* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
1) This week’s parasha, Yitro, is the fifth parasha of Sefer Shemot.
At the heart of the parasha is the Revelation on Mount Sinai and the Giving of the Torah. Amidst all the noise and “fake news,” the Ten Commandments are proclaimed loud and clear. Our sages call on us to imagine ourselves standing at the foot of the mountain and receiving these 10 lofty principles.
2) The Divine Revelation on Sinai to an entire nation was unprecedented and left a powerful impact on the world. The revealed principles are embraced as the moral obligations of humanity: the belief in one God, the prohibitions against murder and stealing, the observing of Shabbat—a weekly day of rest, honoring our parents, and repudiating idolatry. Many detailed mitzvot and laws are derived from these guiding principles.
3) Note that the most repeated phrase in the Ten Commandments is lo—“You shall not.” In fact, this phrase appears 13 times in this ancient and holy text. It is critical to remember that the Ten Commandments focus on our obligations— not on what is permitted, but what is prohibited. The Torah demands that human beings exercise restraint and create a world with clear boundaries and red lines. The message of the Ten Commandments reverberates especially loudly today in our virtual and digital world, in which we are constantly inundated with advertisements and distractions and are challenged to set clear boundaries for ourselves and to rein in our desires and temptations (“You shall not covet; You shall not commit adultery”). Moreover, to our great distress, our murderous enemies have yet to internalize the basic command of “You shall not kill.”
4) And why is this parasha called Yitro? Yitro is the father-in-law of Moshe Rabbienu, the prophet . Yitro is thrilled when he hears about the great miracles performed for the nation of Israel and overjoyed by our moving and sacred story. He recognizes the Master of the Universe and decides to join our nation.
5) At the beginning of the parasha, Yitro also gives Moshe important advice: not to take on himself the entire burden of judging the people, but to appoint judges who will support him in this onerous task. Thus, he teaches the importance of delegating authority and using our time and resources effectively. In Moshe’s case, this isn’t a simple tip but a transformational suggestion: Moshe begins to share his divine and holy mission with others who will work together as a team to judge the people.
May we merit to experience again the sublime feeling of standing together at the foot of Mount Sinai.
Weekly Shiur in Hebrew:
