Wake Up to the Glory

For the sages, Yitro’s meeting with Moshe was providential. He not only returned Moshe’s family to him, but as an outsider, he saw in the awesome events of Yitziat Mitraim, the exodus from Egypt, wonder which somehow failed to sufficiently impress its actual participants, the children of Israel:

And Yitro priest of Midian, Moshe’s father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moshe and for Israel, his people, that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt… And Yitro said: ‘Blessed is the Lord, who has rescued you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh, who rescued the people from under the hand of Egypt. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all of the gods, for in this thing that they schemed against them.” (Exodus 18:1;10-11)

Yitro’s praise of God is seen as extraordinary. He did not experience God’s redemptive hand, yet, he acknowledged it and praise God accordingly. The following midrash sees in this bold action a message for God’s people who never quite seemed to sufficiently appreciate what God had done for them:

And Yitro said: ‘Blessed is the Lord’ – Rabbi Pappis said: Scripture speaks to the discredit of Israel, for there were there six hundred thousand men and not one of them having stood up to bless the Lord (HaMakom – the Place) until Yitro came and blessed the Lord, as it says: “And Yitro said: Blessed is the Lord, [who rescued you].” (Mekhilta de Rabbi Yishmael Amalek-Yitro 1, Horowitz-Rabin ed. p. 194)

In another midrash, the sages explain Yitro’s sense of appreciation for God’s act as the product of his broad religious experiences:

…than all the gods: They (the sages) said: There was no idolatry in the world that Yitro did not come across and did not worship, as it says: “than all the gods” … And so, Rahav the harlot said: “for the Lord your God is the God in the heavens above and on the earth below.” (Joshua 2:11) (Mekhilta, pp. 194-5)

According to this midrash, since Yitro had broad knowledge of the variety of available religious experiences and therefore, had a sense of what was truly authentic. Similarly, the midrash brings another somewhat later biblical episode, where Rahav, a harlot, recounts to spies sent by Yehoshua (Joshua) to reconnoiter the area around Jericho how she marveled over God’s redemption of children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. The sages anachronistically envisioned  these two figures not only as righteous converts, but even moreso, they saw in them religious role models to be emulated.

Of course, these two midrashim reflect the experience of rabbinic sages living long after the events of the exodus and reflect attitudes of sages thinking about those living in their own generation. One might similarly assert that their message is suitable for our generation as well. It is not unusual for non-Jews to find meaning and significance in Jewish wisdom and ritual and see in the Jewish tradition things which Jews themselves have failed to see or take interest in, often without reflection or acknowledgement. This lack of interest can sometimes be explained as the result of the dulled sensitivities that come from over familiarity. For others, it may be the product of wanting to fit into the non-Jewish environment while for others, it may be total lack of familiarity. The message of these midrashim is that sometimes it takes somebody from outside looking in to remind us of what we are truly missing and challenge us to marvel over our existence.