Overview of the Weekly Reading: Yitro
To be read on 22
Shvat 5764 (Feb.14
)
Yitro
is the 5th Reading out of 11 in Exodus and 17th
overall, and 46th out of 54 in overall length.
Exodus 18:1-20:23; Haftorah: Isaiah 6:1-7:6 (because of
resemblence to vision at Mt. Sinai)
Pirkei
Avot: not till after Passover
Yitro, Moshe's father-in-law, came with Moshe's wife and sons to
join the Jews. Yitro suggested that Moshe delegate the job of judging
to leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. The Jews were
given three days to sanctify themselves and a barrier was built
around Mt. Sinai in preparation for G-d's revelation there. The
Ten Commandments were said{1. 'I am the L-rd your G-d who brought
you out of Egypt..." 2. Prohibition to believe in other gods
and worship idols 3. Prohibition to take G-d's name in vain 4. Remember
the Shabbat and keep it holy 5. Honor parents 6. Do not murder 7.
Do not commit adultery 8. Do not steal 9. Do not bear false witness
10. Do not envy}. The direct revelation of the first two was too
strong for the Jews, so they asked Moshe to hear the remaining ones
for them. The Jews were also commanded not to make physical representations
of G-d, and to make an earth-filled altar of unhewn stone with an
ascension ramp.
FROM THE MASTERS
OF KABBALA (K:17-64/Yitro)
From the holy
Zohar, teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
(Z:16-64/Beshalach
)
A person
cannot cleave to that spiritual side unless he places his heart and
will in awe to it. [In failing to do so] he only receives a small
fine grasp of all kinds of forces that are external to the holy.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the holy
Ari, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed
(A:17-64/Yitro
)
Bina,
whose task it is to develop the flash of insight that is chochma into
a full-fledged intellectual development, must evince a measure of
self-orientation, or what becomes - in later contexts - ego, in order
to do its job.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the Shelah,
Shney Luchot HaBrit by Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz
(S:17-64/Yitro
)
We
are already well aware that the entire Torah consists of permutations
of the name of
G-d, permutations which extend endlessly in all directions of the
universe.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
FROM THE CHASSIDIC
REBBES (V:17-64/Yitro)
"And
Yitro heard." (18:1)
Yitro was not alone in hearing about the Exodus from Egypt and the
splitting of the Red Sea. What made Yitro different was that only
he drew the right conclusion and acted upon it. Many people listen
but don't truly hear; the words fail to penetrate their hearts and
minds. Yitro heard - and correctly recognized what he was hearing.
(Kotzker Rebbe)
"Mount Sinai was altogether smoke (ashan)." (19:18)
The three letters of the word ashan, ayin-shin-nun, stand for olam
(world - the dimension of place); shana (year - the dimension of
time); and nefesh (soul - the energy that animates the physical
plane). The revelation at Sinai signified that from that point on
we were given the ability to refine and elevate these two dimensions
(through Torah and mitzvot), and infuse them with a G-dly light
and vitality.
(Rabbi Shneur Zalman)
A
MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE
from the Chabad
Master series, produced by Rabbi Yosef Marcus for
www.ascentofsafed.com and www.kabbalaonline.org
An
essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent 
(for a free weekly email subscription,
click here)
(W:17-64/Yitro)
There
is a lot of discussion in the Talmud and Midrash about the size of
Mount Sinai, about how it had to be a mountain but a small one, teaching
us that while we must be proud to be Jews and keepers of the commandments,
we have to be careful not to let it get out of hand. But why a mountain?
The Lubavitcher Rebbe's father-in-law and predecessor, Rabbi Yosef
Yitzchak Schneersohn, wrote a simple explanation. Mountains and flatlands
have one thing in common, they are both made out of earth. The mountain,
however, is elevated. The Torah was given on a mountain to reinforce
the concept that the goal of the giving of the Torah is to allow the
Jews to fulfill their purpose, which is to purify and elevate the
physical world (earth and all that comes from it). This is hinted
at in a mountain, which is made of earth, but stands higher.
Going deeper, the Torah was given on a mountain to teach us that
studying Torah, fulfilling its commandments, and especially living
in a way that the Torah directs us, is supposed to hearten a person.
It elevates their being, giving them extra confidence in their relation
to the world. The Rabbis did not mince their words. They said as follows
(Pesachim 68): If it were not for that very special day (of the giving
of the Torah), how many Yosefs would be shlepping in the market. What
makes the Jewish people unique in their relation to the world is the
Torah.
Still, we DO have to be careful that this elevated dimension in dealing
with the world does not turn into haughtiness. This is why the verse
(19/2) says, neged hahar, "against the mountain." We have
to always be on guard, 'against' the mountain, not to let our proficiency
in Torah close us off with pride. This is also hinted at by what it
says later (19/23), "make a boundary around the mountain,"
to put limits on our negative emotions.
On this same verse, I saw a wonderful insight from Rabbi Pinchus
Maizlish, chief rabbi of Lotemsak. The word for mountain in Hebrew
is har, spelled hei, raish. Hei is the
5th letter of the aleph-beit, preceded by the letter dalet
and followed by the letter vov. Raish is the 21st letter
of the aleph bais, preceded by the letter kuf and followed
by the letter shin. Those four letters, kuf-vav-dalet-shin,
the 'boundary' letters of the hei-raish of the Hebrew word
for mountain, spell kodesh. Kodesh is usually translated
as 'holy,' but its root meaning is 'separate.' The key to success
in the path of Torah is when we are able, each of us to whatever extent
we are able, to separate ourselves from the attractions of the world.
Shabbat Shalom, Shaul Leiter
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click here)
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