Proactive Advocacy

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Yisro by Rabbi Dovy Reich

"וַיִשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ כֹהֵן מִדְיָן חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱלֹקִים לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמוֹ כִּי הוֹצִיא ה' אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִצְרָיִם"  שְׁמוֹת י''ח:א'

“And Yisro, the minister of Midian, the father-in-law of Moshe, heard all that God did to Moshe and to Yisrael, His people – that God took Yisrael out of Egypt.” Shemos 18:1

"וַיִשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ" – “And Yisro heard.” What was the particular report which Yisro heard so that he came? It was the division of the Red Sea and the war with Amalek (cf. Mechilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:1:1; Zevachim 116a).

The Gemara (Sotah 17b) recounts how Pharaoh convened a Wannsee Conference of sorts. The wisest moral philosophers of the time — Yisro, Iyov and Bilaam — were all invited to give counsel on the Final Solution to the Hebrew Question. The Gemara describes how Yisro could not bring himself to participate, so he fled the council, bringing much derision upon himself and his family.

The Chasam Sofer explains that Yisro’s initial perspective on his actions was one of acknowledgment that, while he did not participate in the evil schemes of the others, he did not advocate for the Hebrews either. He therefore understood that he would have to improve his behavior towards Bnei Yisrael. Then again, reasoned Yisro, his wrongdoing was but a passive one, a lost opportunity to speak up on behalf of Bnei Yisrael. So, he figured that he could rectify his past shortcoming by simply advocating for Bnei Yisrael if and when given the opportunity.

However, explains the Chasam Sofer, this perspective changed, because Yisro opened his ears. When he heard about, and reflected upon, the great physical lengths to which the Amalekite haters went to attack Bnei Yisrael, Yisro understood that his own attitude towards, and advocacy for, Bnei Yisrael required him to do more. No longer could he remain on the sidelines and passively wait for his moment of personal redemption. Defense of Bnei Yisrael demanded proactivity. He knew what he had to do. He could do no less than uproot himself from his comfortable life and travel to the wilderness to physically stand as one with Bnei Yisrael. This is what the moment called on him to do, and it was all precipitated by Yisro’s conscious listening: “Vayishma Yisro.”

This remarkable story of Yisro’s personal journey of growth, culminating in his physical journey to join Bnei Yisrael in the wilderness is read as a prelude to Mattan Torah. Rav Gedalia Schorr explains that the relevant message for us is that proper acceptance of the Torah necessitates similar attentive listening to the world around us and, when warranted, a willingness to reframe our attitudes towards Hashem, His people, and His Torah, before taking serious and sometimes drastic action.

It is not trivial that our twice-daily affirmation of belief, the Shema, calls upon us to first focus our listening and hearing. This two-word directive of “Shema Yisrael” must precede our immediate declaration of the Oneness of Hashem. (Similarly, in the Tachanun prayer, the request that “the Unique Nation not perish” in its merit of proclaiming, “Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad” is entirely distinct from the separate request that “Israel not perish” in its merit of reciting “Shema Yisrael”.)

Lastly, the idea of acute listening in connection with Torah acceptance is found in Pirkei Avos 6:2: “Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: Every day a heavenly voice goes forth from Mount Horeb and proclaims: ‘Woe unto Mankind for his contempt towards the Torah.’ ” It is up to us to heed the heavenly voices and show deference to, rather than contempt for, Hashem and His Torah. And it all begins with attuning our ears.

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Rabbi Dovy Reich (FYHS 2001, BA 2004, Semichah 2006) continued his learning at Yeshivat Shaalvim and in Ner Yisrael’s Kollel Avodas Levi. He also earned an MS (2010) in Mathematics at Northeastern Illinois University. He is currently the COO at Logista Advisors, a Houston-based, commodity trading firm. As a proud HTC alumnus, he recently served on the HTC100 Centennial History Project Committee. Rabbi Reich and his family live in Ramat Beit Shemesh.