My Musing
In honor of Shavuot, the festival of Matan Torah, the giving of the Torah, I offer the second midrash from the Parsha of Yitro where the Revelation at Sinai is found. I think the theme of this midrash is very apropos for the festival of Shavuot- how many people really take what they hear to heart? And when they take it to heart how many have the courage to follow through?
In honor of Shavuot, the festival of Matan Torah, the giving of the Torah, I offer the second midrash from the Parsha of Yitro where the Revelation at Sinai is found. I think the theme of this midrash is very apropos for the festival of Shavuot- how many people really take what they hear to heart? And when they take it to heart how many have the courage to follow through?
מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת יתרו סימן ב
(שמות יח:א) "וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ כֹהֵן מִדְיָן חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱלֹהִים לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ כִּי הוֹצִיא יְדֹוָד אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם"
And Yitro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel His people, how that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.
יש שמע והפסיד, ויש שמע ונשכר.
There are those who listen and lose and there are those who listen and benefit.
יואש שמע והפסיד שנאמר,(דברי הימים ב,כד:יז) "וְאַחֲרֵי מוֹת יְהוֹיָדָע בָּאוּ שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַמֶּלֶךְ אָז שָׁמַע הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲלֵיהֶם" (דברי הימים ב,כד:כד) "כִּי בְמִצְעַר אֲנָשִׁים בָּאוּ חֵיל אֲרָם וַידֹוָד נָתַן בְּיָדָם חַיִל לָרֹב מְאֹד כִּי עָזְבוּ אֶת יְדֹוָד אֱלֹקֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם וְאֶת יוֹאָשׁ עָשׂוּ שְׁפָטִים"
Yoash heard (but did not listen to the prophets) and lost as it says: “And after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and prostrated themselves before the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.” “For the army of the Arameans came with a small company of men; and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment upon Joash.”
וכן (שמות טו:יד) " שָׁמְעוּ עַמִּים יִרְגָּזוּן חִיל אָחַז יֹשְׁבֵי פְּלָשֶׁת",
Similarly, “The peoples have heard, they tremble; pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia”
אבל יתרו שמע ונשכר, שהיה כומר לעבודה זרה ובא ונדבק למשה ונכנס תחת כנפי השכינה וזכה ליתר פרשת הדיינין לישראל. שאמר למשה (שמות יח:יז)"וַיֹּאמֶר חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵלָיו לֹא טוֹב הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹשֶׂה" (שמות יח:כא) "וְאַתָּה תֶחֱזֶה מִכָּל הָעָם אַנְשֵׁי חַיִל יִרְאֵי אֱלֹקִים אַנְשֵׁי אֱמֶת שֹׂנְאֵי בָצַע וְשַׂמְתָּ עֲלֵהֶם שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים שָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת שָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים וְשָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרֹת"
But Yitro heard and was rewarded. He was a priest for pagan worship and came and attached himself to Moshe and entered under the wings of the Divine Presence and merited to have the remainder of the portion about the judges for Israel. As he said to Moshe “And Moses' father-in-law said to him: 'The thing that you do is not good” “Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, despising unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.”
גבורים בתורה כענין שנאמר (תהלים קג:כ) "בָּרֲכוּ יְדֹוָד מַלְאָכָיו גִּבֹּרֵי כֹחַ עֹשֵׂי דְבָרוֹ לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹל דְּבָרוֹ"
"יִרְאֵי אֱלֹקִים", כמשמעו
"אַנְשֵׁי אֱמֶת", עומדין על אמתו של דין.
"שֹׂנְאֵי בָצַע", שונאי ממון עצמן. כל שכן ממון של אחרים.
יהא אומר אפילו אתה שורף גדישי אפילו קוצץ את כרמי כהוגן אני דיינו.
Able men (courageous) in the Torah in context as it says “Bless the Lord, angels of His, mighty in strength, that fulfill His word, hearkening unto the voice of His word.”
Fear (awe) of God as is implied, men of truth who can stand on the truth of their decision, despising of gain, they despise their own money and the money of others.
You should be able to say that even if you burn down my field or cut down my vine I will still judge you appropriately.
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