17: Yitro
Welcome to TLDR Torah: a synopsis of the weekly parsha based on Robert Alter’s translation, plus a question to spur your Shabbat dinner (or any!) conversation.
Parsha Yitro (Exodus 18:1-20:23)
TLDR:
Yitro, Moses’ father-in-law, brings Zipporah and Moses’ two sons Gershom and Eliezer to Moses in the wilderness. They had missed out on all the miracles!
The following day, Yitro watches Moses adjudicate for the people and questions why Moses is working alone. Yitro teaches him a lesson in delegation.
Yitro first tells Moses to establish the laws, and then to choose capable judges to hierarchically resolve disputes. After sharing his wisdom, Yitro departs.
The people move deeper into Sinai and camp in front of a mountain. God tells the people to wash their clothes and purify themselves in preparation for seeing God descend to them.
God warns the people not go get too close to the mountain. Three days later, there’s a big bruhaha. Thunder! Lightening! A horn blast!
Trembling, the people watch as God comes down to the top of Mount Sinai and calls Moses to come up.
God tells Moses to warn the people not to look at Him. Moses, confused, points out that the people can’t get any closer to the mountain lest they die!
God speaks to the people, giving them what’s later called the ten commandments (it’s a bit unclear what the ten distinct commandments are).
Moses tells the people not to be afraid of God since He’s just testing them. God commands Moses to tell the people not to make other gods of silver or gold. Note that this occurs immediately after the people learn the that first commandment is not to have other gods. Foreshadowing?
Question:
Moses establishes law and order through Yitro’s support, and only then does God descend and give the ten commandments on Mount Sinai. Why does it happen in this order? Wouldn’t it have made more sense for Moses to set up a legal system after God had given his commandments? Perhaps you can consider the order in the context of Maslow’s Hierarchy. Recall what happens before this parsha — Moses ensures the people are well fed (manna, water, etc.) and protected from Amalek — and at the end of the parsha — the people experience a transcendental moment before God.