#17 —Parshat Yitro
(Exodus 18:1-20:23)
Chosen for a Purpose
וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ־לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹש
OVERVIEW
You Will Worship G-d on this Mountain
תַּעַבְדוּן אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים עַל הָהָר הַזֶּה
In this week’s portion Israel will for the first time gather together at Har Sinai. Moshe (Moses) would certainly have in mind his initial experience in encountering G-d (Exodus 3:12) on Mount Horeb in the fire of a bush (הַסְּנֶ֑ה).
Why Yitro?
Not random
It can’t be emphasized enough how significant the covenant on Sinai will be for Israel moving forward. Similar to the Exodus from Egypt, Israel will look back repeatedly to Sinai as a reminder of G-d’s faithfulness as well as a testimony of their own commitment to be faithful to the covenant. With this in mind, it is quite interesting that preceding such a monumental moment in Israel’s history is a comparatively not-so-important story of a small reunion between Moshe and his father-in-law, Yitro (or Yetro).
Yet the placing of this seemingly unimportant account is not random. It is a crucial key to unlocking what G-d intends to bring about through His covenant with the nation,revealing one of the primary purposes for which Israel will be called (19:6).
More from the prophets
A Light for the Nations
“I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoner from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in the darkness” (Isaiah 42:6).
Isaiah the prophet, who much later in Israel’s history echoes Israel’s call to be a “kingdom of priests,” roots the ultimate fulfillment of this promise not in the nation of Israel itself but in the sacrificial love of Messiah.
From the Haftarah reading:
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the L-rd sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train[a] of His robe filled the temple. Above Him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the L-rd of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called,
and the house was filled with smoke. And I said:
“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the L-rd of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
And he touched my mouth and said:
“Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
(Isaiah 6:1-7)
The Resolution of the Tension
A Holy Presence
One interesting takeaway from our portion this week is the bringing together of two seemingly conflicting elements relating to the character of G-d. On one hand, Torah reveals a G-d who is completely transcendent and “other” from His creation. He is Holy, and set apart, and before Him no one can stand. Yet, at the very same time we see a G-d who desires to be near His people, and provides a way so that they might come to know Him deeply and intimately!
At Sinai, these two themes meet like nowhere else to this point in the narrative. Here G-d will draw close to His people making His presence known! Yet, in the revealing of His presence we see the people can barely stand. The mountain trembles and brims with thunder, lightning, smoke, and fire. And it doesn’t stop here! Accompanying His presence is a warning! If they go up the mountain they will die! (Exodus 19:18-25). And when Israel witnesses the awe-inspiring sight caused by G-d’s holiness and hear His righteous commandments their immediate reaction is to flee in fear (Exodus 20:18).
How are we to resolve the tension here? How can it be that a Holy G-d can meet and commune with an unholy people?