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Parshat Yitro
2005
Yitro and Moshe: From Independence to Interdependence
When we meet Moshe and the children of Israel in this week's Torah portion, less than three months have passed since their dramatic rescue from Pharaoh in Egypt and their triumphant march across the (temporarily parted) Red Sea. In the middle of this portion, in chapters 19 and 20 of the Book of Exodus, we witness the meeting of God and the children of Israel at Mount Sinai, culminating in the first appearance of the Ten Commandments. But this Torah portion is not known as "Sinai" or "Torah"; instead, it is called "Yitro," which begs the question: Why, between the deliverance of the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt and the unparalleled revelation at Sinai, does the Torah shift our focus to the character of Yitro, the father-in-law of Moshe?
Perhaps the best-known aspect of Yitro's story is his advice to Moshe on how to set up a system for governing the children of Israel and for adjudicating legal cases. In Exodus 18: 13-19, there is an incredible give-and-take between Yitro and the leader of the Israelites:
"Next day, Moshe sat as magistrate among the people, while the people stood about Moshe from morning until evening. But when Moshe's father-in-law saw how much he had to do for the people, he said, 'What is this thing that you are doing to the people? Why do you act alone, while all the people stand about you from morning until evening?' Moshe replied to his father-in-law, 'It is because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a dispute, it comes before me, and I decide between one person and another, and I make known the laws and teachings of God.' But Moshe's father-in-law said to him, 'The thing you are doing is not right; you will surely wear yourself out, and these people as well. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. Now listen to me. I will give you counsel, and God be with you!'"
Yitro proceeds to instruct Moshe to create a system of judges ("chiefs of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens") who will share the burden of lawmaking and governance with Moshe. The answer to the question of Yitro's importance seems apparent: He comes to teach Moshe a lesson about distributing the responsibilities of governance in order for Moshe - and the children of Israel - to be prepared to receive and then implement God's laws. This lesson is key, but Yitro's importance is much deeper than this.
A Closer Look
I believe that the reason for Yitro's presence is expressed in the very beginning of this Torah portion. In Exodus 18:1, we learn that "Yitro, priest of Midian, Moshe's father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moshe and for Israel His people" and then sets out with Moshe's wife, Zipporah, and his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, to meet Moshe in the wilderness. He finds Moshe at a critical juncture in his leadership - he is on the verge of burnout after the travails of the Exodus, which have included a series of crises: the terrifying lack of water (twice) and food, grumblings and the early stirrings of rebellion among the people and, most recently, a vicious attack by the nemesis of the Israelites, Amalek.
It is at this moment that Yitro comes, and in this context that Yitro does his most important work - he reminds Moshe of who he is; he helps Moshe understand his interdependence with those he cares about and who form his community; and he clarifies both the importance of his mission and strategies for how best to accomplish it.
Before any of this is possible, Yitro first must establish his relationship with Moshe as both a public leader and beloved family member. Thus he is called "priest of Midian, father-in-law of Moshe." Interestingly, the title "priest of Midian" immediately drops from the rest of the narrative, while "father-in-law" appears 13 times! The text seems to go out of its way to hammer home the relationship between Yitro and Moshe, one where Yitro is father-in-law, mentor, guide and even father figure.
With the relationship established, Yitro then proceeds to remind Moshe of who he is. We see this with the appearance of the two sons of Moshe, with their wonderfully evocative names. The first son, Gershom ("stranger there"), reminds Moshe of where he has come from: "I have been a stranger in a foreign land." This helps us - and Moshe himself - understand Moshe as the alienated outsider, an independent actor and leader. The second son, Eliezer ("my God is help"), making his first appearance in the Torah, reminds Moshe that, "the God of my father was help, and He delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh." This is an acknowledgment of God and of Moshe's reliance on this relationship. Both of these names, tellingly, are apt descriptions for the entire children of Israel; this family reunification helps Moshe understand the value of his relationship with his children - and with God - and helps him recognize his interdependence with all of the people of Israel.
Yitro next reframes Moshe's narrative to one of celebration and optimism, and of moving forward in relationship to God. Yitro has heard "all that God had done for Moshe and for Israel his people," but Moshe then relates "everything that God had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardships that had befallen them on the way." Immediately following Moshe's trauma-filled retelling, Yitro retells the story his own way, rejoicing over "all of the good that God did for Israel." He recites a blessing of thanksgiving (the first "Baruch Hashem" ever recorded!) and then brings a burnt offering and sacrifices for God. Here, Yitro provides the tools for Moshe (and for Aharon and the rest of the children of Israel) to be able to acknowledge the moment and appreciate his relationship with God.
It is only at this point that the text comes to the famous passage where Yitro advises Moshe on how to govern the people in a way that, as Yitro puts it, "you (Moshe) will be able to stand, and also this people will come to its place in peace." Moshe's leadership style until this point has been one of independence, and Yitro identifies the need to transform that style to one of interdependence, to an integration of the public with the private. Once this is accomplished, the children of Israel - and their singular leader, Moshe - are prepared to receive the Torah and to enter into a truly interdependent covenant with their creator.
As Hillel educators and professionals, the lessons brought by Yitro are critical for us to integrate into our own work, and to model for our students. We are able to be effective teachers and mentors only when we have developed a relationship based on trust and mutual connection. And we can only be effective leaders in the broader community when we recognize our interdependence, beginning with our intimate relationships of family and friends, and moving outward toward larger circles and broader missions in the world.
(In the spirit of interdependence, I would like to thank two of my teachers for their insights about Yitro: Dr. Bernard Steinberg, the director and president of Harvard Hillel, and my treasured colleague and mentor; and Judy Klitsner, my beloved Tanakh teacher at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem.)
Prepared by Michael Simon, director of programming, Harvard Hillel
Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Yitro at MyJewishLearning.com.
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