11 Feb PARSHAS YISRO: KRIYAS YAM SUF AND MILCHEMES AMALEK

In particular, two
miracles brought
Yisro to convert.
Rashi (18:1) writes
that Yisro heard about
kriyas Yam Suf and the
war against Amalek,
which inspired him to
come. Several explanations are given
for how milchemes Amalek was the
catalyst for Yisro to join the Jewish
nation. The holy sefarim explain that
after kriyas Yam Suf, Yisro recognized
Hashem, but thought he could serve
Hashem from the distance in Midyan.
He was convinced that the inspiration
and awareness of Hashem that he
attained would last forever. But soon
after the wonders of kriyas Yam
Suf, Amalek came and attacked the
Jewish nation. When this happened,
Yisro realized that seeing miracles
isn’t sufficient to remain firm in one’s
belief. One can quickly forget, just as

the Amaleikim forgot. He realized that
if he wanted to live with emunah in
Hashem, he needed to join the Jewish
nation. He needed to live among people
who believed in Hashem, as each
person strengthens his fellow man in
their belief. Otherwise, it is so easy to
forget.
Reb Shlomo Brevda zt’l once slipped
on a stairway in Yerushalayim and
miraculously managed to grab onto the
railing, which saved him. Some days
afterward, Reb Shlomo told the Chazon
Ish zt’l that he thought that he would
never be the same after his miracle,
but he has returned to his old self. The
Chazon Ish replied that people tend to
forget.
The Or HaChaim (Devarim 8:18) writes,
“The yetzer hara’s main ploy is to cause
people to forget, which destroys them.
This can be the translation of the next
pasuk, v’haya im shichoach, ‘If you
will forget that Hashem does kindness
to you, tishkach Hashem Elokecha, you

will forget Hashem…’”
Reb Shmuel Tchuliner zt’l (a student
of Reb Moshe of Kobrin zt’l) once
experienced a certain chesed from
Hashem and didn’t stop talking about
it. His family asked him why he kept on
repeating the same story. Reb Shmuel
replied, “The Or HaChaim says ‘The
yetzer hara’s first ploy is to cause a
person to forget Hashem’s kindness,’
therefore I’m repeating it many times
so I won’t forget.”
That the Amaleikim tried to harm the
Yidden so soon after the miracles of
kriyas Yam Suf taught Yisro that he too
can forget, so he came and joined the
Jewish nation, a nation that remembers.
In general, it is important to be among
other Yidden because unity is our
strength and ammunition against the
yetzer hara.
When the Jewish nation came to Har
Sinai, they encamped in unity at the
foot of Har Sinai, as it states (19:2)

vayichan sham yisrael neged hahar,
“Yisrael encamped there opposite the
mountain.” Rashi teaches that vayichan
is in singular tense to indicate that the
nation was united.
They encamped in unity before the
mountain. Reb Akiva Eigar zt’l brings
the Gemara (Succah 52.), which calls
the yetzer hara har, mountain. So,
vayichan sham yisrael neged hahar,
means that when the Jewish nation
is united, neged hahar, that is their
strength against the yetzer hara.
Yisro recognized this and joined the
Jewish nation. That was his hope to
remain strong with emunah in Hashem
and overcome the yetzer hara.