Yitro - Home of Inclusion
Shul is not merely a venue to observe commandments, it's a space where relationships are developed and nurtured.
Every year, Mekor joins the Jewish community to recognize February as Jewish Disabilities Awareness and Inclusion Month, known as JDAIM. It’s fitting, then, that this week’s parsha, Parshat Yitro, demonstrates the importance of inclusion.
One of the most striking symbols of unity found in Parshat Yitro is the well-known commentary from Rashi, who quotes the Mechilta that states that the Jewish people stood at the foot of Mt. Sinai "כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד בְּלֵב אֶחָד" – as one person with one heart. This highlights a rare and profound moment of unity in our fractious history.
If we delve deeper into the parsha, there are additional references to inclusion. The Parsha’s narrative about Yitro does not fit, chronologically or logically, with its adjacent Parshiot. Last week, in Parshat Beshalach, we read about the final stage of the Exodus from Egypt. In the second half of Parshat Yitro, we continue this narrative with the story of the revelation at Mt. Sinai. But, the first half of the Parsha begins with an apparent non sequitur: The story of Moshe and his father-in-law Yitro discussing the Jewish Judicial system. In next week’s Parsha, Parshat Mishpatim, the Jewish people receive the Torah’s civil law. It would have made more sense for the segment on the Judicial system and the enforcement of law to follow the receiving of the law in Parshat Mishpatim.
The placement of the story of Yitro is not its only oddity, the necessity for the whole story seems questionable. While it’s undoubtedly important for us to learn how to set up courts, why does the Torah instruct us about this topic by embedding it in a story about Yitro? Why not just get to the point and tell us the rules of the judicial system?
As I often explain, the Torah is neither a history chronicle nor a legal treatise. It’s a book about the relationship between God and the Jewish people, and, often, the most compelling way for us to absorb those lessons is through stories. That’s also why the Sages so often teach us through stories; they understood that stories are more engaging and illuminating than dry recitations of laws or abstract principles.
The key to understanding our Parsha’s peculiar sequence and method is to consider the context. Yitro’s story follows the account of Amalek’s attack on the Jewish people in the desert. One of the most pernicious threats posed by the evil inclination, which the Zohar identifies as being manifested through Amalek's ideals, is the insidious feeling of doubt, which weakens our perseverance and impedes our ability to fulfill our aspirations. In last week’s parsha, Amalek was emboldened to attack because the Jewish people began to doubt, asking, “Is God in our midst?” Although they did not deny that God was present throughout the Exodus, they began to doubt if God cared, due to the unexpected hardships they endured after the parting of the Red Sea.
With this doubt, we had reached the nadir of our faith, and it would be difficult to receive the Torah on such a shaky foundation. Our story would be finished before it began. Considering the Torah narrative’s sequence, it seems that the Torah is presenting Yitro as the person who facilitated our transition to a people who could receive the Torah; after all, not only does his story precede the Mount Sinai revelation (at least in the Torah’s arrangement), but the parsha in which we receive the Torah is named Yitro, inextricably linking him with that pivotal event. But why? After all, some contend that Yitro’s advice was misguided because, in Parshat Devarim, Moshe complains that his plan led to widespread bribery of judges. Others view Yitro with skepticism, asking, who was he to lecture Moshe? What did he know about ruling on Torah matters that qualified him to contradict Moshe Rabbeinu, the greatest prophet who ever lived?
The answer, I think, lies in the fact that, as we learned last year, Yitro and his story exemplified Derech Eretz, which our sages teach us is a prerequisite to receiving the Torah. The Torah is not merely about rules, and you do not need to be a Torah scholar to possess wisdom about relationships across many facets of life. Yitro understood that genuine relationships can emerge only from free choice. After exploring every religion and form of idol worship, he wholeheartedly embraced God, the Jewish people, and the Torah, becoming the quintessential convert. As we have discussed, the sin of the Golden Calf stemmed from the Jewish people’s view that they had no freedom of choice. This perception made them unable to bear the intense experience at Mt. Sinai.
We learn from Yitro that the 10 Commandments we received at Mount Sinai are not simply God’s “primary moral laws;” they are fundamental precepts about our relationships with God and all the people in our lives. In our dedication to halacha, the Jewish code of law, it's always essential to reflect on its application in real life, on derech eretz, where our relationships hold paramount importance.
And if we view the Torah with that perspective, we won’t regard shul as simply a physical space where we pray. Instead, we’ll see the shul as a place of warmth and connection, where we develop our relationships with others and God. The JDAIM initiative is a beautiful reminder of this ideal and the importance of making a special effort to welcome and provide a sense of belonging to everyone in our Shul and Community, especially to those who may appear different.
Eliezer Hirsch