18 Jan SHABBOS IS IN THE AIR: SEE SOMETHING . . . DO SOMETHING
See something, Say something, is a phrase we have all become accustomed to since 9/11 and the rise of terrorism.
This week’s parsha opens with the Torah telling us that Yisro “heard” something. Later in the parsha, he “saw” something. Both times, his reaction was to “do” something.
“Vayishmah Yisro Kohein Midyan, chossain Moshe – Yisro, the minister of Midyan, the father-in-law of Moshe, heard…”
(Shemos 18:1)
What was it that Yisro heard that prompted him to join Moshe and the Jewish nation?
Rashi quotes an answer from the Midrash. “Yisro heard about the splitting of the sea and the war with Amalek.”
Yisro was a spiritual man, a truth seeker. In his quest for meaning in life, he practiced many religions, and explored every deity of his time. Yet, he never felt spiritually fulfilled. It was only after hearing of the miracles that HaShem bestowed upon the Jewish people, that he was able to say “Now I know HaShem is greater than all the G-ds.” (Shemos 18:11)
Yisro trekked across the hot desert sands, a difficult journey, to meet up with Moshe and learn about HaShem and His Torah.
Like Yisro, we all cross numerous “deserts” at various stages in our lives. The key to attaining a purposeful goal is to stay on course, completing the journey to discover truth and meaning in life.
The miracle of the Exodus was the news event of the time, known to many nations. Yet, it was only Yisro who picked himself up, left his home and position as a minister of Midyan, and joined the Jewish people.
How do we understand that?
The Baal Shem Tov teaches that real hearing isn’t with our ears, but with our neshamos, our souls. It is listening to an inner voice speaking to us. Yisro didn’t just hear of the splitting of the sea, the message penetrated his soul and transformed his very being.
Yisro’s neshama was profoundly affected by the message of a people who were once enslaved, who suffered through years of misery and persecution, yet, were able to become a holy nation. He realized that despite the mistakes he had made, and the regrets he had in life, he could change and begin anew.
How many times do we say to ourselves “Oy! What did I do, what was I thinking?” Like He did for the people of the Exodus, HaShem is here to help us on our life’s journeys and give us the gift of new beginnings. While we can, and should, always learn from the past, how we live our lives is not by looking backward, but by looking ahead, by being forward thinking.
Yisro didn’t join the Jewish nation immediately after the splitting of the sea, but only after the war with Amalek. It is difficult to comprehend how Amalek, attacking the newly freed nation, would inspire Yisro to make a change in his life. On the contrary, one would think it would place doubts in his heart. After all, the Jewish people put all their trust and faith in HaShem, and then Amalek wages war against them. Yisro could have asked “Where was G-d?”
Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l explains the impact Amalek had on Yisro.
After many years of hard slave labor, the Jewish people were finally free. Amongst them, were the sick, weak and elderly, women and children, many of whom had a hard time keeping up with the procession. To Yisro, Amalek became the symbol of evil, when they launched an unprovoked surprise attack from behind, targeting the weak and weary.
The lesson Yisro derived was, that without HaShem, without Torah and mitzvos, morals and ethics, man can sink to the lowest depths, as evidenced by Amalek’s cowardly attack against the helpless and vulnerable.
Yisro wanted his future generations to be raised with Torah values. He wanted them to live an elevated life. A life of responsibility, integrity, kindness and morals.
Yisro, the quintessential truth seeker, found truth in HaShem’s Torah.
Yisro was a doer, a man of action. The parsha recounts how he noticed the heavy burden Moshe was carrying by teaching, guiding and judging from morning to night. He didn’t just “say something”, but “did something.” He gave Moshe helpful advice. He urged him to establish a judicial system where there would be learned people to answer questions, resolve disputes and render decisions, with only the more difficult and complex matters brought before Moshe. He even advised Moshe how to choose competent judges. He didn’t just say “it’s not working”, but he came up with a solution. He saw, he cared, he acted.
Over the course of our lives, we all hear many messages. How we “hear” these messages, what we “do” about those messages, affects not only us, but our families, our friends, and even the world around us.
I look up to my grandparents and parents as people who listened to their messages and did something. When my zeide came to this country, he saw a vacuum that existed in the Jewish educational system. A need for a yeshiva that would reach out to the less affiliated, a novel idea at the time. He acted upon it. Over the decades, thousands of Jewish children were brought closer to HaShem, to Torah and to mitzvos.
When the floodgates of the Iron Curtain were opened, my grandmother saw the need the newly arriving Russian immigrants had for clothing, housewares and furnishings. In her basement, she opened what we called “Mama’s store.” She collected gently used items, making them available, free for the taking.
My father heard of the need for an Orthodox shul in North Woodmere, and started Congregation Ohr Torah, the first of its kind in the area. Today, a half-century later, North Woodmere is a flourishing Torah community.
My mother saw the need for, and was inspired to start Hineni. Through her selfless work, she brought countless families to Torah observance.
Yisro heard his messages, and merited to have a parsha bearing his own name. Each one of us can create our own legacy, our own “parsha” reflecting how we react to the messages we hear.
Shabbat Shalom!