Appreciating God, Even When the Going is Tough

Parshat Yitro

 by Rabbi Avi Billet 

 While the debate over what Moshe’s father-in-law “heard” (וישמע יתרו) opens up the discussions on the first verse of the parsha, several verses later the Torah tells us “Vayichad Yitro” over all the good that God had dealt towards Israel.

 The word “Vayichad” has many possible definitions, though the most common suggestion is that “he rejoiced.” As such, many commentaries note that Yitro celebrated the good done to Israel, but not the bad meted out to Egypt, because he had ties to Egypt and, in general, identified with the suffering of their people – even if deserved – because the humanitarian concern looks at individual plights, rather than the punishment given to a nation that had enslaved the Israelites. (Seforno, SR Hirsch, Malbim, etc)

 Along this line, the Talmud (Sanhedrin 94a – wide lines) notes that the word “Vayichad” comes from the word “chidudin,” goosebumps, as his skin reacted negatively to the news of the trauma Egypt had suffered, even as he was happy for the Israelites. (Rashi)

 Another viewpoint, also mentioned in the Talmud in the name of Rav, is that the word Vayichad comes from “Chada,” sharp, suggesting Yitro used a sharp blade to circumcise himself, e.g. to convert to Judaism. (See also Medrash Tanchuma, Baal Haturim, Hadar Zekenim)

 Of course, on the most simple level, Yitro could have been rejoicing over the good that God had done for the people – beyond the Exodus, the splitting of the sea, and the war with Amalek, all of which are mortal salvation. Saving a life is wonderful, but it isn’t inherently “beneficial” if people will die anyway. So what is the “goodness” over which Yitro rejoiced? Rashi mentions the providing of the Manna, the well (water), and the gift of the Torah.

 Midrash Sechel Tov notes that the gift of Manna was that it could have any flavor (think how soy can be cooked to taste like anything), while the gift of the well was that its water could taste like old wine, new wine, milk, honey, and all kinds of delicious things.

 One wonders if Roald Dahl was reading this Midrash when he put together Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. (I doubt he was reading the Midrash).

 While the Midrash doesn’t continue to describe the benefits of the Torah, perhaps there are two possible reasons why.

 Firstly, there is a debate whether Yitro came before the giving of the Torah, or after. There are several arguments for each direction, which we will not be going into now. Suffice it to say, this encounter is presented in the Torah before the giving of the Torah, on the one hand, while on the other hand, what law is Moshe presiding over in the second half of Chapter 18, if not Torah law?

 Secondly, while there are certainly those who think that they can fit the Torah into any box that they want to, unlike the Manna and the well’s water, the Torah can’t taste like anything.

 Surely there is much flexibility within the Torah lifestyle and halakha system to live a life under the service of God, while conforming to halakhic dictates. There will always be debates as to which is the “best” way to do things.

But just as there are debates in the Talmud about everything, there will be debates from now until the Messiah comes as to what is considered best practice. And that is OK. But there are some things which do not fit into the realm of the Torah’s ways. Whether one follows the “49 ways and 49 ways” (Sofrim 16), 48 ways (Eruvin 13b) or “70 faces” (Bamidbar Raba Naso 13), there is a limit to the number of ways of understanding the Torah which are “correct” or “acceptable.”

 The challenge facing us is to know what fits in the realm of “Yeah” and what fits in the realm of “Nay.”

 If Yitro rejoiced over the gift of the Torah, perhaps he rejoiced because it was good for the Jews and gave them a sense of purpose. And if, indeed, he became a Jew, he rejoiced over the role it could play in his life. However, it is unclear how Yitro came to grips with a Torah reality, as he soon departed from being with the Jewish people, to return home. Of course, some suggest he went home to convert others to Judaism. But that story is unclear.

 Maybe Yitro suffered from the syndrome that some who join the Jewish people for motivations that are not completely sincere also suffer from. That when the going gets tough, commitment falls apart.

 I cherish and know many Jews who converted from other faiths, who are dedicated, righteous, and who take their Judaism more seriously than many Jews-from-birth. Whether it is converts, or people who find themselves at odds with their upbringing – whether Chassidic, Lubavitch, Modern-Orthodox, Liberal – I hope everyone can find a place within the larger tent of Judaism that reflects of the 48, 49 or 70 faces, without abandoning it altogether.

 After all, whether it was or was not for him, even Yitro knew that the Torah was considered one of the three great gifts that God gave to the Jewish people.