PARSHA POSTS: YITRO

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Moshe-Mordechai van Zuiden

Oct 25, 2024, 12:28 AM

Why remember Creation and the Exodus and not Sinai?

Why the Exodus from Egypt and not the Revelation at Sinai? Judaism stresses two pivotal moments in history: Creation and the birth of the Jewish People. They both show G^d's power and centrality. Yet, the Exodus was mostly important as a...

Moshe-Mordechai van Zuiden

Aug 17, 2024, 9:51 PM

Why does Judaism forbid idol worship so much?

Why is it one of the worst sins? The first question should be, Who cares if you'd bow don't to an idol? Why is that wicked, worse than silly or stupid? Who gets hurt? You could say that when you allow...

Moshe-Mordechai van Zuiden

Apr 28, 2024, 5:30 PM

The two ways Redemption may come

Redemption itself is a necessary stage in ending all human suffering On the Shabbat morning of Passover, we read Ezekiel 37:1-14. The bottom line of Chapters 35-39 is that one will see the miracles and know that their Author is G^d...

Rachelli Prawer

Feb 8, 2024, 3:01 PM

The kindergarten’s ‘wishing tree’ made me cry

Some, to be sure, wish for a dog or a bunny, but it's telling that more are thinking about the soldiers and the hostages

Jonathan Weinkle

Feb 8, 2024, 2:39 AM

The Torah of Treating Substance Use Disorders

Originally delivered as the D’var Torah at Congregation Beth Israel, Vancouver, BC, Canada, Shabbat Yitro, 5784 (February 3, 2024). Event co-sponsored by JACS Vancouver (Jewish Addiction Community Services). Edited for clarity. When I was a senior in high school, a...

Feb 2, 2024, 11:55 PM

The Essence of Torah in One Word

The Alter Rebbe teaches that the essence of the giving of the Torah (which is in this week’s parsha, Yisro) is hidden in one strange word in the introductory verse of the Ten Commandments: וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לֵאמֹר Vayidaber...

William Hamilton

Feb 2, 2024, 7:05 PM

Your ratio of questions to statements

This week’s portion of Torah precedes the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai, with some leadership lessons for Moses. His father-in-law, Jethro, advises him on how to get better at delegating and sharing burdens. Why is Moses...

Steven Zvi Gleiberman

Feb 2, 2024, 3:38 PM

How to win Moshe and influence people

My proof that fathers-in-law have disagreed with sons-in-law goes back thousands of years. Yitro sees that Moshe is spending his entire day acting as the de facto single judge for disputes in the entire Jewish nation, and Yitro says,...

Yitzchak Goodman

Feb 2, 2024, 3:37 PM

Parshat Yitro: Jewish unity without antisemitism?

When asked what is the biggest problem the Jewish people face today, many would probably answer: שנאת חנם - baseless hatred. Throughout our long history we have fallen victim to it time and again; turning on Jews from different...

Feb 2, 2024, 3:35 PM

E Pluribus Yitro

Yitro is a shadowy figure in the Torah. He is mentioned only a few times, as the Midianite who shelters the fugitive Moshe, as Moshe’s father-in-law, as a visitor to the encampment of the recently escaped Israelites who advises...

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