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Our parsha has taught over the years about the mutual admiration, love and respect which existed between Moshe Rabbeinu and his father-in-law Yitro, the former advisor to Pharoh.
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 the 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 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.”
Yithro seems to have earned the honor of a parsha named for him many times over. For Hashem instilled in him the ability to enunciate a Torah judiciary system which Moshe enacted shortly thereafter and which has served as the basis for upholding Torah law through the ages.
Yithro imparted to Moshe;
“You will provide out of all the people able men, such as fear Hashem, men of truth hating lucre (gain, money, riches); and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.” (Perek 18, posuk 21)
The sefer Torah Gems, by Aharon Yaakov Greenberg (Volume 2, page 130), provides a citing on the words; “Able men, such as fear Hashem, men of truth…” through illustrating a dispute which took place between R’ Menachem Mendl of Kotzk and R’ Shneur Zalman of Liadi;
There were those who tried to make peace between the two sides and when they came to R’ Menachem Mendl about this, he said; “Yithro told Moshe to appoint as leaders able men who feared Hashem, men of truth, etc., but it does not mention anything about men of peace. Why? The reason is that peace by itself is nothing special. A person who wishes to lie and flatter others can remain at peace with everyone. However when both sides fear Hashem and are men of truth, each fighting for his own truth, such disputes do not pose any danger…. If both sides fear Hashem and are men of truth, peace will come of its own accord.
Torah Gems also brings this citing from Seforno on Perek 18, posuk 25;
“And Moshe chose able men out of all Israel…”
Not only must Jewish leaders fear Hashem but they must be able men, with the requisite wisdom and ability to act, who will know the enemy and how to protect the people from him.
Regrettably, today’s national leaders, the Shoftim and Shotrim of the current medinat Israel have neither the righteousness of principle nor the wisdom and ability to act — not against external enemies and not against the internal ones; regarding the Land of Israel as well as political and judicial corruption, graft and cruelty perpetrated against their fellow Jews.
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!!!
Good Shabbos!
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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of The Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
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