This week’s Parasha

Feb 10 - Jethro

Ex18:1-20:26

Isa 6:1-7:6

Matt 13:1-23

Rom 7:1-25
Text Box: Three things drew my attention this week when studying the Parasha. 18:2 “Then Jethro, Moses’ Father-in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, ….” 19:8 “Then all the people answered together and said, “all that the L-rd has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to the L-rd.” 19:24 “Then the L-rd said to him, “Away! Get down and them come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the L-rd, lest he break out against them.” Each of these verses had something in them that hit me new this week. Moses had sent Zipporah back to her father prior to leaving Egypt. There is no reference as to where or when this occurred. It set me to pondering. Was it after she had such a hard time with the circumcision of her son and the pain she had to witness him go through? Was it as stated in the Chumash that Moses had sent her back after bringing his full family to Egypt at the prompting of Aaron because there was enough suffering in Egypt that Moses should not add to it by increasing the number of people there? Was it to protect his family from the suffering of Egypt? Is this important? I find no answers to these ponderings. It is important the Jethro brought them back to Moses. It shows the importance of family being together. It allows a time for reading that Moses, the person who is obviously chosen by G-d and leading a great multitude of people, showing humility in bowing down to the Priest of Midian, his father in law. The people answer to Moses, “All that the L-rd has spoken we will do.” G-d had put the stipulation on the people that if they hearken well to Him and observe His covenant, then they would be a beloved treasure among all the people. Then they would be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. G-d does have concern with what we do. He did not say to be a beloved treasure you must profess my name, but that you must hearken well to him and observe His covenant. In typical Hebraic logic this requires a doing, not just thinking, not just professing, not just studying. Doing is the key word. It is so common now to hear people state that if you are concerned with doing good works then you are trying to earn your salvation. Yet in this scripture we don’t have G-d saying anything about salvation. He is speaking of Holiness and Sanctification. When Moses responded to G-d’s command to go back down and warn the people, Moses stated the people have already been warned. G-d severely states to him, “Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you.” I had never caught on that Moses was not alone on the mountain at the giving of the 10 commandments. Aaron was there with Moses. I wonder why Aaron was also present. Was it because there would then be a witness when others would rise up against Moses later? Was it because Aaron was to head the priesthood of G-d? Aaron was also specially selected by G-d to be able to ascend the mountain of instruction. While unconnected in the story, these three points all have a common thread: Humility. While Moses is the head of huge mixed multitude leaving Egypt he does not fail to honor his father-in-law. This is done by the action of bowing to him. While desiring to be a special people they state that they will do all that G-d says. They must humble themselves to go against what they know from the past in their years of captivity and live with new actions that seem to go against their nature. They must be humble in following the new ways. And when Moses replies to G-d that the people are already warned, G-d rebukes him and sends him back and tells him to come back with Aaron. He is not going to receive these instructions without another present. He must be humble and do what is told regardless of his own reasoning. All humility requires actions. Actions that can seem out of our character. Actions that remind us of what our position is to be. Obedience makes us a beloved treasure in the sight of G-d. Some things to ponder. Selah

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