Teachers Need Teaching Too
Shabbat Shalom Kol Yisrael. It is our pleasure to present this week's
Torah Parsha commentary by Nazarene Yisraelite Rabbi T. (Mordecai) Mitchell,
Rabbi and Rosh Zaken of B'nai Yeshurun Nazarene Yisraelite Synagogue,
Kittanning, Pa., and board member of the Union of Nazarene Yisraelite
Congregations. It is our sincere hope and prayer that these commentaries
encourage, inspire, and strengthen the body of Messiah in Kol Yisrael. Our
Parsha this week is Yithro (Jethro -- abundance) Shemoth (Exodus)
18:1 20:23. Our
Haftarah is YeshaYahu (Isaiah) 6:1 7; 9:56. Our suggested Brit
Chadasha readings are: Luke 18:18 30; Acts 6:1 -- 7. Also, please read
Tehillim (Psalms) 19 and 119:33-40.
Shemoth 18:1 And Yithro, the
priest of Midyan, Mosheh's father-in-law, heard of all that Elohim had done for
Mosheh and for Yisrael His people, that YHWH had brought the children of Yisrael
out of Mitsrayim.
Up to this point, with the possible exception of
Avinu Avraham, Mosheh was no doubt the most enlightened and spiritually advanced
person on earth. Now Yithro (Jethro) enters the scene for a short
time.
Yithro was the second non-Hebraic person to have a
profound influence on Mosheh's life. The first, of course, was the unnamed
Pharaoh's daughter who rescued him from the waters of the Nile and nurtured and
taught him as if he was her own son.
Yithro was a ...priest of Midyan... meaning he was a
priest devoted to using and teaching the occult. There is little doubt that
Yithro had a type of wisdom and understanding, and powers that were very real.
Yet, for whatever reasons, Yithro's heart was different from other priests of
his type.
It can be perplexing, to say the least, to think that
Yahweh would allow a very special person like Mosheh to have need of learning a
few lessons from a pagan priest. However, this Parsha has some lessons of its
own for us, if we are willing to stop, think, listen and learn.
Although Yithro was raised in paganism
from his birth, and although he was no doubt a highly educated, well respected
and widely known person, his heart was open to learning. Despite his great
standing Yithro had a humble, open spirit. This is evidenced in 18:10 where
Yithro said: ...Blessed be YHWH, Who has delivered
you out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people out of the hand
of the Mitsrayites. Now I know that YHWH is greater than all the mighty ones,
indeed in the matter in which they acted proudly, above them.
This dramatic confession of faith marks a separation
for Yithro from his pagan practices and polytheistic beliefs.
But Moshe, the
greatest world leader of his time, and the great spiritual leader of Kol
Yisrael, also exhibits humility and respect, as we read in 18:7:
And Mosheh went out to meet his
father-in-law, and bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each
other
about their welfare, and they went into the
tent.
To the casual (and careless) observer, this gesture
of respect might be woefully mis-interpreted. Here is Mosheh, a chosen vessel of
Yahweh, bowing to a pagan priest. Yet this mis-guided view lacks the insight of
understanding the background of this portion, the customs of the land, and the
intent of Mosheh. Moreh (teacher) Mosheh was simply paying respect to an elderly
man and a man who was his father-in-law. By doing so he was setting an example
for us all. We cannot disrespect someone simply because they have beliefs
different than our own even beliefs we know of a certainty are wrong. No doubt
we were all steeped in wrong beliefs at one time.
When people treat us with respect we must
reciprocate. If we expect others to respect us, and to respect our beliefs, we
must respect them. That respect must be genuine, not feigned. We could say this
reading is an unwritten Mitzvah commanding us to do so. Showing due respect to
any person does not mean that we are in agreement with them. By the same token,
showing disrespect, or coming off as arrogant, dogmatic know-it-alls, will never
cause others to turn an open ear to our witness of the truth. Being arrogant and
dogmatic is religion showing respect while holding on to the things we know to
be true is spirituality. Like Mosheh, we must never assume that we know so much
truth that we cannot learn something from others who may not share our
faith.
