Parshas Yisro

Shemos

Passionate Desire
The key to the successful achievement of our dreams is to develop and strengthen the most powerful force in the human psyche - desire. Our Chachomim teach us, "Nothing gets in the way of a person's true desires." In Makkos 10b we are taught, "Providence leads a person down the path of his true desires." The Gemara in Yoma 38b reveals, "One who desires purity, G-d will assist him in his quest. However, one who desires defilement, G-d makes available these sinful opportunities, too." We see from here, that one who wishes to flourish in Torah scholarship, must accentuate and develop his desire for Torah scholarship, in order to succeed. The same applies to developing one's attainments in the areas of Tefilla and Chesed, too. Instead of searching for magical skills and methods in developing these spiritual heights, one should focus on developing a true desire to connect with Hashem and bestow loving-kindness upon one's fellow man. One can illustrate the long-term effectiveness of true desire with the following anecdote, related by the teacher of all Israel, the saintly Chofetz Chaim.

When the holy ger tzedek, Avraham ben Avraham, the Count Pototski, was being brought to the stake at the hands of the Catholic Church, he was asked to defend why he stubbornly wished to remain a Jewish convert. The Count replied, "When the Nations of the World rejected the Almighty's offer to accept the Torah, there were individual gentiles amongst the nations that truly desired the yoke of Torah and Mitzvos. Although their minority opinion was rejected by their fellow countrymen, their earnest and sincere desire was never lost and was passed on to their progeny, resulting in the many holy converts that have joined the Jewish People. Therefore, I am fortunate to bring to fruition the true desire of my holy ancestors." This story highlights the seminal and everlasting effects of true desire.

Maran HaMashgiach, Rav Shlomo Wolbe, zt”l, suggests in his magnum opus, Alei Shur, that this is why this week's Parsha, which deals with the Revelation at Mount Sinai, is referred to as Yisro. Even though one might suggest that “Moshe” or “Sinai” would be more appropriate for the name of this Parsha, Yisro was chosen, for he was the personification of one willing to abandon one's country and prestige to join the nascent Jewish People in their acceptance of G-d's Torah. Of all the qualities that guarantee the fulfillment of Torah, there is none greater than the sincere and powerful desire exemplified by Yisro.

When the brilliant Gaon, Rav Eizele Charif, was searching for an appropriate son-in-law, he entered the great Volozhiner Yeshiva and announced, "Whoever can successfully answer the following Talmudic difficulty will be worthy of my daughter's hand in marriage." After days of fielding many disappointing replies, the Gaon reluctantly made his way back to his hometown. As the carriage began to move, he heard an agitated call from one of the young Yeshiva men for the carriage to stop. The Gaon anticipated a final attempt at answering his question but instead heard something far more satisfying. The young man said, "No, I don't have an answer to your question. But, please, Rebbi, my heart desires and yearns for the truth. Please reveal to me the answer to your Talmudic riddle." Rav Eizele Charif was so inspired by the passionate desire emanating from this young man, that on the spot, he decided to choose him as his future son-in-law. This choice proved to be a very auspicious one, for his son-in-law, the great Gaon, Rav Yosef Shlufer, successfully inherited his father-in-law's Rabbinic position in Slonim and published the many chiddushim of Rav Eizele Charif.

I close with the incisive words of my revered Rebbe, Rav Shlomo Wolbe, zt”l. "We must all be cognizant of the following awesome truth. What a person truly desires determines what he will eventually achieve in life. Conversely, one's lifetime achievements are indicative of what he truly desired (Alei Shur, Chelek Alef 121)." May the Almighty inspire us to open up our hearts with a burning desire to do His will.




Standing on Ceremony


The Bach (O.C. 141) quotes the Zohar that teaches us that “while listening to the Torah reading, one should visualize oneself as if presently accepting the Torah on Har Sinai.” Since the Jewish People stood during that time, it is ideal to stand during the Torah reading. The Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 146,4) rules however, that one may sit during Krias HaTorah. One need only stand during the recitation of Barchu etc. and the responding Baruch Hashem Hamevorach L’olam Vaed. However, this week as we read the Aseres Hadibros (The Ten Commandments) it is customary for all to rise, without exception (Sharai Ephraim 7, 37). The author of the Bircai Yosef says that there are those who are critical of this custom based on the Tshuvas HaRashba (184, quoted by the Rama O.C. 1,5) that prohibits the public recitation of the Aseres Hadibros during Shacharis for fear that non-believers will erroneously claim that the Torah is exclusively the Aseres Hadibros. Therefore, by standing exclusively during the reading of the Aseres Hadibros, this erroneous impression may also be conveyed. (See Rabbi E. Feldman, “Tales from the Shul,” pg. 41. “A fine lady told me that she didn’t do any rituals but only lived by the Ten Commandments, I made bold to inform her that Shabbos was the fourth of the Ten. She was mildly surprised but recovered quickly enough to ask, ‘Are you absolutely sure?’”) The Bircai Yosef, nevertheless, defends the custom of standing, due to the fact that we also read the rest of the Torah with it, demonstrating that the entire corpus of Torah is truthful. By standing, we signify that the Aseres Hadibros are the foundation of the Torah and the only part of the Torah directly transmitted by Hashem to the Jewish People.


The Lost Art of Listening


This week’s Parsha features the most pivotal event in Jewish History, the revelation of Torah on Har Sinai. The question arises, why is the Parsha called Yisro, an appellation which reflects a minor event in the Parsha, namely the creation of a viable judicial system? Another point to ponder is what relevance does the creation of a judicial infrastructure have to do with Kabbalas HaTorah?

The great Chassidic thinker, HaRav Menachem Mendel of Kotzk zt”l tells us that the words “And Yisro heard” (Shemos 18,1) actually means “Yisro understood” (“derhert”, in Yiddish). Indeed, the entire civilized world heard the news of the Exodus, only Yisro listened properly and understood. There were three different ways the Exodus was heard.

1) Indifference: “The Nations of the World heard and were gripped with fear (Shemos 15,14).” Their hearing didn’t inspire them to react and change. Rather, they were paralyzed with anxiety and indifferent to the message they had heard.

2) Defiance: Amalek heard too, but they were not receptive to the clarion call of self-improvement and Torah. Their reaction was to object and reject the nascent movement of morality and righteousness.

3) Compliance: Yisro truly understood the historic significance of the Exodus and decided to “seize the day” and accept the yoke of Torah by converting to Judaism.

Allow me to suggest that this is why the Parsha is called Yisro. Yisro taught the Jewish People how to listen. Most of us listen with either indifference or objection. Rare is the individual who is capable of truly understanding what he hears. The most essential prerequisite to Kabbalas HaTorah is to listen to the voice of Hashem on Har Sinai. The juxtaposition of the court system to Kabbalas HaTorah is now understood, for an essential ingredient in a judge’s ability to judge and arbitrate properly is to have the capacity to listen and understand the litigants’ claims. Only a judge skilled in the art of listening can effectively legislate. Here, too, Yisro taught the Judges of Israel the art of listening.

The most frequent and very last words a Jew utters is “Shma Yisroel,” “Hear O Israel” (Devarim 6,4). Hashem is constantly talking to us - He talks to us through the beauty of nature and the cosmos, through the complexity and inspiration of our Holy Torah, and through His guiding hand of Providence and History. His messages, however, frequently fall on deaf ears. We, therefore, constantly remind ourselves, “Shma Yisroel,” “Hear, O Israel,” listen, understand, comply, and be inspired by Hashem’s voice in nature, Torah, and Providence. May we merit to follow the example of Yisro and cultivate within ourselves the lost art of listening.