The universality of the message of the Torah is emphasized to us by the fact that the description of the Revelation at Sinai is preceded by the story of Yitro and his journey, both the physical and spiritual one, to join the Jewish people and share their fate and mission.

 

Jewish tradition tells us that Yitro had previously experimented with every form and device of paganism – the dominant religion of his time in the world – in order to find a sense of purpose and serenity for his soul and inner being. He found them all to be wanting in truth and in actuality and due to his honesty and intellectual acuity; he eventually came to reject them all.

 

He came to Jewish thought and behavior from the outside, from being one of the leading priests of paganism of his time. But in searching for the truth, he experienced his own inner revelation that coincided with the unique holy revelation at Sinai, as seen in this week’s Torah reading. He would find it to be difficult to be an outsider coming into Israel but he would find it to be even more difficult to remain an outsider and ignore the apparent truth.

 

As is often the case, the outsider, so to speak, sees things more clearly than those intimately involved in a situation. There is an objectivity that an outsider can bring to bear on the circumstances at hand that are often lacking in those who are actually participating in the event.

 

Later on in the Torah, during the trek in the desert of Sinai, Moshe will say to Yitro: “you have been for us our eyes.”  By this statement Moshe implies that Yitro saw things even more clearly than did the Jewish people and that his appreciation of the greatness of Judaism and its Torah excelled above all. Perhaps that is why there is an opinion amongst many of the commentators and in Midrash as well that the visit of Yitro to the encampment of Israel in the desert took place before the granting of the Torah.

 

When this great event happened, it was Yitro above everyone else who could most appreciate what this historic moment really meant in terms of world civilization and the progress of humankind. The Jewish people may have taken the Exodus from Egypt in stride, as being there due. Yet, Yitro reminded them of the supernatural quality of the event. The same is true regarding the revelation at Sinai and therefore Yitro merited that this portion of the Torah be named for him.

 

Shabbat shalom

 

Rabbi Berel Wein