BS"D
The Kasha: Who was Yisro?
Rabosai, we are entering Parshas Yisro and Kabbalas HaTorah. But before we get to the lightning and the thunder at Sinai, we have to look at the man the Parsha is named after. Who was Yisro?
Let’s not sugarcoat it. Yisro was the Archbishop of Avodah Zarah. He wasn’t just a guy sitting in the back pew; he was the Gadol Hador of idolatry! He tried every single Avodah Zarah in the world.
Imagine the scene: long robes, some crazy hairstyle—maybe a ponytail, maybe the "Harry Kushba" look—doing funny dances on a beach somewhere. He was the High Priest of nonsense!
And yet, the Torah calls him Chosein Moshe—Moshe Rabbeinu’s father-in-law. Not only that, but we learn in Parshas Pinchas that Pinchas, the great zealot, descends from Puti’el. Who is Puti’el? Rashi tells us it refers to Yisro, she’pitem agalim l’avodah zarah—he used to fatten calves for idolatry.
Is this a compliment? You’re introducing the lineage of a Tzaddik like Pinchas, or the father-in-law of Moshe, and you’re reminding us that he used to prepare the sacrificial burgers for idols? Imagine introducing a Gadol today by saying, "And here is his grandfather, who used to be the head of the Moonie cult." It’s a bizayon!
But the Torah is teaching us the deepest yesod (foundation) about what it means to be a Jew.
Don’t Knock It Till You Try It
The Torah says Vayishma Yisro—Yisro heard. Everyone heard about Krias Yam Suf. The whole world heard! But only Yisro came. Why? Because Yisro was a truth seeker.
When the Torah tells us he fattened calves for idolatry, it’s not an insult—it’s the ultimate praise. It means he didn't just follow the herd. He didn't just do what his Tatte did. He explored. He checked out every single power in the world. He was intellectually honest. He looked at the sun, the moon, the water, and he served them with all his kochos (strength).
And when he realized it was sheker (falsehood)—when he saw that Hashem’s power overrides everything else—he dropped it all. He walked away from the priesthood, the honor, the money, and he went into the desert to hear Torah from Moshe. That is a hero. That is someone who wants the Emes.
The Herd Mentality vs. The Ben Torah
Contrast this with the world today. The world runs on "herd mentality." Why do people buy a certain car? Because 1.5 million other people bought it. Why do people join crazy cults? Because they see other people doing it. They don’t think!
What do people believe? What they read on social media!
But a Yid? A Ben Torah? We are supposed to be like Yisro. We don’t just follow. We check. We learn. We use our seichel. If the Torah is Emes, then it demands everything from us. You can’t just be a "cultural Jew." You have to be willing to sacrifice for the Truth.
The Super Bowl: The Ultimate Avodah Zarah of Sheker
Now, let’s talk about l’havdil elef havdalos, the "Yom Tov" of the American calendar coming up: The Super Bowl.
Rabosai, look at what the world considers important. MILLIONS of people are going to sit glued to a box to watch grown men chase a piece of leather filled with air.
Let’s analyze this with a little seichel. What is a football? It’s a cow’s hide. They kill the cow, scrape the skin, paint it, blow air into it, and then huge men in tights run around trying to protect this piece of leather. And people go meshuga! They cry when their team loses! They paint their faces!
I remember in 1986. I was a Mets fan. They were down in the World Series, two outs, bottom of the tenth. It looked over. And then... the ball goes through Bill Buckner’s legs. The Mets win! [That summer he tried to commit suicide by standing in front of a moving car. But it went through his legs....]
The city went crazy! I was screaming out my window!
And then, five minutes later... I sat down and felt this hollow emptiness. I asked myself: "So what?"
Did my life change? Did I become a better person? Did the world become a better place? No. Some guys who don't know I exist got a bonus check, and I’m still the same guy with the same problems. It was all dimyon (imagination). It was hevel havalim (vanity of vanities).
The Tragedy of "Thirst"
The Navi says a Jew is thirsty. Hoi kol tzamei lchu lamayim—everyone who is thirsty, go to the water (Torah). We have a Neshama that is burning for meaning.
The tragedy of the secular world, and the tragedy of a Yeshiva guy who gets caught up in it, is that they take that holy thirst and they try to quench it with saltwater. They try to fill that void with sports, with movies, with politics.
You see a guy crying because the Giants lost? That’s a tragedy! He’s taking his kishkes, his emotions, his capacity for avodah, and he’s wasting it on a game. It’s just a game! It’s business! It’s commercials selling you things you don't need!
The Mussar
So, the Super Bowl is coming. Am I saying it’s assur to watch? I’m not the posek here. But I’m asking you: Where is your head?
Are you a "follower" like the rest of the world, getting hyped up because ESPN told you to? Or are you a truth seeker like Yisro?
Yisro looked at the world, saw the emptiness of the "games" people play, and ran to Sinai. He realized that fattening calves for idols is a waste of a life.
Don't sacrifice your Sedarim for a kickoff. Don't sacrifice your Neshama for a touchdown. Be a giant in Torah, not a fan of the Giants. Realize that the only thing that gives you true simcha, the only thing that lasts forever, is the Emes of Hashem’s Torah.
Everything else? It’s just leather and air.
Gut Shabbos.
