B"H

Friday, Shevat 19, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / February 10, 2023

This week's Torah portion is Yitro. The highlight of this Parsha is the Ten Commandments, given to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai.

The name of the Parsha, Yitro, is after Moshe’s father-in-law, who was the priest of Midyan. Upon hearing all the miracles G-d performed for the Jewish people; their liberation from Egypt, the miracle of the splitting of the sea, the manna which came every day from heaven and the many other miracles which took place at the time, he decided to convert and join the Jewish people. He also brings his daughter, Moshe’s wife, Tziporah, and their two children to join Moshe at Mount Sinai.

There are only six Parshiot in the Torah which carry a person’s name: Noah, [Chayei] Sarah, Yitro, Korach, Balak and Pinchas.

Our sages say that Yitro’s words, “Baroch Hashem” – “Blessed is G-d,” when he came to join the Jewish people, was an important factor in G-d’s giving the Torah to the people. Thus, there is a connection between the Giving of the Torah and Yitro, which is also the name of this Parsha.  

Contrary to popular perception, the two tablets were square.They were not rounded on top.

The Ten Commandments were engraved on two tablets. Both tablets were of equal size, with five commandments on each tablet. One tablet contained the commandments between man and G-d. The other contained the commandments between man and man.

Although the five commandments between man and G-d contained 146 words and the five commandments between man and man totaled only 26 words, they were written on the same size tablet. The 26 letters, which contain the mitzvot between one person and another, took up the same amount of space as the 146 words, which command us about the mitzvot between us and G-d, as they were written in much bigger letters.

Lesson:G-d wanted to teach us that one should not minimize in the importance of the commandments between man and man. They are as important in G-d’s eyes as the mitzvot towards Him.

One cannot claim piety by meticulously performing the mitzvot toward G-d while ignoring the commandments between fellow humans. G-d especially engraved these commandments in LARGER letters to show that our attitude toward others plays a very important role in our relationship with G-d.

Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa in Pirkei Avot stresses this point as follows: "Anyone with whom his fellowmen are pleased, G-d is pleased with him; But anyone with whom his fellowmen are not pleased, G-d is not pleased with him!" May G-d be pleased with us all and send us His blessings.

SHABBAT SHALOM

Montreal candle lighting time: 4:56 / Shabbat ends: 6:01