Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 12 Shevat, 5785

Good morning! Today we enter a new work week, and we read in today’s portion about Jethro confronting Moses.  How we handle information that challenges us, that pushes back on our world view, or our actions? Is the measurement in which we are growing and developing.

Today’s take away is expansion of the idea of moving from Judgement to Curiosity and now? To Contemplation.

What is contemplation, and how is it different than curiosity?

For me? Curiosity is a mind thing.  It’s an exploration of our mind trying to wrap our head around, speculate about, etc.

Contemplation is about moving OUT of our mind and INTO our hearts. How do we navigate the information in the body? How do we contemplate BEFORE reacting? If our body is triggered by something, how do we contemplate (with curiosity) what is happening?

This is the path to liberation and freedom. This is the rebirth. Can we move out of our own minds and into our bodies to take in the data our senses are collecting and integrate them into our experiences on a deeper level?

This is the lesson of Jethro.

What are your thoughts?

Here are my thoughts from last year:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 19 Shevat 5784
Parsha Yitro: (Exodus 18:1 – 20:23)
Second Portion: Exodus 18:13 – 18:23

Good morning! Yesterday was an amazing day. If you didn’t see it, I had an online discussion with Kristina Sullivan discussing the number 18, connecting it to co-dependence, sensitivity, and sacrifice. You can catch the discussion here.

Let’s dig in to today’s portion. The context for today is Jethro. He came to Moses and brought Moses’ family with him.  There was a reuniting that took place, and Jethro sacrificed to Hashem.  Let’s see what happens next:

13It came about on the next day that Moses sat down to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening.

14When Moses’ father in law saw what he was doing to the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing to the people? Why do you sit by yourself, while all the people stand before you from morning till evening?”

15Moses said to his father in law, “For the people come to me to seek God.

16If any of them has a case, he comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make known the statutes of God and His teachings.”

17Moses’ father in law said to him, “The thing you are doing is not good.

18You will surely wear yourself out both you and these people who are with you for the matter is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.

Wow. Wow. Jethro is speaking truth to Moses. “The thing you are doing is not good. You will surely wear yourself out – both you and these people who are with you.”

How is Moses going to respond? Will his ego say “Dude! I know what I am doing. You’ve been away for a long time, and you come back here to criticize me?” Or will he receive what Jethro is saying?

But Jethro goes on. He offers Moses UNSOLICITED ADVICE.

Um. I’m not sure about you – but I am not a fan when someone gives me advice I didn’t ask for. But let’s hear it Jethro:

19Now listen to me. I will advise you, and may the Lord be with you. [You] represent the people before God, and you shall bring the matters to God.

20And you shall admonish them concerning the statutes and the teachings, and you shall make known to them the way they shall go and the deed[s] they shall do.

21But you shall choose out of the entire nation men of substance, God fearers, men of truth, who hate monetary gain, and you shall appoint over them [Israel] leaders over thousands, leaders over hundreds, leaders over fifties, and leaders over tens.

22And they shall judge the people at all times, and it shall be that any major matter they shall bring to you, and they themselves shall judge every minor matter, thereby making it easier for you, and they shall bear [the burden] with you.

23If you do this thing, and the Lord commands you, you will be able to survive, and also, all this people will come upon their place in peace.”

What I notice here is Jethro acknowledges Hashem’s role in all of this. And in verse 23, he alludes to IF. “If you do this thing, and the Lord commands you…”  Jethro isn’t telling Moses to take HIS advice – he is encouraging Moses to focus on Hashem. This is beautiful advice!

How will Moses respond? We will have to wait until tomorrow!  In the mean time I reflect on how Moses MIGHT react.

Will Moses get defensive? Or will he receive Jethro’s advice fully?

Some of this has to do where Moses is at internally, doesn’t it? I see three options:

1. If Moses judges himself, and his judgment aligns with Jethro, then he will receive the advice from Jethro positively.
2. If Moses judges himself, and his judgment does NOT align with Jethro, then he will react poorly.
3. If Moses is CURIOUS instead of judgmental? Moses will reflect and consider – contemplate.

And this? Our takeaway I think.

I wrote in my commentary on Genesis, the path to freedom is Curiosity and Not Judgment. Today, the path to freedom is DEEPENED by moving from Curiosity to CONTEMPLATION

What is the difference?

Curiosity asks the questions and allows for answers.

Contemplation takes the possible answers and digs into them like a sandbox to discover what resonates most deeply.

This is the path to freedom from slavery.

What are your thoughts?