Parshas Yisro: Outside Advice

 The modern insularity of the traditional Jewish community is fascinating on many sociological levels. As pure as we often declare ourselves, there are not a few ways in which the outside world has influenced our traditional life, although we have often created weighty dispositions on why these are acceptable. Lengthy, indeed unending, debates could be had over whether this is good or bad, and why it is that in our most recent eras the Jewish people have become particularly wary of outside influence. At the same time, it is important to be honest with ourselves and recognize that sometimes good things come from unexpected places.

 This week, we read about Yisro, the father-in-law of Moshe. Yisro was a man of great accomplishment who was seen as a leader among his own people. According to the Midrash, he was once an advisor to Pharaoh and he was a man who had explored every system of faith that then existed. In the Torah itself, he is listed as a priest of Midian (Shemos 2:18). This man, this foreigner who worshiped an array of false beliefs, is named seven times in the first perek of this week’s parsha and referenced as Moshe/his father-in-law without his name another seven times. For those familiar with the idea that the Torah does not waste words, that is an exceptional number of mentions. Even more so, the entire parsha is called in his name.

 Yisro is best known for advising Moshe to set up a system of judges and not to bear the burden of administrating Klal Yisrael by himself. He came to Moshe, bringing Moshe’s wife Tzipora and their two sons, in the time between the crossing of the Yam Suf and the arrival of Bnei Yisrael at Sinai. Their reunion appears to have been one of great fanfare, with Moshe lavishing attention upon his father-in-law. During this time, Moshe recounts all that has happened and Yisro praises Hashem and acknowledges His power. The next day, Yisro witnesses how Moshe single-handedly sits as magistrate settling disputes among the people. Yisro’s great advice is to set up a layered system of judges so that Moshe only has to deal with the most difficult of cases, leaving him time for all of his other responsibilities.

 To be honest, and perhaps the perspective is warped by having lived in a society built upon the foundations of biblical law, this does not seem like some sort of particularly brilliant, unfathomable idea. Certainly, great empires, and even smaller fiefdoms of the time, had hierarchical systems. So why does the Torah make such a big deal about Yisro’s suggestion?

 There are several layers of answers. While it may not have been a unique concept in the world, it was advice from which all of Klal Yisrael benefitted, and for this reason it would be worth mentioning. Another reason so many pasukim are dedicated to this topic is as a lesson of hakaras hatov, recognizing the good; It is a reward for Yisro for the good that he did for Klal Yisrael.

 It might be, however, that Hashem wanted there to be a written record of how Klal Yisrael can benefit from others. Although the Midrash tells us that Yisro converted to Judaism, this is as yet to come. It is obvious that he has great sympathy for the Israelites, especially after hearing the details of their journey and the miraculous feats that brought them out of Mitzrayim. Yisro makes his suggestion to Moshe without any motive other than to benefit Moshe and Klal Yisrael, and his system is implemented even before the Jewish people receive the Ten Commandments at Har Sinai.

After centuries of persecution, the modern Jewish community is often loathe to let other people into their world. There are good reasons for this, especially in a time when so many popular mores and morals are antithetical to basic Torah values. From Parshas Yisro, however, we are given a clear message that good advice can come from without just as much as from within, and indeed, sometimes it takes an outside point of view to help us see our challenges.

 

This Dvar Torah is dedicated for. a refuah shelaims for Rivka bas Golda and liluy NIshmas Dovid Chaim ben Shmuel Yosef Hacohen

To Be a Goy Kadosh (extra post for Yisro)

One of the most powerful and beautiful injunctions in the Torah is the commandment to the Jewish people to be a goy kadosh, a holy nation. With such weight put to this singular role, it is surprising to look, analyze, and assess the transformation of the word goy from a general term for a nation to a word that our children are indoctrinated to immediately associate with others, with outsiders, with people who are lesser.

This Dvar Torah was actually started months ago, when a child, not my own, made a derogatory comment about goyim and was unable to accept or process the fact that the term goy, in its pure, original meaning, could be used for the Jewish people just as much as for the rest of the world. I apologize now for those who will find my language demanding or hashkafically challenged. This is truly me sharing from my heart.

