What is the single most important event in Jewish history? The event that changed the character of everything we carried out from that day forward? The event that gave birth to the most published book in human history?
The Revelation at Sinai.
It was the only time ever that G-d revealed Himself to an entire nation of people. There was thunder, lightning, quaking, and clouds of smoke. The medrash tells us that every time G-d spoke, it was so awesome, that everyone at the mountain died and was resurrected. Once in a life time spectacle doesn’t even begin to describe this world moving event.
Yet, what do we name the Torah portion that contains this revolutionary narrative?
Yisro. The name of a relatively minor character in the story. A man who was not even part of the tribe. He wasn’t one of the descendants of Abraham who witnessed the 10 plagues or escaped Egypt. He was a convert who showed up just shortly before the Revelation began.
Why wasn’t this Torah portion named “The Revelation at Sinai,” “The Ten Commandments,” or at least “Moses” or one of the characters that we’ve been following until now?
The thing about world shifting spectacles, is that they rarely actually move people much at all. Think about the last great inspirational speech you heard or motivating event you went to. How many people there made tangible changes to their lives?
It’s easy to go to an inspirational event and feel the rush of emotions of how big this could be. It’s hard to actually dedicate yourself to making real change in your life.
The medrash tells us that when the Sea of Reeds split, every body of water in the world also split. When G-d spoke out the Ten Commandments, it was audible to everyone on the planet. I’m sure everyone was awed by these events, but how many people did anything different with their lives the following day?
When Yisro heard of the miraculous events of the People of G-d, he abandoned his idols and went to join them. He made huge changes to his life, leaving his occupation and homeland behind, to receive the Torah with the Jewish people.
The critical part of the story in this parsha, is not just that an amazing event occured where G-d spoke to us and gave us the Torah. It’s that we, all of us, became converts that day. We chose to leave behind any lifestyle we had before and make real changes to follow the Torah that we were being offered. Whatever happened to be in that book G-d was offereing, we would follow it, even if our understanding only would come later. It would be a real commitment, lasting hundreds of generations, not just inspiration lasting for a minute.
It is no accident that Yisro was honored with the title of this parsha. He is a role model for all of us to follow after. To not hear inspiration in one ear and let it pass out the other ear with a mere fluttering of our heart. Rather, to take truth and run with it, as far as our legs can take us.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi A and the JET Team
