Parashat Yitro (Exodus 18-20)
Exodus18
18:1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;
Comment: This portion of weekly Torah reading is named “Yitro (Jethro)”, which contains the covenant making at Mount Sinai, and the 10 commandments.
Why does the Torah state Jethro’s visit here, right before the giving of the 10 commandments and after the war against Amalek?
I think it is trying to make a contrast between Amalek in Chapter 17 and Jethro in Chapter 18. Both Jethro and Amalek were non-Israelites. In fact, Amalek was closer in blood to Israel than Jethro [1]. However, their attitudes towards the Israelites were opposite. Amalek obstructed the Israelites who were on their way to make a covenant with Gd, and smote their weaker ones who lagged behind (Deuteronomy 25:17-19). In contrast, Jethro helped more people to enter the covenant with Gd, by bringing his daughter and two grandsons. As a consequence, the Israelites greeted Jethro warmly (in this Chapter), but they were commanded (in the previous Chapter) to fight against Amalek, generation after generation.
[1]: Amalek and Israel share common foreparents Isaac and Rebecca, see Genesis 36:12,25:28. Jethro and Israel only share a common forefather Abraham, who was also one generation higher than Isaac. (Jethro was a Midianite, who came from Abraham’s third wife Keturah, see Genesis 25:1-2. )
18:23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
2026 Comment: “all this people … go to their place in peace.” Will someone who “lost a lawsuit’’ also go in peace?
In Sanhedrin 7a, https://www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.7a.11?lang=bi
the current bible verse Exodus 18:23 is used to derive an amazing teaching, that “all this people’’ here include even someone whose “cloak’’ is taken away by a court, i.e., even someone who receives a negative decision in a fair judgement; he should also“singing a song’’ and go to his place in peace. I think this can be understood in a bigger analogy: We as a member of G-d’s people, sometimes have our requests to G-d being turned down. But G-d is a fair judge. We can trust that His judgement is best, not only best overall, but also even best for ourselves. We can happily sing a song and go to our place in peace, which can symbolize our place in the world to come; There we will understand how one even benefits from his “cloak’’ being taken away in this current world, by G-d’s judgment.
Exodus 19
19:1 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
Comment: “In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day”: This was 1st day of the 3rd Month, about 45 days after their exodus “on the morrow of Passover (i.e.,15th of the 1st month, Numbers 33:3)”.
Why do the Jews think that the 10 commandments were given on Pentecost (Shavuot)?
https://www.jewfaq.org/shavuot
Well, Pentecost means 50th in Greek. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentecost
We see here in this verse, that 45 days after their exodus (on the 15th of the 1st month), the Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai. After some communications between Gd and the Israelites (with Moses as the middleman), and after their sanctification, the Israelites accepted the 10 commandments from Gd on the 50th day after exodus, which was the Pentecost or Shavuot (the festival of weeks) (Leviticus 23:16), which was on the 6th of the 3rd month in the biblical calendar.
19:12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:
2026 Comment (based on some Chinese draft from around 2021): Why forbid people to go “up into the mount” to meet G-d?
Generally speaking, it is dangerous for people who are contaminated by sin to get too close to G-d. However, as flying insects are attracted by light from a fire, these people may still want to get closer to G-d despite the danger. So it is important to warn people “that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it”, for their own benefit.
19:13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
2026 Comment (based on some Chinese draft from around 2021): Then why should “whosoever toucheth the mount” (from last verse) “surely be stoned, or shot through” (from this verse), if this death penalty is meant to be carried out by human beings?
I personally think that being stoned or shot through, represents being killed by human executioners from far away, before the transgressors’ reaching too close and being killed by G-d Himself. These people being warned know G-d is their source of life, they may prefer to be killed by G-d Who gave them life, than die in other ways (since they know they will die somehow in the future anyway). So telling them that they would be “surely put to death” by human execution, then they would not transgress and go too close up into the mountain. They may be willing to take the risk of being killed by G-d, but not willing to be killed by fellow human beings.
It is an important lesson, that G-d does NOT want sinners to get too close to G-d and die too early. He may prefer us to repent and live and serve Him in this world until the full term is completed, before receiving us to our eternal home.
Exodus 20
20:2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Comment: This is regarded as the 1st of the 10 commandments by the Jews, which is a positive command to believe in (1) the existence of Gd, (2) Whose Name is L-RD, (3) and that He is a living Gd Who can speak in the first person “I”, (4) and Who according to His Will saves His chosen people. (The two negative commandments of no other gods and no idolatry are combined as the 2nd of the 10 commandments in the Jewish version.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Commandments
Why do the 10 commandments appear in the middle (Chapter 20) of this 40-chapter-long book of Exodus?
I think this is because acceptance of Gd’s commandments is both the central goal of Exodus from slavery, and also the protection of the newly-gained freedom. For example, by prohibition of idolatry, we can be free of superstition; by prohibition of work on the seventh day, we can be free from work on the weekend; by prohibition of murder, we can be free from being murdered; by prohibition of coveting, we can be free to enjoy whatever Gd gives as our portions.
“have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage”: Why does this opening verse of the 10 commandments mention exodus from Egypt?
It may very well be that Israel’s eventual acceptance of Gd’s commandments was the very reason for Gd to orchestrate their exodus from Egypt. Even initially in Exodus 3, when Moses doubted about the mission of Exodus, Gd told him
(v.3:12 ) “… and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain” . Therefore, the Israelites were guaranteed to succeed in exiting Egypt, in order to reach “this mountain” (Mount Sinai), where they will accept the 10 commandments and serve Gd. Also, many times in this book, Gd said “Let my people go, that they may serve me” (v.7:16, 8.1, 8:20, 9:1). It is an important axiom that Gd will save His people so that they can serve Him. Whenever we are in trouble, pray to Gd to save us, so that we can serve Him well without being bothered by this trouble.