In teaching our children to disparage, to hate or disdain, "the goyim," we are doing terrible damage to ourselves. Hashem literally instructs us, just before giving us His greatest gift, to “be a mamlechas cohanim and a goy kadosh.” Hashem is appointing us an incredible opportunity! We are a nation chosen to be able to connect with the divine and to represent Hashem’s greatness in the world. Why does this need to be done at the expense of others?

When we build ourselves up only by putting others down, we are actually making ourselves so much smaller. Of course, we have a necessity to keep ourselves separate, to secure the neshamos of our children and the precious gift of the Torah that is our inheritance. Without question we do not want our children emulating the outside world - but when you tell them how lowly the goyim are and then they meet fine, upstanding people, what does this say about our own perception of others who are also Betzelem Elokim... and then we wonder why children won't behave properly for their non-Jewish teachers! Certainly, we have been forewarned that the other nations will persecute us, but they are persecuting us at God’s will for our aveiros, so their persecution - when it is real and not simply perceived - is not an excuse to hold our heads higher and speak ill of them, but rather it is a means for us to check our egos and realign ourselves with our mission.

When we look at the world, we have to stop seeing and thinking in terms of us versus them, that's not the world Hashem wanted us to build. He gave us the Torah so that we have the power of creating a society with us leading them, showing them the way to being ovdei Hashem.

When we read Parshas Yisro we look at the amazing words of the Aserest Hadibros, and we see the foundation steps to building a moral civilization. That’s not a civilization just for us, but Hashem’s goal for all of the world. Let us strive to live up to our roles in the greater world by focusing on our beauty, our grandeur, and our responsibility, and the rest of the world as the creations of Hashem whom we need to inspire.

National Purpose (Yisro #2)

What is your purpose in life? We all have our own answers to this question, both broad answers - such as being an aved Hashem (a servant of God) - and more focused answers - such as, perhaps, writing the great American novel. But the reality is that we all find ourselves wondering about our purpose as we, and it, change throughout our lifetimes.

Wanting to understand why we are here and what we should be aiming for is an integral part of human nature. When we don't know our purpose, we risk wandering aimlessly. This is true of individuals and of collective groups of nations such as Klal Yisrael.

Stuck in slavery, the Hebrews were not able to think about their ultimate purpose. They knew, however, that their identity as Bnei Yisrael meant that they had a destiny, that they were meant to be more than slaves. They called out to God, and He sent Moshe to lead them out of slavery and to save them from the Egyptians and the initial perils of the wilderness (the need for food, water, etc). When they arrived at the wilderness at Sinai, Hashem knew that now that their worries of freedom and survival were behind them that they would start to think about their purpose and their goals. Now, therefore, was the time to set before them the Torah, the laws by which He expected them to lead their lives. Before He began transmitting the Aseres Hadibros (Ten Commandments), before He even asked Bnei Yisrael if they would accept His laws, Hashem told Moshe and Aharon to tell Bnei Yisrael what He desires their purpose to be: "And you shall be to Me a ממלכת כהנים kingdom of priests and גוי קדושׁ a holy nation" (19:6).

Accepting the Torah means accepting this eternal purpose for our existence as a people. The two work together. Our purpose is to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, and the framework of what we need to do to accomplish this is laid out in the Torah. The laws of the Torah empower us to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
One might ask, and many commentators do ask, why two different terms are used. One common opinion (e.g. Ramban) is that being a ממלכת כהנים, a nation of priests, is our purpose for Olam Hazeh, because in this world we can be to the world like our kohanim are to Am Yisrael - we can teach and guide and provide avodah to Hashem; while being a גוי קדושׁ, a holy nation, is for Olam Habah, for the next world, since being kadosh is more passive than active.

One could also look at the dual terminology as guidelines for our outer world and our inner world. When dealing with the world at large, we must strive to be a ממלכת כהנים, a kingdom of priests. The term ממלכת (kingdom) is very interesting. It is generally understood that the term melech (king) implies a leader whom the people wish to have rule (as opposed to a moshel, which is a leader who comes to rule because of his power). Perhaps the goal of being a ממלכת כהנים is that the people of the the world will want to look to the Jewish people to represent them in serving Hakodesh Baruch Hu. The only way this happens, however, is by making certain that our inner world is a גוי קדושׁ, a holy nation.

