Shevat 16 - Issue #14
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Torah Thoughts Relating To Current Events
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An Occasional Series by Michael Freund of Raanana, Israel
Comments/Feedback/Subscribe: parsha_sheet@hotmail.com
1. The Power of Information
The Parsha begins by telling us that Yitro (Jethro), Moshe?s father-in-law, heard about all that G-d had done for the Jewish people in taking them out of Egypt. Deeply impressed, Yitro renounces his pagan beliefs and acknowledges the G-d of Israel as the one and only G-d. The Torah tells us, ?Yitro, the priest of Midian and Moshe?s father-in-law, heard everything that G-d did to Moshe and to Israel, His people ? that G-d had taken Israel out of Egypt? (Chap. 18, verse 1).
The question: Why does the Torah single out Yitro by mentioning that he had heard about all that G-d had done for the Jewish people?
The answer: The Kotzker Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk, points out that from a verse in last week?s Parsha, we know that Yitro was not alone in having heard about the miracles that G-d had performed: ?the nations heard, they trembled? (Chap. 15, verse 14). Rather, says the Kotzker Rebbe, the Torah?s aim in singling out Yitro is to provide us with an important insight into human nature: two people might hear the same message, yet react completely differently. One person may hear a piece of news and decide that it is detrimental to him, whereas another may feel that he gains from it. The other nations indeed heard of G-d?s miracles and trembled at the news, but their reaction was to ?run away? from G-d, to distance themselves from Him, thinking that this would ameliorate their fear. By contrast, Yitro heard about G-d?s wonders, was inspired by them and decided to draw closer to G-d as a result. Hence, the Torah singled out Yitro because he not only heard the message, but he absorbed it and acted on it.
The lesson: Since the start of the Palestinian-orchestrated violence nearly five months ago, Israel?s image has taken a beating around the world. The foreign media has consistently portrayed Israel as the aggressor, downplaying Israeli casualties and presenting an intentionally distorted picture of the events in the region. Worst of all, they regularly suggest a moral equivalence between Palestinian rioters killed while committing acts of violence and innocent Israelis murdered in cold blood by Palestinian terrorists. Many of us shrug off the power of the media, arguing that it makes no difference what people think of us. And yet, we see from the story of Yitro just how powerful information can be. The miracles that G-d performed for the Jewish people during and after the Exodus from Egypt became known far and wide. The nations of the world trembled with fear when they realized that a new force had emerged, one that was backed up by the power of G-d. And yet, one can argue, of the millions of people who no doubt heard of these events, only one ? Yitro ? took them to heart and acted on them. On the surface, that may not seem like a very effective result for a PR campaign. But things are not that simple. According to tradition, Yitro cast aside his pagan beliefs and converted to Judaism. The Zohar tells us that when people saw that Yitro, the high priest of Midian, had rejected idolatry, it had a profound impact on their own belief systems, leading many to repudiate idolatry as well. In addition, the Talmud in Tractate Sotah (11a) and the Zohar say that Yitro?s descendants went on to serve as members of the Sanhedrin. Thus, we see how even though the news of G-d?s miracles had initially affected only one person, it nevertheless changed the world, spreading far beyond just the initial listener. If that was true in Yitro?s time, then how much more so today, in the age of the Internet, where information has a global reach with unprecedented immediacy. That is why we need to safeguard Israel?s image as much as possible by countering the media?s lies and distortions. Because ultimately, one never knows the impact that one?s words might have on the course of history.
2. Bureaucracy Never Changes
The day after Yitro arrives at Israel?s encampment, he sees that Moshe is forced to sit from morning until evening judging the people and resolving the various issues and disputes that they bring before him. Yitro questions Moshe about the procedure, asserting that it is too burdensome for the people as well as for Moshe. Yitro suggests an alternative solution, whereby Moshe would appoint a hierarchy of leaders who would address the minor matters, thus freeing up Moshe to deal only with major issues. This would streamline the process for everyone involved. Moshe agrees, and the Torah tells us, ?Moshe heeded his father-in-law?s voice and did everything that he had said? (Chap. 18, verse 24).