However, we must clarify that Mosheh did not learn a
lesson of doctrine, from his father-in-law. The lesson he learned was simply
one of secular administration applied to what we might call spiritual
government.
Yithro suggested that Mosheh appoint capable men to
handle the less difficult disputes, problems or questions that the people
had.
Let us notice in 18:20 how Yithro prioritizes the
matter.
18:20 And you shall enlighten them concerning the laws and the Torot
(plural of
Torah) and
show them the way in which they should walk and the work which they
do.
Notice how he recognizes and understand Mosheh's
mission and prioritizes it. Although the Bible does not give us details of
Yithro's apparent conversion, I believe it is safe to conclude that Yithro's
close association with Mosheh was a prime influence. We never know just how much
we can influence people for good or how our actions or proper conduct may be
responsible for a change of heart in others. Mosheh's great respect for Yithro
coupled with his apparent willingness to accept sound advice no doubt made a
more-than-favorable impression on Yithro. Although Mosheh was on a much higher
spiritual plane than his father-in-law he was willing to listen and learn with
humility.
We should also think of the effect this had on
Mosheh's fellow Yisraelites. Certainly the lesson here is that truth prevails
over everything else. Once Mosheh did not have to deal with minor issues, only a
limited number of major one, he was free to continue growing toward even greater
spiritual heights.
Yithro's plan for delegation of authority was no
doubt the model for a similar plan outlined in Ephesians 4:1112: And He
Himself gave some as emissaries, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists,
and some as shepherds and teachers, 12 for the perfecting of the
set-apart ones, to the work of service to a building up of the body of the
Messiah.
Notice, as expressed in verse 12, this delegation of
authority or governmental outline is ...for the perfecting of the
set-apart ones...
In Shemoth 19:6 Yahweh says of Yisrael: ...and
you shall be to Me a reign of priests and a set-apart nation...
Yisrael is about to receive the Torah. Their
acceptance of the Torah means that they are about to begin living the lifestyle
of the redeemed. Our acceptance of Yahweh's Torah means the same today. However,
before they can be given Torah, there must be harmony and order. The appointing
of rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties and rulers of tens in Shemoth 18, and
the delegation of the various offices of administration in Ephesians 4 provided
that harmony and order. However, regardless of anyone's position of authority or
responsibility, they must never become despots, dictators or tyrants. Those
holding office in spiritual Yisrael today, if they are truly spiritual people,
act in the capacity of friend and advisor to those coming to them with
situations or for advice. They must be people who can be trusted implicitly by
the people they guide.
On a final note we consider the giving of Torah from
Mount Sinai. Strange as it may seem, Mount Sinai is not the highest of the
mountains of Yisrael, nor is it the lowest. Why would Yahweh choose a mountain
that was not in the loftiest heights to present the Torah to Mosheh?
I believe the answer is found in Debarim
(Deuteronomy) 30:11 12, 14 This command which I am commanding you today,
it is not too hard for you, nor is it far off. 12 It is not in the
heavens to say 'Who shall ascend into the heavens for us, and bring it to us,
and cause us to hear it?'
14 For the Word is very near you, in our mouth
and in our heart to do it...
Yahweh choose one of the less lofty mountains to show
us that while we do have to ascend spiritually to reach Torah, our journey is
not particularly difficult or arduous.
In closing I would like to thank all of you who have
held me up in your prayers. I'm not quite out of the woods yet with my
physical ailments, but Yahweh's will is done in His own good time. There are
also some to whom, I owe a special thanks and you will be hearing from us
shortly.
May Almighty Yahweh bless us all as we seek to learn
more of His ways that we may serve Him according to His perfect will.
Questions or comments regarding this week's
commentary may be addressed to Rabbi Mitchell by e-mail at: yoel@arm-tek.net
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