B"H
Thursday, Shevat 18, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / February 9, 2023
Highlights of this week’s Parsha, Yitro, in which we will read about the Jewish people coming to Mount Sinai, their preparations and G-d Giving them the Ten Commandments and the Torah.
Parshat Yitro, is named after Moshe’s father-in-law, Yitro. In fact, Yitro had seven names. Each name recounts a different aspect of his life. The Torah here uses the name Yitro because it is associated with the Torah.
The Parsha begins with the story of how Yitro, who resided in Midyan and upon hearing of the miracles which G-d performed for Moshe and the Jewish people, decided to join them. He also brought his daughter, Tziporah, Moshe’s wife, and their two sons, who stayed with Yitro when Moshe wnt to Egypt to liberate the Jewish people.
Q. What were Moshe’s children’s names?
A. The Parsha tells us that the older one was named, Gershom. “Gershom” is a combination of two words, “Ger–shom,” which means a “stranger” (Ger) I was “there” (Shom). The Torah explains that Moshe named him Gershom, because Moshe ran away from Egypt and was a stranger in a foreign land.
Moshe’s second son, Eliezer, is also a combination of two words; “Eli-Ezer, which means “My G-d” (Eli) “Is my help” (Ezer). Thus, the older one Moshe named for the hardship he went through and the younger one for the positive things in his life.
Q. Which factor caused G-d to give the Torah to the Jewish people when they came to Mount Sinai?
A. When the Jewish people came to Mount Sinai, there was great unity among them, as never before. In the words of our sages, “They were as one person with one heart." When G-d saw their unity and oneness, He decided to give them the Torah then.
Q. How is Torah compared to water?
A. Our sages explain that Mount Sinai was a low mountain. Rather than giving the Torah on a tall and more distinguished mountain, G-d chose Mount Sinai, to teach the Jewish people that Torah is acquired and internalized only through humility.
This is also the reason that Torah is compared to water. Just as water will always flow to a lower level, so too Torah is found with those who are humble.
Unity and humility go together. Strife and intolerance is caused by selfishness and haughtiness. When the Jewish people came to Mount Sinai and realized that this particular mountain was chosen by G-d because it is a small mountain, they too practiced humility, which brought them to unity – “As one man with one heart.”
Humility is the key to unity and unity is the key through which we receive G-d’s blessings.
The Rabbi of Koshnitz would say, "If all Jews would join hands in unity, they would blend into one big hand which would reach all the way to the Heavenly Throne and bring down all the heavenly blessings!"
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY