Parshat Yitro is the pinnacle of the past week’s parshiot, as we read about Matan Torah and the events that surrounded this monumental moment. While the climax of the parsha comes at its conclusion with the delivery of the Ten Commandments, the story of Yitro that precedes the giving of the Torah teaches an important lesson about what characteristics enable an individual to accept, appreciate, and live a life of Torah. The parsha begins:
Now Moses' father in law, Yitro, the chieftain of Midian, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, His people that the Lord had taken Israel out of Egypt (Ex. 18:1)
Chazal debate at what point this happened in the chronology of events. Regardless of whether or not it happened before Matan Torah (as Rashi seems to suggest) or afterwards (as Ibn Ezra claims), the mere fact that the Torah records this event as a preface to Matan Torah suggests that a lesson is to be gleaned from this juxtaposition.
The very fact that Yitro joined the Jewish people and accepted a life of Torah and mitzvot is in it of itself a reminder that we are a privileged people to have been handed this Divine guidebook and the Divine mission that comes along with it. I think there is perhaps an even deeper lesson to learn from the episode that makes Yitro an exemplar of how to receive the Torah.
It is clear from the text that Yitro was a distinguished man, as he is referred to as kohen Midian, a chieftan of Midian. If Yitro had been a man of no status, it would be conceivable that he was attracted to the glory and the fame of this Godly nation. And yet, the Torah goes out of its way to remind us of his esteemed position when he left in Midian - making his decision to join Israel in the desert considerably more noteworthy. Yitro was ready to forfeit his dignified position in Midian to be a less prominent member of Klal Yisrael; he was willing to give up part of himself for the sake of something he believed in.
Moshe Rabbeinu demonstrates a similar ability to negate his ego for something beyond himself. After years of serving as the leader of the Jewish people, one might imagine Moshe would be hesitant to forfeit his almost absolute influence and jurisdiction by appointing judges to work beneath him. The fact that Moshe so readily limited his sphere of control over the people proves that he was not at all driven by a sense of pride or self-righteousness, but by his genuine desire to implement the word of God.
Like Yitro, Moshe was able to subordinate himself in some way for the sake of a higher and greater purpose, which was more satisfying and gratifying than personal power and honor. The ability to give up a part of one’s sense of authority for something beyond oneself can actually be empowering. Perhaps in this light, making self-sacrifices in order to be part of something more valuable and meaningful is not really a sacrifice at all.
An insight of the Imrei Emet highlights this characteristic that Yitro and Moshe model for us. The Midrash tells us that the tall mountains argued with one another to be the mountain upon which the Torah would be given. But,as we know, Hashem chose instead the smallest of mountains, Har Sinai – the one mountain that actually lowered itself. Surely if the lesson to be learned was one of humility, Hashem could have given the Torah on flat lands or in a valley. The deeper meaning of this Midrash, according to the Imrei Emet, is that it is much more challenging, but also significantly more impressive (and rewarding) when a person of stature is willing to lower himself.
Often times we may feel that we lower ourselves, or lose a sense of ourselves when forced to live a lifestyle dictated by the rules of the Torah - this prevents us from embracing the word of the Torah in its entirety. And yet, it is only by listening to and following the words of God - thereby subjugating ourselves to the will of Hashem - that we become worthy of the title mamlechet kohanim – a kingdom of priests (Ex. 19:6). Almost paradoxically, when we become servants of Hashem, we become more esteemed - as we are likened to the two most highly regarded positions in Judaism (the king and the priest). When we fulfill God’s command we may feel that we are giving something up, but in reality we are gaining so much more - we become part of something beyond ourselves – something universal, eternal, and Divine. When we subjugate our will, we do not actually diminish or lower ourselves, but instead we expand ourselves and raise ourselves up.
It should be noted that the Torah is comprised of mitzvot between man and God as well as between man and fellow man. Thus, an individual must subjugate himself both to the will of God and to the needs of others to be considered part of the mamlechet kohanim. As Rabbi Moshe Taragin notes, the positions of the kohen and the melech both serve others – the kohen fulfills the spiritual needs of the people, while the melech serves the political needs. Though the concept may seem contradictory to cultural norms today, Judaism holds that the sign of greatness and honor belongs to those who serve others rather than those who are served by others.
And so, the story of Yitro as a prelude to Matan Torah serves as a reminder for all of Klal Yisrael that in order to truly appreciate the Torah in all its glory and all its details, we must be ready, willing and even eager to subjugate our will to the will of Hashem and to serve the needs of those around us. Like the rebellious teenager who feels stifled by what seem to him to be meaningless rules, an Jewish individual's need for autonomy and independence may prevent him from appreciating the essence of Torah. But, just as the teens find the rules to be less oppressive as they begin to mature and understand the reason for the rules that are imposed upon them - so too, we must trust that there is value and meaning behind the many details of the Torah. In this way, we will not feel stifled by the rules - in fact, we may rejoice in knowing that the guidelines set by the Torah actually allow us to expand ourselves to be part of something greater and to lead more rewarding and fulfilling lives! May we all rejoice as we relive the Sinai experience when reading this week's Torah portion and the privilege we have to serve as part of the God's mamlechet kohanim!
SHABBAT SHALOM, Taly
