Video Study for Parsha Yitro : Gratitude for the Good

[muman613]

Shalom JTF friends...

It is the 'middle of the week' and once again time to start thinking about the weekly Torah reading. I really enjoy learning the parasha each week even though I have been learning it every year for the last ten years, but I always learn something new and repetition is also the best way to remember things.

So this week's parasha we have another epic scene. The Children of Israel travel to the base of Mount Sinai as instructed by Hashem. The story of Mattan Torah (The Giving of the Torah) also known as Kabbalat Torah (Receiving of the Torah) occurs with awesome details. According to the Midrashim the heavens themselves opened and a glimpse of the Emet of G-d himself was manifest for all to see. These 'background stories' for the Written Torah explain that all 600,000 men (All 3Million men, women & children) heard Hashem speak the first of the two "Ten Commandments". After hearing each of them their spirits departed them, and they were resurrected. After the second time they asked Moshe to bring down the eight remaining commandments.

The other important lesson, the lesson which I alluded to in the Thread Subject, is the lesson we learn from Yitro himself. Now we all should know that Yitro is Moses father-in-law, the father of his wife. Yitro gave shelter, food, and his daughter to Moses in gratitude for the fact that Moses put himself in harms way in order to protect Yitros daughters at the watering hole. For the fact that Yitro was such a generous and caring host to Moses he was rewarded with the Torah portion being named after him. He is only one of three Torah portions named after non-Jews (The others being Noah & Bilaam).

Yitro is also rewarded for the fact that he was originally a 'seeker' who explored all forms of 'Avodah Zarah' or idolatry. He was a master, a 'Priest of Black Magic' who knew of all the idolatrous practices of the time. But despite this being the case, he was able to see that Hashem, the G-d of Israel, is the ONE TRUE G-d and put down his idols and false beliefs. He said to Moses, when he came out to the mountain after hearing of the 'Splitting of the Sea', that he now knew that Hashem is the only true G-d.

So let us look at the portion in a nutshell from Chabad.org:

http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/36271/jewish/Yitro-in-a-Nutshell.htm

Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, hears of the great miracles which G‑d performed for the people of Israel, and comes from Midian to the Israelite camp, bringing with him Moses’ wife and two sons. Jethro advises Moses to appoint a hierarchy of magistrates and judges to assist him in the task of governing and administering justice to the people.

The Children of Israel camp opposite Mount Sinai, where they are told that G‑d has chosen them to be His “kingdom of priests” and “holy nation.” The people respond by proclaiming, “All that G-d has spoken, we shall do.”

On the sixth day of the third month (Sivan), seven weeks after the Exodus, the entire nation of Israel assembles at the foot of Mount Sinai. G‑d descends on the mountain amidst thunder, lightning, billows of smoke and the blast of the shofar, and summons Moses to ascend.

G‑d proclaims the Ten Commandments, commanding the people of Israel to believe in G‑d, not to worship idols or take G‑d’s name in vain, to keep the Shabbat, honor their parents, not to murder, not to commit adultery, not to steal, and not to bear false witness or covet another’s property. The people cry out to Moses that the revelation is too intense for them to bear, begging him to receive the Torah from G‑d and convey it to them.

I will start the videos with a Rabbi Richman talk about the idolatrous background of Yitro:

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Rabbi Richman has so many great ideas in his videos, here is another one which explores what exactly Hashem meant when he brought us from bondage to freedom...

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Lets take a break from Rabbi Richman for a while... Here are some short Torah tidbits from Rabbi Odze...

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Rabbi Odze provides a perfect 'segway' into a clip I made from a Rabbi Kahane speech, where he explains the idea Rabbi Odze brought up concerning Mount Sinai being a small mountain, and the idea of humility...

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Now for a slightly more Chassidic/Mystical discussion given by the great Rabbi Yitzak Ginsburg...

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Rabbi Nagin on this weeks portion:

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Rabbi Finkelstein on the portion:

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Another from Rabbi Finkelstein:

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I have not found a video which discusses the idea of Yitro's gratitude but here is one mention of it:


http://www.shemayisrael.com/parsha/jersey/archives/yisro64.htm

NOT FOR MYSELF

Yitro said, "Blessed is Hashem, who rescued you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh. (Shemot 18:10)

In the Talmud Sanhedrin 94a, Hazal say that it is an embarrassment for Moshe Rabenu and all of the Klal Yisrael that until Yitro declared, "Baruch Hashem," no one else had done so. In other words, Hazal attribute to Yitro the first public praise of Hashem. Is this true? Are we to ignore the Shirah, song, that Moshe led Klal Yisrael in singing after Hashem split the Red Sea for them? Is their praise any less significant than that of Yitro? Horav Sholom Mi'Radomsk, z"l, distinguishes between Yitro's praise and Moshe's praise. Moshe and Klal Yisrael were both deeply moved by Hashem's deliverance of them from their enemies. Their overwhelming sense of gratitude inspired them to sing His praise. They thanked and lauded Hashem for what He did for them. In contrast, Yitro gave gratitude in a yet uncharted area - "Who rescued you" - He thanked Hashem for saving Klal Yisrael. Yitro was the first to appreciate the benefit that others had received, to give thanks to the Almighty for His actions on behalf of others. (Peninim on the Torah)

