Title: Yitro Heard Something

Major Focus: Yitro (Jethro)

Minor Focus: Love for God

Abstract: What did Yitro hear that moved him to leave his comfortable home in Midian and join Moses and the people in the wilderness?

Format: Rabbinic Argument

"Yitro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, how God had brought Israel out of Egypt...Yitro, Moses' father-in-law, brought Moses' sons and wife to him in the wilderness, where he was camped at the mountain of God."

Exodus 18:1 and 5

What did Yitro hear to move him so?
1. Rashi: He heard the splitting of the Red Sea. He heard the war with the Amalekites. He was moved to go join Moses in the wilderness.

1. Do you think Rashi literally means Yitro heard the crash of the sea coming together or the shouts of the battle at Refidim?
2. What did move Yitro? What would move you to take such a long, dangerous journey to congratulate someone, even someone in your family?

2. Talmud: Many of the Sages do not understand this. He had a perfectly comfortable home in Midian. He could have believed in God and worshipped perfectly well from where he was.

1. Why is it reasonable to predict that Yitro lived a very "cushy" life in Midian?
2. Why didn't Yitro stay home and worship God from where he was? What did he want from Moses?

3. Bunim of Psiche: You cannot worship God and expect to maintain your faith all alone. One must nurture a relationship with a teacher and a community. Otherwise, one falls into doubt. Yitro needed to join Moses to learn and build his faith.

1. Why is community so important in establishing a faith relationship with God? Give examples.
2. Do you have doubts about God or faith? How would a teacher help with your doubts? Is it wrong to have doubts? Does it make you a bad person?

4. Chasam Sofer: Yitro was moved to join Moses at the mountain of God. Yitro realized that human beings can find places that are sanctified and fit for God to dwell. Moses stopped at Mount Sinai because God indicated that should be considered a holy place.

1. Why are some places more fitting for Divine worship than others? Where do you most feel like worship?
2. If the whole world is God's "holy mountain," than why did God direct the people to Mount Sinai and later to Tabernacles, Temples, and synagogues?

5. Sanhedrin 94a: Yitro heard of all that Moses had accomplished, and rushed to join him in the wilderness. When he got there, he said, "Blessed be God!" (Exodus 18:10) Why should a gentile have been the first one to say the blessing? Moses should have spoken what he knew in his heart!

1. What is the irony in a gentile being the first person in Biblical history to say, "Thank God!"?
2. Are the Rabbis of Sanhedrin angry with Moses for not saying it first? Are they jealous, of what?

6. Shlomo of Radomsk: Well, in all fairness, Moses and the Children of Israel did sing the Song of the Sea, which is also a wonderful blessing for God. The difference is that Moses and the Israelites praised and blessed God for kindnesses done for them directly. Yitro, on the other hand, praised God for kindnesses showed to others, not himself. He was the first one to do that. He should be commended for that. It is no wonder a weekly Torah portion is named for him, gentile or not!

1. The Song of the Sea is a much longer blessing than the little words Yitro said. Why then should the Rabbis have been jealous of Yitro?
2. What does Rabbi Shlomo think of Yitro? Did it make any difference to him that he was gentile? Why not?
3. What is the honor of having a weekly Torah portion named Yitro, after all the name is always taken from the first important word(s)?