11 Feb PARSHAS YISRO: YISRO’S IMPRESSED

Yisro Was Impressed
By G-d’s Harsh
Treatment of Moshe
“Yisro… heard all that
G-d did for Moshe and
for the Jewish people.”
As a result, Yisro was
very impressed and
became a Ger Tzedek [Righteous Convert].
Rashi (1040-1105) takes note of the fact that
the pasuk [verse] distinguishes between what
happened to Moshe and what happened to the
Jewish people, and explains that this teaches
us that “Moshe was equal to all of Israel put
together.”
The Baal HaTurim (1275-1340) is also
bothered by the separate expressions.
However, the Baal HaTurim is particularly
troubled by the fact that the pasuk says that
Yisro heard what “ELOKIM did for Moshe”.
The Divine Name of Elokim usually refers to
Judgment or punishment. The Baal HaTurim
says that Yisro was in fact impressed by the
punishment that Moshe almost received
(death) for delaying the circumcision of his
son. This phenomenon was part of what made
such a major impression on Yisro that it
ultimately led to his decision to convert.
Rav Nissan Alpert (died c. 1987) explains
why Yisro was impressed with Moshe’s harsh
treatment at the Hand of G-d. Why was Moshe
Rabbeinu treated so severely? The answer is
that he was different from every other person.
We see, therefore, that G-d “customizes” the
way He treats people. G-d does not treat
everyone the same. More is expected of a
person of higher stature than of a person of
lower stature. The average person would not
be punished with death for delaying the
circumcision of their child while traveling in
the wilderness. But Moshe was treated
differently.
That individuality made a profound
impression on Yisro. If Moshe is dealt with
differently, then we see that our relationship
with G-d is not static. Hopefully, as we grow
older, we grow wiser and become better
people. We become more experienced; we’ve
seen more of life. One cannot remain on the
same spiritual level for ten, twenty, or thirty
years. This impressed Yisro.
“I am not the same person anymore. I cannot
be content to merely be the same person who
I used to be. After having seen the Splitting of
the Reed Sea and after having seen the War
with Amalek, I cannot remain static. I have to
grow. I have to become better.”
To Yisro, that meant that he had to convert.
Now, as a different person, he knew he had a
different relationship with G-d. He could no
longer be the Priest to Idolatry. He had seen

too much. He had learned too much from his
observations. That is why “that which Elokim
did to Moshe” had such a profound effect on
Yisro.
This is an important lesson. The 30-year-old
person is not the same person that he was at

20. The 50-year-old person is not the same as
he was at 30. There must be growth. There is
not a universal standard with which G-d
relates to man. The relationship is constantly
changing based on changing expectations,
ones that are based on constant change in man
himself.