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Here is an article which discusses how great Yitro was because of his gratitude to Hashem for all the blessings he had bestowed...


http://www.torah.org/learning/olas-shabbos/5762/yisro.html

Baruch Hashem, one is hard pressed to be around a ben Torah (an observant Jew) for more than a few moments without hearing the words baruch Hashem leave his lips. Yisro too uses this expression after hearing from his son-in-law, Moshe, "About everything Hashem had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt... And Yisro said, 'Baruch Hashem! Who has saved you from Egypt and from Pharaoh.' (18:8- 10)" It is noteworthy that our Sages are outspokenly critical of both Moshe and the rest of our nation for not having said baruch Hashem!

It was taught in the name of R' Papayus: It was a disgrace for Moshe and the 600,000 [Jews that left Egypt] that they did not say "baruch Hashem," until Yisro came and said "baruch Hashem."

"Va-yichad Yisro (18:9)." [What is the meaning of the unusual word "va-yichad?"] Rav says: It means he circumcised himself. Shmuel says: It means that his flesh became full of goosebumps (he got the shivers after hearing what Hashem had done to Egypt). As people say: For ten generations [after his conversion], one should never disdain a gentile in front of a convert. [Sanhedrin 94a]

There are a couple difficulties with this Gemara. Firstly: Although it is true in a technical sense that the Moshe and the Jews never actually said "baruch Hashem" after leaving Egypt, they did sing the most beautiful shira at the Red Sea, thanking Hashem for the miracles and salvation they had experienced. What was it, then, that was missing?

Also: What is the connection between Yisro's saying "baruch Hashem" and the ensuing discussion of Rav and Shmuel as to the meaning of va-yichad?

One is obligated to bless Hashem regarding the bad just as one does regarding the good. [Mishna, Berachos 9:5]

It is significant that Chazal do not obligate us to thank Hashem for bad just as one thanks for good. To thank in Hebrew is le-hodos. To bless is le-vareich. To thank Hashem for something one is not really thankful for would be both dishonest and facetious.

It is a common misconception that to bless Hashem is just another form of thanks. In fact, when we say, "baruch Hashem," as we do at the beginning of every beracha we make, we are not thanking Hashem, but rather recognizing and acknowledging that Hashem is the origin of all sustenance: Blessed are You, Hashem, our G-d, King of the Universe... - You are the source from which all sustenance flows.

By blessing Hashem for the good and for the bad, we acknowledge that Hashem is the source of everything. Ultimately, we realize that even what we perceive as bad also comes from Hashem, and thus must, in the grander scheme of things, be for our good, even if it's sometimes difficult to see how. As the famous expression goes, "Gam zu le-tova/Even this is for the better." Still, because it feels bad for us, it is not possible to obligate one to thank Hashem for it. By blessing Hashem "even when it hurts," we affirm that our belief in Hashem is stronger than our feelings, emotions and perceptions.

Yisro, according to Shmuel in the above Gemara, found listening to Moshe's description of the destruction of Egypt painful and distressing. This country had once been his home. Although he had by all means distanced himself from their evil and corrupt ways, in his heart he had hoped that they would succumb to Moshe's request for freedom, thereby recognizing Hashem and saving themselves. That things hadn't worked out that way, and that thousands upon thousands of people who had once been his friends had perished as a result, was a bitter pill to swallow. "Baruch Hashem - Blessed is Hashem," were the only words he could find that could both allow room for his pain, yet at the same time recognize that this too was from Hashem.

While the Jewish nation did express their gratitude and thanks to Hashem in their Song of the Sea, says R' Papayus, they never said "Baruch Hashem." Their song focused strictly on the salvation and miracles of Hashem. But, to their disgrace (R' Papayus' words, not mine), we never find them blessing Hashem for everything they went through - not only for the salvation, but for the slavery and subjugation as well. They failed to recognize, at least verbally, that Hashem is not simply the "Superhero" who swoops down at the last minute to save the oppressed from the hands of their oppressors; Hashem is also the One who put them there in the first place.

Perhaps this is why the ensuing Gemara goes on to discuss the opinion of Shmuel, that "va-yichad Yisro" refers to the goosebumps on Yisro's skin as he painfully listened to Moshe's description of the demolition of his former homeland. It is to explain to us in what way the "Baruch Hashem" of Yisro was so different and original.

So the next time you ask someone who's got a bad case of the sniffles how things are going, and he gives you a hearty "Baruch Hashem," understand that he's not being coy. Sometimes things just don't go the way we'd like - baruch Hashem for that!

