In Honor of Melitta Oppenheim’s Bat Mitzvah
In Shmot 2:16-17, we see that
Yitro’s daughters were treated disrespectfully by the shepherds: “The Kohen of
Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water (from the well) and fill
the troughs to water their father’s sheep. Then the shepherds came and chased
them away. Moshe got up to their aid and watered their sheep.”
Yitro was a revered Midianite
Priest, so why did the shepherds disrespect his daughters?
According to Rashi, Yitro was
the most prominent of the Midianite Priests. However, when he abandoned idol
worship, the Midianites shunned him.
We see from here that Yitro
had already stopped worshipping idols even before he met Moshe yet we only see
him speak about God after the exodus from Egypt when Moshe returns in Shmot
18:10-11: “Yitro said: ‘Blessed is God who 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 God is greater than all the gods, because the very thing
they plotted came upon them.’”
Rashi comments that Yitro was
saying: “I was aware of God in the past but now, all the more so.” Yitro was
acquainted with all forms of idol worship in the world.
Ramban explains that we see
Yitro’s official conversion in Shmot 18:12: “Then Yitro, Moshe’s father-in-law,
brought a burnt offering and peace offerings to God. Aharon and all of the
elders of Yisrael came to eat bread with Yitro, Mosh’s father-in-law, before
God.”
Why did Yitro, wait until now
to convert?
Rashi ties Yitro’s choice to
convert to the first words of Parshat Yitro (Shmot 18:1) “And Yitro, Kohen
Midian, Moshe’s father in law heard about all that God had done for Moshe and
for his people Yisrael, when God brought Israel out of Egypt.” The Mechilta
states that he chose to convert after hearing about the splitting of the
heard about the war with Amalek (Zevachim 116a).
Rabbi Kazryel Fiszel Tchorz,
1896-
founder of HaPoel HaMizrachi, comments: The splitting of the sea showed the Mesirat
Nefersh (martyrdom) of B’nai Yisrael as they jumped into the water up to their
necks and saw miracles that even Yechezkel the prophet did not see. The attack
by Amalek showed a nation attacking B’nai Yisrael when they were weak, spilling
innocent blood. At that time, Yitro took it upon himself to stand with B’nai
Yisrael and to join them.
Yitro understood that we will
experience miracles but we will also have to fight many wars in order to defend
ourselves. He was ready to commit in the good times as well as in the bad
times.
Living in
a mixed bag. We see miracles being performed on a daily basis while at the same
time our enemies are attacking innocent men, women and children. Whether one
converts to Judaism or makes aliya, they have to understand that there will be
easier times as well as more difficult times and that is the reality of being
part of the Jewish people.
