Yitro

This week's Torah portion, Yitro, contains the first iteration of the Ten Commandments in all of its smoky, thundering Cecil B. DeMille Technicolor glory.

However, this is not the part of the story I gravitate to. Maybe it's just a little too over the top for me. What I do love to read about is Yitro--Jethro himself, the Midianite priest and father-in-law of Moses.

Jethro shows up just before the revelation at Sinai. Moshe Rabbeinu is about to go up the mountain and get all the Torah--written and oral--and bring it down to the people. And boy is he tired. He has been leading this mixed multitude single-handed, and it's been a little like herding cats. Jethro sees Moses adjudicating all the people's complaints from morning until night. People are lined up around the block waiting for Moses to settle their disputes, provide manna recipes, check their sheep for fleas, and so on.

Jethro observes this and speaks to Moses lovingly and with authority. "What are you doing? You are going to wear yourself out. This is not going to benefit you OR your people! Furthermore, G-d commands you to take a break. Here is a plan for delegating your responsibilities to others."

I was thinking that everyone should have someone like Jethro in his or her family.

Right on cue, my daughter Leah came downstairs and told me to go to bed. "But I'm teaching Torah study in the morning! I have to study!" Leah: "Well, your studying isn't going to do you a lot of good if you can't wake up tomorrow morning. Don't make me worry about you!"

Earlier in the evening this same child advised me it was inadvisable to get into my tent in the dark, but if I truly wanted a picture to prove to everyone that the tent DID NOT blow off the roof, she would come upstairs and photograph me in it. And she told me a ridiculous joke that made me laugh hysterically--giving her one up on Jethro, because I don't think chicken crossing the road jokes were invented until after his time ;-)