The long-awaited moment has finally arrived…almost. For more than 2,000 years, humanity drifted aimlessly in a religious void. Torah had yet to descend to this world, and the entire universe was flawed. The chosen people—who had been designated to receive the Torah—were submerged in a brutal bondage and trapped in Egypt. Suddenly the Jews were delivered, as centuries of slavery were swept away in a few hours of redemption. A mere seven weeks had elapsed, and that very people were positioned near the mountain, primed to accept Torah and usher in a new era of human history.
Yet, this great moment is delayed for the arrival of Yitro who is ferrying Moshe’s family. It is unclear whether the arrival of this entourage actually delayed the delivery of the Torah. However, from a purely textual perspective, their arrival is presented as a vital precondition for the delivery of the Torah. In fact, their arrival confers this parsha with its name, Yitro. Presumably, our epic parsha should enjoy a more dramatic name such as “Torah” or “Sinai.” Yet it is titled Yitro in deference to the rather mundane and insignificant story of this arrival. Why is this episode so significant that it is inserted as the opening section of the parsha? Certainly, a few brief pesukim would have sufficed to describe his arrival and the subsequent advice he offers his overworked son-in-law. The Torah’s extensive description of their arrival, coupled with the fact that the parsha is named Yitro, indicates that Yitro’s arrival is a crucial prelude to Har Sinai.
Firstly, Yitro’s arrival is crucial in building the profile of Moshe Rabbeinu. During the dangerous faceoff between Pharaoh and Moshe, Moshe’s family was sequestered in Midyan. Their safety comes first, and practical security concerns demanded their being sidelined. However, Moshe must be reunited with them prior to Har Sinai. The experiences at Sinai delivers Divine Torah but also inaugurates Moshe as the first in the historical chain of rabbinic authority. God instructs Moshe that “I will speak directly to you so that the people witness this conversation and believe in you forever (v’gam b’cha ya’aminu l’olam).” Of course, Moshe will inevitably decease, and their belief in Moshe as a person cannot outlast his death. Instead, this verse describes the rabbinic tradition that Moshe symbolizes and launches. By witnessing Moshe freely walking into the terrifying fire and directly conversing with God, the Jews were able to identify Moshe as the first link in the mesorah tradition. Har Sinai spotlights Moshe as the first and greatest rabbinic interpreter of our tradition.
It is imperative that precisely at this moment of unsurpassed religious achievement Moshe be presented as a married father rather than a solitary bachelor. Judaism doesn’t blush at marital life nor does it ignore domestic responsibilities of child raising. Torah pervades the totality of human affairs and a person stands in the presence of God throughout the varieties of human experience. To highlight the integration between life in the “Temple” and life in the “home,” Moshe must stand atop this mountain as a married man tending to his children and assisting his wife.
For many reasons, the modern era has severely challenged family life. In the previous generation, the rising demands of professional advancement competed with our ability to spend quality time with our family. In this generation an additional challenge has challenged family life; tablets and screens devour our time and distract our attention from the actual humans in our lives. Moreover, classic roles within marriages have also been altered and this has further stressed modern marriages. Finally, the general cultural atmosphere that eschews “commitment” has thwarted our ability to invest in long-term relationships. Our lives as spouses and parents is every bit a part of our religious experience as ritual performance and Torah study. If anything, given the social and emotional challenges of the modern world, healthy family relationships may be even more vital in assuring a rich and stable lifetime of meaningful religious experience.
Moshe’s reunion with Yitro as an introduction to Matan Torah is crucial for a second reason. At this stage of history, the word of God is being contracted and channeled to a particular nation. Though Torah and its messages were originally intended for an international audience, humanity proved incapable of fully embracing the word of God. In fact, a well-known Midrash portrays God offering Torah to various non-Jewish cultures only to have His offer rebuffed due to stringencies that were viewed as too harsh by these intended non-Jewish recipients. Only the Jewish nation possessed the imaginative courage and deep-seated faith to respond with a na’aseh v’nishma pledge. Though Torah will now be streamed through the parochial Jewish experience, its messages are still intended for an international clientele. Yitro’s presence at Har Sinai represents that global audience. There is some debate as to whether Yitro actually attended Har Sinai or departed for home prior to the commencement of the great day. The uncertainty surrounds the pasuk’s announcement that he returned to his land. Though the description is written prior to the events at Har Sinai, its exact chronology is debated. Regardless of the chronology, the Torah inserts his arrival before Har Sinai to highlight the presence of an international figure prior to the commencement of Matan Torah.
We live in an era of national renewal on many fronts. In Israel, we have returned to our birthright and resettled our homeland under Jewish sovereignty. Across the
broader Jewish world, we have witnessed a welcome and exhilarating revival of Torah study and religious thirst. These national gains may obscure a more universal role of Judaism: to present God and His will to all of humanity. Perhaps, at our stage of history our primary investment must be internal—to revamp our national fiber and rebuild our homeland. However, attitudinally, we must not abdicate the ultimate prophetic vision of God’s knowledge covering the entire earth as the sea covers the ocean bed.
Yitro’s arrival, which seems to be an uninspiring occurrence, actually sets the stage for Har Sinai in two important manners. Firstly, it reinforces Moshe’s profile as a married father standing atop the mountain in the greatest moment of religious achievement in the history of man. Secondly, it introduces an international figure to the pre-Matan Torah preparations, to emphasize the universal horizons of Torah. Though we may currently walk in seemingly narrower “spaces,” we mustn’t forget these broader horizons.
By Moshe Taragin
Rabbi Moshe Taragin is a rebbe at Yeshivat Har Etzion located in Gush Etzion, where he resides.
