Another Up

Shem Mishmuel writes on our parsha about Yitro’s journey to the camp of the B’nai Yisrael, his heartfelt desire to join the B’nai Yisrael and the meeting between Moshe and Yitro.

When Yitro arrived;

Moshe went out to greet his father-in-law, and he bowed and kissed him, and each man asked after the welfare of his friend, and they came into the tent. (Shemos Perek 18, posuk 7)

And Shem Mishmuel cites Rashi who renders;

“And he bowed and kissed him” — we don’t know who bowed to whom. [But] once the verse says “man”, who is called man other than Moshe, as it is written, And the man Moshe (Bamidbar 12.3).

He continues by indicating that Moshe’s bow to Yitro was not out of any desire on Yitro’s part for honor, but rather was out of his desire that Moshe avail himself to be able to connect with him on his [Yitro’s] level. Thus, Yitro sends the following message to Moshe from enroute to the B’nai Yisrael;

I, your father-in-law am coming to you, and your wife and two sons with her. (Shemos Perek 18, posuk 6)

Shem Mishmuel cites Rashi who renders the posuk;

I, your father-in-law — if you don’t come out [to meet me] on my behalf, come out on behalf of your wife. If you don’t come out because of your wife, come out on behalf of your two sons.

Shem Mishmuel then cites the embraces and kisses between Naomi and her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah; that Orpah returned the kiss thus rejecting Naomi’s influence and seeking to return to her family and it’s avodah zora while Ruth embraced and clung to Naomi, being drawn to her by her [Naomi’s] spirit.

We learn that when Moshe bowed and kissed Yitro, “Yitro was immediately drawn to Moshe’s great level of spirituality.” And following this, we learn that “each man asked after the welfare of his friend.”

Shem Mishmuel renders the loshen here of “friend” to always refer to someone who is Jewish. But he writes that “the meeting ostensibly took place before Yitro converted” conveying “the message that Yitro was successfully elevated” even before he was converted.

Again, the comparison with the story of Ruth “for once Ruth declared
her intention to remain with Naomi…. they were considered equals.” (Sefer Shem Mishmuel, Parsha Yitro, pages 143-145)

This author attended a very special Chassuna (wedding) this week.

The Rav’s son became a Chosson. And this attribute described above regarding Moshe Rabbeinu in his meeting with Yitro, the attribute of
connecting with someone on his [Yitro’s] level, is a strong-suit of our Rav. This author has experienced this attribute on the part of The Rav in numerous instances, and it is an attribute which Eliyohu shares, as do all of The Rav’s sons — right down to who will finish first in the NL East (Phillies, of course).

And in the brief exchanges so far with the Kallah’s family, they have shown themselves to be warm and caring.

To the Chosson and Kallah, many years, to at least 120 years of happiness, health, prosperity and nachas from each other, from their children — may the son’s be huge Talmidei Chachamim and the daughters women of valor (for lack of the loshen for Aishet Chayil in the plural) and may the family and extended families alway bring credit upon B’nai Yisrael and be sources of Kiddush Hashem. Amen.

May we be zocha in this coming year that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently settled and be made totally whole, that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard and the 3 captive Chayalim and the other MIAs be liberated and returned to us and that we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nai Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Yom Hashem V’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bim hay v’yameinu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!