[muman613]

Ok, one more article and then some videos... But here is an explanation I heard a few years ago concerning Gratitude...

http://www.parsha.net/pdf/Shmos/Yisro60.pdf

ACKNOWLEDGING THE GOOD
by RABBI YISRAEL MEIR LAU, Chief Rabbi of Israel and Chief Justice of the Rabbinical High Court

      "'And Yitro heard ... everything G-d did for Moshe and for his nation Yisrael, that G-d had taken Yisrael out of Egypt' [Shemot 18:1]. What did he hear that caused him to come and convert? Rabbi Yehoshua says he heard about the war with Amalek and came. Rabbi Eliezer says he heard about the splitting of the Red Sea and came. Rabbi Eliezer Hamoda'i says he heard about the giving of the Torah and came." [Zevachim 116, quoted in the Torah by Rashi]. But this is problematic, since the verse explicitly describes what Yitro heard: "Everything G-d did for Moshe and for Yisrael." Why do our sages single out the war against Amalek and the splitting of the Sea?

      It would seem that Yitro was impressed not by G-d's greatness but by the good qualities of Bnei Yisrael, which were demonstrated by these events. Why is it that in the case of Egypt Moshe said, "G-d will wage war for you, and you can remain silent" [Shemot 14:14], while when Amalek appeared he said, "Choose people for us, and go fight against Amalek" [Shemot 17:9]?

      The explanation may be that we owe Egypt a debt, since they opened their doors to Yaacov and his children in a time of famine. Because of this, we did not repay their evil deeds directly, in spite of the suffering and oppression during our exile in Egypt. This noble behavior is what captured Yitro's heart. As one of Pharaoh's advisors, he was present when the king "who did not know Yosef" [Shemot 1:8] laid his plans, "let us be clever with them" [1:10], and he was acutely aware of the oppression the nation suffered at their hands. But in spite of this, Bnei Yisrael knew to acknowledge their debt to Egypt. There was no such obligation to Amalek, and therefore, "Yehoshua weakened Amalek and his nation with the sword" [Shemot 17:13].

      All three sages quoted above had this thought in mind in their commentary about Yitro, with each one emphasizing a different aspect. Rabbi Yehoshua stresses the war with Amalek directly and Rabbi Eliezer notes the parting of the Red Sea. Finally, Rabbi Eliezer Hamoda'i found the principle of repayment of a debt of gratitude in the Torah, where it is written, "Do not despise the Egyptians, for you were strangers in their land" [Devarim 23:8].

      Moshe already showed his gratitude in Egypt, in that he did not wave his staff over the land to start the first three plagues - blood, frogs, and lice - because "neither water, which guarded you when you were thrown into the Nile, nor dust, which protected you when you killed the Egyptian, should  be struck by your hand" [Tanchuma].

      In Yitro's eyes, recognizing a debt of gratitude was the most important characteristic, and it impressed him so greatly that he was proud to bear the title, "Moshe's father-in-law" [Shemot 18:1]. It is this gratitude which led to his daughter's marriage with Moshe, when he was told that an Egyptian man saved his daughters from the shepherds and gave the sheep water. Yitro himself acknowledged his debt, when he asked, "Where is he? ... Invite him to join us for bread." [Shemot 2:20].  He showed his appreciation by giving "his daughter Tziporah to Moshe"  [Shemot 2:21].

      The lesson to be learned for all generations is obvious.

[muman613]

Rabbi Finkelstein gives another interesting talk about the Sinai experience..

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I am happy to see that Rabbi Richman is giving longer talks, on his most recent Yitro talk he talks for 20minutes...

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Now for the animated G-dcast Ten Commandments..

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Rabbi Pinchas Winston from OhrGanuz...

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Rabbi Trugman from BeThereIsrael gives another long 1hr talk on the portion..

[Ephraim Ben Noach]

Rabbi Trugman from BeThereIsrael gives another long 1hr talk on the portion..

I really like this Rabbi, he makes a lot of sense. What branch is he from?

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I am not entirely sure what branch of Judaism he would say he is from. But I know that I have heard him say that he has studied with Rabbi Ginsburg and knows about Breslov Chassidus so I suspect he is Chassidic....

http://www.shuvoo.com/trugman-bios.php

Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman and Rachel Trugman have thirty years of experience in the field of Jewish education
 
They were a founding family of Moshav Meor Modiim in 1976, where Rabbi Trugman served as the Director at the Moshav of the Center for Jewish Education, which successfully ran programs for over 5,000 participants per year from over 25 countries. Rachel Trugman was one of the main teachers in the programs.
 
In 1988, the Trugmans took the position of Regional Directors of NCSY in Denver, Colorado, where they created a new region and were involved in many educational initiatives in the Jewish community. The Trugmans returned to Israel in 1995 and are the founders and directors of Ohr Chadash: New Horizons in Jewish Experience.
 
Through their work with Ohr Chadash the Trugmans lecture and lead events at scores of institutions around Israel and throughout North America.

He has published articles and poems in a wide variety of publications, as well as authored two major books; Seeds and Sparks: Inspiration and Self- Expression through the Cycles of Jewish Life, and The Mystical Power of Music, both published by Targum Press. His new book, The Mystical Meaning of Dreams, will be published early 2006.
 
Rachel Trugman teaches and creates innovative programs, especially for women. Along with her work with Ohr Chadash, she is also a family therapist with a private practice, and an artist who has published a coloring book, Tales of the Talmud.