The question: Couldn?t Moshe and the Jewish people have fixed the justice system on their own? Why does the Torah need to tell us that it was thanks to Yitro?s advice that they succeeded in fixing it?
The answer: In his commentary, the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh (Rabbi Chaim ben Moshe Attar, 1696-1743) says the Torah emphasized that it was Yitro?s advice that resolved the problem because, ?G-d wanted to show the Jewish people at that time and for all future generations that there are great and intelligent men to be found among the nations of the world. Yitro was an example of an educated and enlightened non-Jew [before he converted to Judaism] who demonstrated this point beyond question.? This, says the Ohr HaChaim, is to teach us ?that if G-d chose the Jewish people as His people, this is not because they possess superior intellectual qualities. G-d chose the Jewish people as a reward for the loyalty that the Patriarchs had shown Him and as an act of love for this people.? Hence, we see from the Ohr HaChaim?s explanation that: 1) the Jewish people are not alone in having great and intelligent men; and 2) The Jews were not selected to be G-d?s chosen people because we are smarter than anyone else. Rather, we were chosen because of our forefathers? devotion to G-d and as an act of kindness on G-d?s part.
The lesson: For all the great strides that the State of Israel has made in the past 50 years, it still suffers from a stifling and oppressive bureaucracy that seems impervious to change. A bloated public sector with antiquated regulations, combined with heavy government intervention in the economy, have all made the life of the private sector excessively and unnecessarily difficult. Even as the rest of the world progresses at a rapid pace, with many countries in eastern Europe liberalizing their economies and selling off state-owned enterprises, Israel struggles along, its progress weighted down by inefficient and uncaring red tape. Despite such burdens, Israel still had the 20th largest economy in the world last year ? just imagine how much bigger and stronger the economy could be if it were to be truly opened up. In this respect, Israel can learn an important lesson from the events of our Parsha. For just as Moshe and the Jewish people were willing to accept advice on administrative matters from an ?outsider? like Yitro, so too must the modern State of Israel be more open to learning from others about how to run a country and an economy. We must, of course, ensure that we retain and protect our unique identity as a Jewish state ? but as Yitro?s advice demonstrated, when it comes to managing a bureaucracy, we as a people have a lot to learn.
3. The Clothes Don?t Necessarily Make the Man
After Yitro departs for Midian, the Jewish people journeyed from Rephidim to the Wilderness of Sinai, where they encamped next to Mount Sinai. G-d tells Moshe to instruct the Jewish people to prepare themselves for the Giving of the Torah. The Torah says, ?G-d said to Moshe, ?Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow and they shall wash their clothing? (Chap. 19, verse 10).
The question: Why does G-d tell the Jews to sanctify themselves first and then to wash their clothes?
The answer: The Alsheich (Rabbi Moshe Alsheich, 1508- circa 1600) says that the Torah is teaching us that it is not enough for a person to concern himself only with the external trappings, such as washing himself and his clothes, while neglecting himself internally. A person must be clean on both the inside and the outside. And according to the Alsheich, the reason that G-d first told the Jews to sanctify themselves, and only afterwards to wash their clothes, is that it is the internal element that takes precedence. Making sure that your insides are ?clean? is far more important than making sure that your clothes are in order.