Goy Kadosh is also an interesting term. We generally translate kadosh as holy because it seems the easiest word to use, but often a more accurate translation would be sanctified, a word that implies being set aside for God. That could lead one to think that the ideal is for Bnei Yisrael to be set aside, to isolate themselves in pursuit of kedusha, but Hashem ties kadosh to the word goy - a nation or people, which is a term that can apply to every nation. It is, perhaps, a subtle reminder that being kadosh in Judaism means being connected to the world. We cannot be a goy kadosh without recognizing ourselves among the goyim of the world.

Rabbeinu Bachya also points out that the word גוי can be understood as being possessive and that the term could be translated as “a nation that belongs to the Holy One.” Adding yet another layer to the already rich meaning of this pasuk. Being titled a ממלכת כהנים could give Bnei Yisrael an arrogance to think that they are superior to the world, but Hashem immediately reminds them that what now sets them apart is their relationship to Him, not their relationship to other nations.

Parshas Yisro is the parsha during which we recall the moments when we became the “Chosen People,” but perhaps these multi-faceted reflections on what it means to be a ממלכת כהנים and a גוי קדושׁ (a kingdom of priests and a holy nation) will provide us with some further ideas to think about as we strive toward fulfilling our individual purposes and our national goals.

To read last year’s post on Parshas Yisro, please click here: https://cthedawn.blogspot.com/…/better-watch-boundaries.html

Better Watch the Boundaries (Yisro)

Today I would like to discuss boundaries – not the controversial type like the border wall, but the more personal ones that we build in our lives. From a Jewish perspective, our traditions are full of gedarim, boundaries created to protect halacha. As a parent, I have read a lot about the importance of parentally established boundaries for our children, and this really is true for adults as well. Boundaries help us thrive.
In this week’s parsha, as Bnei Yisrael arrived at Mount Sinai, Hashem provided Moses with instructions for how the people were to prepare themselves to receive the Torah. One of the primary instructions God gave to Moshe was: “You shall set bounds for the people round about, saying, ‘Beware of going up the mountain or touching the border of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death” (Shemos 19:12). Moshe does so, and the people and the kohanim began their preparations. When Moshe then went up the mountain, God repeated this prohibition: “Go down, warn the people not to break through to the Lord to gaze, lest many of them perish” (ibid. 19:21). In response, Moshe says to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You warned us saying, ‘Set bounds about the mountain and sanctify it.’” So the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come back together with Aaron; but let not the priests or the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest He break out against them” (ibid. 19:23-24).
The instructions for creating a boundary are well known, but I was intrigued by the particular details of the prohibition: “Beware of going up the mountain or touching the border of it” (19:12). Perhaps it was the specification of making certain not to touch even the boundaries, but these words made me think of the story of the Eitz Hadas, the Tree of Knowledge. Hashem told Adam not to eat from the tree, Eve believed that she was not allowed to eat or touch the tree and the snake deceived her by showing her that she could touch the tree. This, of course, led to the rest of the story and humankind’s banishment from the Garden of Eden.
These two boundaries mark, in some way, the beginning point of two epochs. The transmission of the Torah to the Children of Israel was the beginning of the era of focused kedusha, when God assigned the Children of Israel with the task of bringing His kedusha to the world. Before that was the era of Adam, a time when all of humankind was living through the repercussions of a wrong choice (eating the fruit) that prevented the Messianic Age, for if Adam and Chava had not eaten from the Tree of Knowledge, the world would have immediately entered an ideal state.
In Parshas Yisro, on the verge of this new era, Hashem provides and reinforces more explicit directions about what not to do. And when Moshe argues that the people understand, Hashem insists that they be repeated.
I found this possible connection an interesting thing to contemplate in light of the time in which we live. In Western societies, boundaries of all types are being ignored, argued, or dissolved. In my opinion, there has been a general degradation in respect for authorities. Our boundaries of public and private have been diminished by the ever-going present social media. Alexas and Google-dots have been brought into people’s homes and there is much discussion about exactly how much control one can have of one’s privacy with these seemingly innocent AI’s in our homes. Maintaining boundaries is harder than ever.
Parshas Yisro is the parsha of the giving of the Torah, the ultimate rule book. Perhaps from this interaction of Hashem and Moshe, when Hashem reiterates his instructions even after Moshe argues that the people understand not to go up the mountain, we can be reminded of the importance of reviewing the boundaries in our own lives.