Parashat Yitro
Shevat 20, 5783 / February 10-11, 2023
Torah: Exodus 18:1 - 20:23
Haftarah: Isaiah 6:1 - 7:6; 9:5-6 (Ashkenazim); Isaiah 6:1-13 (Sephardim)
Haftarah: Isaiah 6:1 - 7:6; 9:5-6 (Ashkenazim); Isaiah 6:1-13 (Sephardim)
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This d'var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Chanah Bella bat Kreina and Devorah bat Feigel.
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Lunch and Learn meets Tuesdays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. We're continuing to read and discuss the Midrashic collection Ein Ya'akov.
On February 7, we'll be at BT Shabbat 33b, page 138 of Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) Volume 1 - "שמע רבי פנחס בן יאיר ..." - "Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair heard ...”
Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) is available for on-line reading or as a downloadable PDF at:
https://hebrewbooks.org/9630
A pointed Hebrew text version with different pagination is available at Sefaria:
https://www.sefaria.org/Ein_Yaakov?tab=contents
-----------------------------------------------Rabbi Van Leeuwen has a blog which you should read at:
https://rebjasonblog.wordpress.com/blog/
Dr. Steve Pearlman writes up the "Midrashim of the Week", which you should read at:
https://midrashsrp.wordpress.com
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CLOTHES DON’T MAKE THE PERSON
"And the Lord said to Moses, 'Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow; and they shall wash their clothes.'" Exodus 19:10
The 16th century Rabbi Moshe Alshikh, of Safed, says that the Torah teaches that it is not enough for people to worry only about the externals, such as washing themselves and their clothes, while neglecting themselves internally - they must be clean and pure in both aspects. He adds, the internal aspect comes first - that is why they were ordered to sanctify themselves, and then to wash their clothes.
The 16th century Rabbi Moshe Alshikh, of Safed, says that the Torah teaches that it is not enough for people to worry only about the externals, such as washing themselves and their clothes, while neglecting themselves internally - they must be clean and pure in both aspects. He adds, the internal aspect comes first - that is why they were ordered to sanctify themselves, and then to wash their clothes.
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When one appears before a king to receive justice and mercy, one scrubs oneself and one's clothing, in order to make a good impression and not offend the king. But when one appears before the King of Kings, to receive the Holy Torah, as the Israelites (and all of us) do in this week's parashah, God wants the heart and soul to be pure before one worries about mere physical cleanliness. It should be so also when we pray and when we study Torah. If you think about it, shouldn't all of our dealings with other human beings as well be carried out in the same way? Every human being is an image of God - so we are always standing before God. If we always strive to act with purity of heart and soul, the externalities will take care of themselves.
Have an awesome Shabbat of standing before God – at Sinai – and everywhere else!
Rabbi Richard A. Flom, Rabbi Emeritus
Temple B'nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier
"שתיקה כהודאה דמיא"
"Silence in the face of wrongdoing is consent.”
BT Yevamot 87b
"Silence in the face of wrongdoing is consent.”
BT Yevamot 87b
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