The lesson: In the Jewish world today, too much emphasis is placed on the external indicators of religiosity ? how big is the kippa? how long is the skirt? ? and not enough on what really counts, namely the way in which a person conducts themselves. We often judge people by what they wear, rather than who they are. A certain school in central Israel that I know of insists that all married female teachers cover their hair as a prerequisite to being hired. When I asked about the policy, I was told that the school wants to ensure that its teachers embody a religious lifestyle and values. That is perfectly understandable ? but do they also check to ensure that the teacher is honest? That she pays her debts? That she does not curse or yell at other people? For in the scheme of things, as we see from G-d?s instructions to the Jews at Mount Sinai, what matters most is the purity of the soul and not the size of the hat.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Torah Thoughts Relating To Current Events
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An Occasional Series by Michael Freund of Raanana, Israel
Comments/Feedback/Subscribe: parsha_sheet@hotmail.com
1. The Power of Information
The Parsha begins by telling us that Yitro (Jethro), Moshe?s father-in-law, heard about all that G-d had done for the Jewish people in taking them out of Egypt. Deeply impressed, Yitro renounces his pagan beliefs and acknowledges the G-d of Israel as the one and only G-d. The Torah tells us, ?Yitro, the priest of Midian and Moshe?s father-in-law, heard everything that G-d did to Moshe and to Israel, His people ? that G-d had taken Israel out of Egypt? (Chap. 18, verse 1).
The question: Why does the Torah single out Yitro by mentioning that he had heard about all that G-d had done for the Jewish people?
The answer: The Kotzker Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk, points out that from a verse in last week?s Parsha, we know that Yitro was not alone in having heard about the miracles that G-d had performed: ?the nations heard, they trembled? (Chap. 15, verse 14). Rather, says the Kotzker Rebbe, the Torah?s aim in singling out Yitro is to provide us with an important insight into human nature: two people might hear the same message, yet react completely differently. One person may hear a piece of news and decide that it is detrimental to him, whereas another may feel that he gains from it. The other nations indeed heard of G-d?s miracles and trembled at the news, but their reaction was to ?run away? from G-d, to distance themselves from Him, thinking that this would ameliorate their fear. By contrast, Yitro heard about G-d?s wonders, was inspired by them and decided to draw closer to G-d as a result. Hence, the Torah singled out Yitro because he not only heard the message, but he absorbed it and acted on it.
The lesson: Since the start of the Palestinian-orchestrated violence nearly five months ago, Israel?s image has taken a beating around the world. The foreign media has consistently portrayed Israel as the aggressor, downplaying Israeli casualties and presenting an intentionally distorted picture of the events in the region. Worst of all, they regularly suggest a moral equivalence between Palestinian rioters killed while committing acts of violence and innocent Israelis murdered in cold blood by Palestinian terrorists. Many of us shrug off the power of the media, arguing that it makes no difference what people think of us. And yet, we see from the story of Yitro just how powerful information can be. The miracles that G-d performed for the Jewish people during and after the Exodus from Egypt became known far and wide. The nations of the world trembled with fear when they realized that a new force had emerged, one that was backed up by the power of G-d. And yet, one can argue, of the millions of people who no doubt heard of these events, only one ? Yitro ? took them to heart and acted on them. On the surface, that may not seem like a very effective result for a PR campaign. But things are not that simple. According to tradition, Yitro cast aside his pagan beliefs and converted to Judaism. The Zohar tells us that when people saw that Yitro, the high priest of Midian, had rejected idolatry, it had a profound impact on their own belief systems, leading many to repudiate idolatry as well. In addition, the Talmud in Tractate Sotah (11a) and the Zohar say that Yitro?s descendants went on to serve as members of the Sanhedrin. Thus, we see how even though the news of G-d?s miracles had initially affected only one person, it nevertheless changed the world, spreading far beyond just the initial listener. If that was true in Yitro?s time, then how much more so today, in the age of the Internet, where information has a global reach with unprecedented immediacy. That is why we need to safeguard Israel?s image as much as possible by countering the media?s lies and distortions. Because ultimately, one never knows the impact that one?s words might have on the course of history.
2. Bureaucracy Never Changes
The day after Yitro arrives at Israel?s encampment, he sees that Moshe is forced to sit from morning until evening judging the people and resolving the various issues and disputes that they bring before him. Yitro questions Moshe about the procedure, asserting that it is too burdensome for the people as well as for Moshe. Yitro suggests an alternative solution, whereby Moshe would appoint a hierarchy of leaders who would address the minor matters, thus freeing up Moshe to deal only with major issues. This would streamline the process for everyone involved. Moshe agrees, and the Torah tells us, ?Moshe heeded his father-in-law?s voice and did everything that he had said? (Chap. 18, verse 24).
