Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 18 Shevat 5784
Parsha Yitro: (Exodus 18:1 – 20:23)
First Portion: Exodus 18:1 – 18:12

Good morning! What a great day to start the new week. Today is the 18 of Shevat. As we are in this time of blessing and kindness after Tu B’Shevat, the number 18 is SUPER significant in Judaism.  18 represents “Life” and “Completeness.” This is because the Hebrew alphabet has 18 letters AND the numerical value of the word “chai”(which means life) is 18.

So TODAY – things we are working on and allowing? Will bring us COMPLETENESS. They will bring us LIFE. That gets me super excited.  It is really interesting.  We left off yesterday with the war ending. Peace. Peace within us. Now, we get a visit from Moses’ father in law:

1Now Moses’ father in law, Jethro, the chieftain of Midian, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, His people that the Lord had taken Israel out of Egypt.

2So Moses’ father in law, Jethro, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after she had been sent away,

3and her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom, because he [Moses] said, “I was a stranger in a foreign land,”

4and one who was named Eliezer, because [Moses said,] “The God of my father came to my aid and rescued me from Pharaoh’s sword.”

5Now Moses’ father in law, Jethro, and his [Moses’] sons and his wife came to Moses, to the desert where he was encamped, to the mountain of God.

Ok. So this is really interesting.  We almost forgot Zipporah, right? It would seem that before Moses led the people out of Egypt, he sent his family BACK to Midian and Jethro.

Family. I am really reflecting on the idea of family. How we send people off to war, and they return to family. How we send women and children away and we fight battles and our family is restored.

As we fight our battles within us. The wars within us – protecting our family seems to be important from the Torah.  How often do we sacrifice our family because we are not willing to shield them from the war within us?  I think of parents fighting a custody battle. Or a parent struggling with addiction; or just even anger.

The Torah would seem to indicate – Moses knew what he had to do in Egypt -and he made sure his family was SAFE.

What is the takeaway for us?

Do the people around us feel safe? Is this something we even reflect on? How do we engage?

Now – I am not necessarily responsible for the safety of adults – and at the same time I care about that.  Sometimes I share things that push people outside their comfort zones – and they struggle to find safety.

I AM however responsible for the safety of my children. And how many of us as parents feel shame and guilt because we know we don’t do a great job of this?

And – how much guilt do we feel because WE DON’T FEEL SAFE and do things to work on our own safety – healthy and unhealthy – that impact our kids safety?

These are reflection questions for us.  Moses took care of his family. How can we, in this moment, take care of ours?

Let’s keep going:

6And he said to Moses, “I, Jethro, your father in law, am coming to you, and [so is] your wife and her two sons with her. “

7So Moses went out toward Jethro, prostrated himself and kissed him, and they greeted one another, and they entered the tent.

What a reconciliation – Moses entrusted his family to Jethro to keep them safe. He did that. Moses kissed his FEET to show his appreciation and admiration. Then, Moses explains how crucial his work was:

8Moses told his father in law [about] all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians on account of Israel, [and about] all the hardships that had befallen them on the way, and [that] the Lord had saved them.

9Jethro was happy about all the good that the Lord had done for Israel, that He had rescued them from the hands of the Egyptians.

Moses shared EVERYTHING that happened – what Jethro’s daughter and grandkids were shielded and protected from. And – not only was he relieved – he was HAPPY because he saw Hashem doing good for Israel!

10[Thereupon,] Jethro said, “Blessed is the Lord, Who has rescued you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, Who has rescued the people from beneath the hand of the Egyptians.

11Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the deities, for with the thing that they plotted, [He came] upon them.”

12Then Moses’ father in law, Jethro, sacrificed burnt offering[s] and [peace] offerings to God, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to dine with Moses’ father in law before God.

Jethro ACKNOWLEDGED Hashem – “I know.” And then? Jethro sacrificed offerings to Hashem. And it was a FEAST.

Full stop as we come to an end.

Jethro wasn’t a child of Israel. And yet, the elders ACCEPTED that he was making an offering to Hashem. They DINED with Jethro. The ATE with him.

I get this question a lot from non-Jews. “What is our role with Judaism? Can we be Jewish? Is the Torah for us?”

Today’s portion answers AT LEAST one of those questions.

The Torah is for ALL OF US. Jethro said “I know.”  When you read the Torah. When you KNOW in your heart. And you RESPOND.  As Children of Israel? If our elders of our ancestors could sit down and dine with Jethro’s sacrifice to Hashem? We are SAFE to do the same.

This is the takeaway. What are your thoughts?

Here is my thought from two years ago.  Last year, I did not add anything to it:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 14 Shevat, 5782

Today is the day before Tu B’Shevat! The idea is that the harshness of this month turns and becomes Chesed (kindness). That trees are planted in the middle of harshness and kindness is really poetic. I think about a tree and the harshness of the root system. It’s not pretty. It’s hard and strong. And it keeps the tree stable when strong winds blow.

And the tree also blossoms; it produces fruit. It is kindness. We are getting ready to move in that direction! I am excited!

This weeks Parsha is Yitro. (Jethro). He is Moses’ father in law. He rejected his own culture and wisdom and followed the Jewish people into the desert. That is something really interesting to consider as we move forward here. How many would be in a position to reject our own culture to follow God to a desert? And that is where we are in the Torah!

The portion transitions from the war with Amalek to Jethro coming to Moses. There are two ways to respond towards Israel (and Hashem). We can fight what Hashem is doing, or we can leave behind our culture and wisdom to follow Him. Who are we going to engage inside of us? Jethro or Amalek? The decision is freely ours.

Jethro comes to Moses with Zipporah (Moses wife who was sent away because he was entering Egypt). He sends a message before his arrival, and Moses goes out to meet him. Moses bows down and kissed Jethro. The caught up on each other’s lives and entered the tent.

Moses shared all God had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake. And the hardships that had befallen them on the way (with the sea and Amalek) and how God had saved them.

Jethro rejoiced (although some interpretations says “his flesh became prickly with unease”) about the good God had done for Israel. Jethro said “Blessed is God, who has rescued you from the hand of Egypt (a mighty nation), and from the hand of Pharaoh (a mighty king); who has rescued the people from the tyranny of Egypt. Now I know that God is greater than all the deities I have worshiped in the past, for with the same thing that they plotted (drowning Jewish babies in water) God punished them, by drowning the Egyptians in the sea.

Jethro then sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to God.

He basically converted to Judaism. This also allowed the Torah to be given because Jethro showed that the Torah could even penetrate the profane because Jethro had a history and expertise in idol worship and that was elevated to holiness with Jethro’s conversion.

So interesting that we see a different response to Israel and to God. Do we battle him like Amalek? Or do we join him like Jethro. As non-Jews where do you see yourselves when it comes to Israel? When it comes to Hashem?