page_title: Yitro (parsha)
section_title: Exodus chapter 18
hierarchical_section_title: Yitro (parsha) / In classical rabbinic interpretation / Exodus chapter 18
caption_attribution_description: English: The Harlot of Jericho and the Two Spies, c. 1896-1902, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot (French, 1836-1902) or follower, gouache on board, 9 1/16 x 6 5/8 in. (23.1 x 16.9 cm), at the Jewish Museum, New York
context_page_description: Yitro, Yithro, Yisroi, Yisrau, or Yisro is the seventeenth weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the fifth in the Book of Exodus. The parashah tells of Jethro's organizational counsel to Moses and God's revelation of the Ten Commandments to the Israelites at Mount Sinai.
  The parashah constitutes Exodus 18:1–20:23. The parashah is the shortest of the weekly Torah portions in the Book of Exodus, and is made up of 4,022 Hebrew letters, 1,105 Hebrew words, and 75 verses.
  Jews read it the seventeenth Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in January or February. Jews also read part of the parashah, Exodus 19:1–20:23, as a Torah reading on the first day of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which commemorates the giving of the Ten Commandments.
context_section_description: The Tannaim debated what news Jethro heard in Exodus 18:1 that caused him to adopt the faith of Moses. Rabbi Joshua said that Jethro heard of the Israelites' victory over the Amalekites, as Exodus 17:13 reports the results of that battle immediately before Exodus 18:1 reports Jethro's hearing of the news. Rabbi Eleazar of Modim said that Jethro heard of the giving of the Torah, for when God gave Israel the Torah, the sound travelled from one end of the earth to the other, and all the world's kings trembled in their palaces and sang, as Psalm 29:9 reports, "The voice of the Lord makes the hinds to tremble . . . and in His temple all say: 'Glory.'" The kings then converged upon Balaam and asked him what the tumultuous noise was that they had heard — perhaps another flood, or perhaps a flood of fire. Balaam told them that God had a precious treasure in store, which God had hidden for 974 generations before the creation of the world, and God desired to give it to God's children, as Psalm 29:11 says, "The Lord will give strength to His people." Immediately they all exclaimed the balance of Psalm 29:11: "The Lord will bless His people with peace." Rabbi Eleazar said that Jethro heard about the dividing of the Reed Sea, as Joshua 5:1 reports, "And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites heard how the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the children of Israel," and Rahab the harlot too told Joshua's spies in Joshua 2:10: "For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea."
  Rabbi Joshua interpreted Exodus 18:6 to teach that Jethro sent a messenger to Moses. Noting that Exodus 18:6 mentions each of Jethro, Zipporah, and Moses' children, Rabbi Eliezer taught that Jethro sent Moses a letter asking Moses to come out to meet Jethro for Jethro's sake; and should Moses be unwilling to do so for Jethro's sake, then to do so for the Zipporah's sake; and should Moses be reluctant to do so for her sake, then to do so the sake of Moses' children.
  Rabbi Pappias read the words "And Jethro said: 'Blessed be the Lord'" in Exodus 18:10 as a reproach to the Israelites, for not one of the 600,000 Israelites rose to bless God until Jethro did.
  Reading Exodus 18:13, "Moses sat to judge the people from the morning to the evening," the Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael questioned whether Moses really sat as a judge that long. Rather, the Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael suggested that the similarity of Exodus 18:13 to Genesis 1:15 taught that whoever renders a true judgment is accounted as a coworker with God in the work of creation. For Exodus 18:13 says, "from the morning to the evening," and Genesis 1:15 says, "And there was evening and there was morning."
  A Midrash expounded on the role of Moses as a judge in Exodus 18:13. Interpreting God's command in Exodus 28:1, the Sages told that when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, he saw Aaron beating the Golden Calf into shape with a hammer. Aaron really intended to delay the people until Moses came down, but Moses thought that Aaron was participating in the sin and was incensed with him. So God told Moses that God knew that Aaron's intentions were good. The Midrash compared it to a prince who became mentally unstable and started digging to undermine his father's house. His tutor told him not to weary himself but to let him dig. When the king saw it, he said that he knew the tutor's intentions were good, and declared that the tutor would rule over the palace. Similarly, when the Israelites told Aaron in Exodus 32:1, “Make us a god,” Aaron replied in Exodus 32:1, “Break off the golden rings that are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me.” And Aaron told them that since he was a priest, they should let him make it and sacrifice to it, all with the intention of delaying them until Moses could come down. So God told Aaron that God knew Aaron's intention, and that only Aaron would have sovereignty over the sacrifices that the Israelites would bring. Hence in Exodus 28:1, God told Moses, “And bring near Aaron your brother, and his sons wit
caption: The Harlot of Jericho and the Two Spies (watercolor circa 1900 by James Tissot)
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