Yitro's Advice

Found 13 Search results

1. The Differences Between Devarim and Earlier Accounts

   Prof. Jonathan Grossman

   There are a number of differences between the stories in Devarim and the descriptions of the same events in earlier books. This article addresses two cases: Yitro's advice regarding the judicial system, and the Sin of the Spies. The different descriptions are an archetype for two types of distinctions: historical and tendentious.

2. Yitro

   Parashat Yitro

   Rabbi Yaakov Medan

   Why did Yitro come to the camp? Was his advice to Moshe sage? Did Moshe follow his advice? When did Yitro arrive at the camp, and when did the parallel episodes of appointing elders and judges occur? Why was the punishment of the sinners at Kivrot Ha-Ta’ava so severe, and what is the difference between the requests for meat in Beha’alotekha and in Shelah?

3. The Oral Law and the Secret of "Eikha"

   Rabbi Yaakov Medan

   Moshe in the Torah, Yishayahu in the Prophets, and Yirmiyahu in the Writings, all express their amazement at the situation and fate of the nation of Israel using the same expression - "eikha" - and our Sages teach that this is no coincidence. The three questions are connected to one another, and they share a single answer. By closely examining the qualities of Moshe as a leader and of Bnei Yisrael as a nation in the desert, we learn the importance of connecting the Written Law with the Oral Law, the Torah of speech, which are the threads that will join Moshe and Bnei Yisrael anew into a single entity.

4. Yitro

   HaTanakh.com Staff

5. “Listen to me; I will give you counsel, and may God be with you”

   Rabbi Gad Eldad

   On his visit to Moshe and Bnei Yisrael at their encampment in the wilderness, Yitro observes Moshe’s daily routine as the nation’s sole judge. He offers a suggestion aimed at increasing efficiency and ensuring that Moshe will not end up collapsing under this impossible burden. At the beginning of Sefer Bamidbar, with the Israelite camp organizing itself to journey on, we suddenly encounter another dialogue between Moshe and his father-in-law. The appearance of this unit in Sefer Bamidbar is a source of perplexity among the commentators. If Yitro had already gone home in Sefer Shemot, then how is it that we encounter this scene in Sefer Bamidbar, with Moshe trying to deter him from leaving?

6. Yitro and Amalek

   Dr. Yael Ziegler | 33 minutes

   When does Yitro arrive? When does the meeting with Moshe take place? What was it that he heard that motivated him to see Moshe? And where does this meeting fit in chronologically- before or after Ma’amad Har Sinai? Why is it recorded here? There are astoundingly strong linguistic parallels between the Yitro and the Amalek story that precedes it. We look at these mirror image parallels, as well as the story of Yael and Sisra to see that the nearby nations are not monolithic when it comes to choices about the knowledge of God and the attitude toward Bnei Yisrael.

7. Justice or Peace?

   Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

   What was the benefit of Yitro’s suggestion to Moshe about delegating the role of judging the Jewish people?

   By delegating the judicial function downward, Moses would bring ordinary people – with no special prophetic or legal gifts – into the seats of judgment. Precisely because they lacked Moses’ intuitive knowledge of law and justice, they were able to propose equitable solutions, and an equitable solution is one in which both sides feel they have been heard; both gain; both believe the result is fair, which is the ultimate goal of the judicial process. 

    

   This lecture is part of the Covenant & Conversation series.

   To read more from Rabbi Sacks or to subscribe to his mailing list, please visit http://www.rabbisacks.org/. You can also follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

8. Justice or Peace? (Audio)

   Rabbi Jonathan Sacks | 10 minutes

   What was the benefit of Yitro’s suggestion to Moshe about delegating the role of judging the Jewish people?

   By delegating the judicial function downward, Moses would bring ordinary people – with no special prophetic or legal gifts – into the seats of judgment. Precisely because they lacked Moses’ intuitive knowledge of law and justice, they were able to propose equitable solutions, and an equitable solution is one in which both sides feel they have been heard; both gain; both believe the result is fair, which is the ultimate goal of the judicial process. 

    

   This lecture is part of the Covenant & Conversation series.

   To read more from Rabbi Sacks or to subscribe to his mailing list, please visit http://www.rabbisacks.org/. You can also follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

9. Yitro - Common Sense and Divine Law

   Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell | 21 minutes

   In this shiur on Parashat Yitro, we will discuss the interaction between common sense and the Divine Command. The tensions between them are evident in the interaction  between Moshe  and Yitro. What was Yitro suggesting, and where does God’s command fit in with his idea? What are the pitfalls of using common sense when it comes to Torah law? There are gray areas - when is common sense acceptable, and when is it not enough? There are repercussions for the Halakhic System.

10. The Torah of Man

    Rabbi Dr. Yoel Bin Nun

    Sefer Devarim describes a shift in Bnei Yisrael’s view of leadership, going from a nation that is dependent on miracles and tests, to one that is constant and stable. The beginning of Parshat Devarim represents this transition to a new situation: obeying God involves observing the covenant, the covenant of Torah from Sinai, which is the fixed and eternal mode of God’s leadership of the nation.

11. The Marriage of God and Israel

    Rabbi David Fohrman |

    Parshat Yitro contains the most important piece in the narrative of the Jewish people, the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai, when the nation and God are 'married.' Curiously, before that story, we have two short stories about Yitro, Moses's father-in-law, first when he throws a feast to celebrate the salvation, and then when he advises Moses to set up a court system.

     

     

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12. Parshat Yitro Part 2: Yitro's Advice

    Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom | 33 minutes

    This podcast discusses Yitro’s advice to Moshe regarding the nation’s judicial system, and Moshe’s internalization and implementation of this advice. It also compares this episode with the version in Devarim and explains the glaring differences between the two accounts.  

    Courtesy of www.tanachstudy.com

13. And it came to pass the next day

    Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky