Parshas Yitro: A Holy Nation Again Someday?

The Jewish people receive the Ten Commandments in this week’s Torah portion, Yitro: Shemot(Exodus) 18:1-20:23. The drama unfolds when they arrive at Mt Sinai, seven weeks after leaving Egypt. The portion is named after Jethro, a popular pagan high priest who leaves Egypt after disagreeing with Pharaoh’s enslavement of the Jews. He settles in Midian, where Moses meets him and marries his daughter, Zipporah, who gives Moses two sons. Jethro travels to Mt. Sinai to learn firsthand of the Exodus. Convinced that the revealed miracles there prove the existence of an all powerful Supreme Being, he denounces idol worship and dedicates himself to the One Holy God. If Jethro can become a believer, anyone can! 

Yitro counsels Moses to relinquish his role as sole arbitrator of conflicts among the multitude gathered at Mt. Sinai. Moses heeds the advice and appoints a hierarchy of judges to litigate matters according to definite moral and ethical principles modeled by Moses himself. Everyone in the camp agrees with these principles after Moses declares that God has chosen these people to be His kingdom of priests” and a “holy nation.” They unanimously embrace this new way of life when they proclaim, “All that God has spoken, we shall do.”

Skeptical of their long term commitment, God demands a guarantor and the people eagerly appoint their children.

Questions and Answers on the Guarantors

Judaism rests on this way of life. It cannot succeed nor can it continue without this foundation. Since the Sinai apex of spiritual understanding and willingness, much of Jewish culture has demonstrated diminishing interest in maintaining these principles in human affairs. We now find ourselves in perilous times where human ideas rather than spiritual and moral principles inform our attitudes and decisions. Our pledge to carry our commitment forward through our children fails because we will not rally together to guarantee our children's safe passage from conception through birth and to natural death, as ascribed to us at Sinai.

Perilous conditions often precipitate spiritual reconsideration and searching. To one degree or another, like Jethro every person has the capacity to initiate or renew an everlasting relationship with our Creator. What was begun at Sinai ripples out as a wave of spiritual realization that will ultimately transform the whole human family into a regenerating force dedicated to the sanctity and protection of all God’s creation.

Cecily Routman

May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and good life upon us and upon all Israel. Amen.