The question: Couldn?t Moshe and the Jewish people have fixed the justice system on their own? Why does the Torah need to tell us that it was thanks to Yitro?s advice that they succeeded in fixing it?
The answer: In his commentary, the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh (Rabbi Chaim ben Moshe Attar, 1696-1743) says the Torah emphasized that it was Yitro?s advice that resolved the problem because, ?G-d wanted to show the Jewish people at that time and for all future generations that there are great and intelligent men to be found among the nations of the world. Yitro was an example of an educated and enlightened non-Jew [before he converted to Judaism] who demonstrated this point beyond question.? This, says the Ohr HaChaim, is to teach us ?that if G-d chose the Jewish people as His people, this is not because they possess superior intellectual qualities. G-d chose the Jewish people as a reward for the loyalty that the Patriarchs had shown Him and as an act of love for this people.? Hence, we see from the Ohr HaChaim?s explanation that: 1) the Jewish people are not alone in having great and intelligent men; and 2) The Jews were not selected to be G-d?s chosen people because we are smarter than anyone else. Rather, we were chosen because of our forefathers? devotion to G-d and as an act of kindness on G-d?s part.
The lesson: For all the great strides that the State of Israel has made in the past 50 years, it still suffers from a stifling and oppressive bureaucracy that seems impervious to change. A bloated public sector with antiquated regulations, combined with heavy government intervention in the economy, have all made the life of the private sector excessively and unnecessarily difficult. Even as the rest of the world progresses at a rapid pace, with many countries in eastern Europe liberalizing their economies and selling off state-owned enterprises, Israel struggles along, its progress weighted down by inefficient and uncaring red tape. Despite such burdens, Israel still had the 20th largest economy in the world last year ? just imagine how much bigger and stronger the economy could be if it were to be truly opened up. In this respect, Israel can learn an important lesson from the events of our Parsha. For just as Moshe and the Jewish people were willing to accept advice on administrative matters from an ?outsider? like Yitro, so too must the modern State of Israel be more open to learning from others about how to run a country and an economy. We must, of course, ensure that we retain and protect our unique identity as a Jewish state ? but as Yitro?s advice demonstrated, when it comes to managing a bureaucracy, we as a people have a lot to learn.
3. The Clothes Don?t Necessarily Make the Man
After Yitro departs for Midian, the Jewish people journeyed from Rephidim to the Wilderness of Sinai, where they encamped next to Mount Sinai. G-d tells Moshe to instruct the Jewish people to prepare themselves for the Giving of the Torah. The Torah says, ?G-d said to Moshe, ?Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow and they shall wash their clothing? (Chap. 19, verse 10).
The question: Why does G-d tell the Jews to sanctify themselves first and then to wash their clothes?
The answer: The Alsheich (Rabbi Moshe Alsheich, 1508- circa 1600) says that the Torah is teaching us that it is not enough for a person to concern himself only with the external trappings, such as washing himself and his clothes, while neglecting himself internally. A person must be clean on both the inside and the outside. And according to the Alsheich, the reason that G-d first told the Jews to sanctify themselves, and only afterwards to wash their clothes, is that it is the internal element that takes precedence. Making sure that your insides are ?clean? is far more important than making sure that your clothes are in order.
The lesson: In the Jewish world today, too much emphasis is placed on the external indicators of religiosity ? how big is the kippa? how long is the skirt? ? and not enough on what really counts, namely the way in which a person conducts themselves. We often judge people by what they wear, rather than who they are. A certain school in central Israel that I know of insists that all married female teachers cover their hair as a prerequisite to being hired. When I asked about the policy, I was told that the school wants to ensure that its teachers embody a religious lifestyle and values. That is perfectly understandable ? but do they also check to ensure that the teacher is honest? That she pays her debts? That she does not curse or yell at other people? For in the scheme of things, as we see from G-d?s instructions to the Jews at Mount Sinai, what matters most is the purity of the soul and not the size of the hat.