B"H
Tuesday, Shevat 20, 5784 / January 30, 2024
This week’s Parsha, Yitro, is about the Giving of the Ten Commandments and the Torah at Mount Sinai. It is one of the smaller Parshiot in the Torah, yet it includes in it the entire Torah, as our sages tell us that ALL the 613 mitzvot are included in the Ten Commandments.
The name of the Parsha, Yitro, is after Moshe’s father-in-law. The Parsha begins with the story of how Yitro, who resided in Midyan, was the priest of Midyan and an idol worshipper, decided to join the Jewish people. He also brought with him his daughter, Tziporah, Moshe’s wife, and their two sons. They had stayed with Yitro when Moshe returned to Egypt to bring the plagues upon the Egyptians and lead the Jewish people out of Egypt.
Moshe’s older son was Gershom. “Gershom” is a combination of two words, “Ger–shom,” which means a “stranger” (Ger) “there” (Shom). Moshe named him Gershom, because Moshe had to run away from Egypt and came to Midyan, where he 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). Even in his difficult time in a strange land, G-d was his help.
Q. The Torah describes the coming of the Jewish people, which were a few million strong, to Mount Sinai: “He(the (Jewish people) rested there by the Mountain.” Why does the Torah say, “Herested” in singular and not “Theyrested” (plural)?
A. When the Jewish people came to Mount Sinai, there was unity among them, as never before. In the words of our sages, “They were as ONE person with ONE heart." This is why the Torah uses the word, HE (singular) to describe the entire Jewish nation, as a result of their great unity. They came to Mount Sinai on a Monday and G-d gave them the Torah on that Shabbat.
Q. Why did G-d choose Mount Sinai as the mountain upon which to give the Torah?
A. Our sages explain that Mount Sinai was a small mountain. Rather than giving the Torah on a taller and more distinguished mountain, G-d chose Mount Sinai. G-d wanted 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 are 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! Humility is the key to unity and unity is the key to our success as a nation and a people.
MAY WE ALL STAY UNITED IN PRAYER FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL. MAY G-D HAVE MERCY UPON THEM AND HAVE THEM RELEASED FROM CAPTIVITY NOW.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY