[Picture: hard labor in Egypt. The copyright holder in this photo has not been found. Therefore, the use is made under section 27A of the Copyright Law. The main rights holder, please contact: yehezkeally@gmail.com]

[For articles on the “Sabbath of Jethro" in Hebrew, click here]

Rabbi Dr. Yossi Feintuch was born in Afula and holds a Ph.D. in American history from Emory University in Atlanta. He taught American history at Ben-Gurion University.

Author of the book US Policy on Jerusalem.

He is the rabbi of Congregation Shalom Bayit in Bend, Oregon.

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Why did the Rabbis choose to start off, and thus to entitle the Parasha (or the weekly Torah portion), perhaps, the most important one in the whole Torah, after a non-Hebrew, indeed ‘’the priest of Midian’’, Jethro? Jethro (Moses’ father-law) appears only in the early part of the portion that features later the People of Israel's elaborate preparations for the hearing of the Ten Big Speakings (Commandments) from the peak of Mt. Sinai. This magnum opus of Israel's religion was the very reason for their redemption – ‘’Let my people go so they will serve Me’’. 

[Picture: Moses takes his leave of Jethro by Jan Victors, c. 1635, from the incident in Exodus 4:18. Jethro is seated on the left, in red. The picture is a public domain]

So what did Jethro do to merit this honor? After he heard firsthand from Moses’ telling of ‘’all that the Eternal did to the Pharaoh and Egypt’’, Jethro’s skin broke out into goose bumps or became wrinkly as he rejoiced for Israel’s survival after a long toiling in slavery. Jethro was thusly moved to laud God profusely, indeed uniquely, for the good tidings that he just heard: ‘’Blessed is the Eternal --[these words will make it into the call to service recited twice daily at the beginning of either the evening or morning service of the Jewish prayer book] -- who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh… Now I know that the Eternal is greater than all gods…’’ (Exodus 18:10-11).

Feeling vicariously happy (or naches or Mudita ) for others’ happiness and good fortune simply makes sense; when we bask in the success of those we know or feel personally connected to we enhance by leaps and bounds our own chances of experiencing joy. Health mavens would tell you that in embracing others’ success we do not only benefit our own physical health (nourished by optimism and positive emotions); we also feel greatly satisfied and our willpower expands as though sharing the success of others.

[Picture: Jethro and Moses (watercolor circa 1900 by James Tissot). The image is in the public domain]

Jethro, like a guest for an hour who sees all that is sour, observes closely the very flawed way in which Moses administered justice as a sole judge among many litigant Israelites. Jethro could have kept his own thoughts to himself but he cared for the Israelites and their Chief Justice; he, therefore, offered a sharp rebuke to Moses’ ears alone: ‘’The thing that you do is not good…’’ (v. 17). But Jethro did not want to be a part of the acute problem that he had just noticed; rather, he wanted to be a part of its solution. Instead of sufficing with his criticism, Jethro went on to offer Moses a whole plan on how to revamp his ailing system of justice. And Moses hurried to implement it heralding a future Rabbinic adage: ‘’Who is wise? The one who learns from every person’’.

Earlier in the Torah it is Joseph alone who is able to interpret the Pharaoh’s twin dreams which meant that Egypt was going to face a severe famine of seven years after it first enjoyed seven bountiful years. Joseph to be sure did not want to be associated with the problem ahead but with its solution. Like Jethro later he advised the Pharaoh what measures ought to be taken to prepare Egypt for that forthcoming contingency which the Pharaoh hurried to implement.

[Picture: Like Jethro later Joseph advised the Pharaoh what measures ought to be taken to prepare Egypt for that forthcoming contingency which the Pharaoh hurried to implement.... free bible images]

It is with these contributions of a non-Hebrew, a priest of another religion to the people of Israel, that the Rabbis chose to open up a new portion of Torah that features the grandest gift of the Torah to humanity at large – ‘’The Ten Commandments’’.  So much for Israelite feeling ‘’superiority’’ over other nations or religions.

[For articles on the “Sabbath of Jethro" in Hebrew, click here]