In Parshat Yitro (Shmot 20:8-11), as
part of the Ten Commandments, we read about the obligation to rest on Shabbat:

Remember the Shabbat day to sanctify
it. Six days shall you work and accomplish all your work. But the seventh day
is Shabbat to Hashem, your God. You must not do any manner of work- you, your
son, your daughter, your slave, your maid, your animal, and the foreigner
within your gates. For in six days God made the heaven and the earth, the sea
and all that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day. Therefore God
blessed the Shabbat day and sanctified it.

Rashi comments that when Shabbat
arrives, you should feel as if all your work has been completed, so that you
will not have to think about work on Shabbat.

If a person manages their time
properly, then this model works. This has been proven by Shabbat observant Jews
from the time of the giving of the Ten Commandments until today.

However, what happens in a situation
when our time is not our own? When we can’t simply pack up and set our work
aside?

In the war that we are currently
fighting in Israel, the soldiers are fighting for the existence of the State of
Israel. This war is critical in order to keep Jews safe and to save lives. The
soldiers don’t have the luxury of finishing their work on Friday and resuming
Saturday night the way that the rest of us can. They are on duty 24 hours a
day, seven days a week.

The Rabbinate of the IDF provides instructions
for the soldiers of how to observe Shabbat during the war. Below, is a taste of
some of the issues that the soldiers face on Shabbat and how they are
instructed to handle them under the guidance of an army rabbi.

If the soldiers are in active duty
fighting the enemy on Shabbat, they should do everything that they would
normally do on a regular day.

Soldiers who are fighting in
dangerous areas such as in Gaza or on the border of Lebanon should not risk
their lives by trying to set up an Eruv in order to be able to carry on Shabbat
as it could take their attention away from the fighting. In these situations,
they can carry as they would on a weekday.

If the soldiers are gathered and
getting ready to fight, for example, on the border of Gaza, but not in Gaza, if
it is not dangerous for them to set up an Eruv, then they should do so. If they
were not able to set up an Eruv due to security reasons, they can still carry
their guns and whatever other supplies that they need in order to fight. They
can add their Siddur (prayer book) or Chumash (Bible) to their bag of necessary
supplies so that they can be carried as well.

If their unit is about to start
fighting, then the soldiers can prepare for war on Shabbat by doing practice
exercises and drills. However, if they aren’t going to be fighting imminently,
then they should not practice on Shabbat.

Pitching tents, setting up
generators and heaters as well as food preparation should all be taken care of
before Shabbat, if possible.

The soldiers should only light
Shabbat and Havdala candles where it is safe to do so. If it is dangerous to
light a fire, they can say the blessings on a flashlight.

Every soldier, whether on duty or
not, must have their phone with them at all times and must answer all incoming
calls.

These guidelines make it clear that
the soldiers can’t follow the ideal of finishing everything before sundown on
Friday, as they must be on high alert over Shabbat. However, at the times that
the soldiers are out of harm’s way, they can try to achieve a Shabbat
atmosphere as much as possible.

May all of our soldiers be safe and
may they complete their missions so that they can return to their families and
celebrate Shabbat as a true day of rest.

In Parshat
Yitro, Shmot 18:2-4 we read:

Moshe’s
father-in-law, Yitro, took Moshe’s wife, Tziporah, after Moshe had sent her
back home along with her two sons. The name of one was Gershom, because he
(Moshe) had said, “I was a stranger in an alien land.” The name of the other
was Eliezer, because the God of my father was my help, and rescued me from the
sword of Pharaoh.

In Shmot 4:19-20
it looks like Moshe brought Tziporah with him to Egypt so how did she end up in
Midian with her father?

God said to
Moshe in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt, for they have died- all the men who had
sought your life. Moshe then took his wife and his sons, set them to ride on
the donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt…

Rashi explains
what happened: When God said to Moshe in Midian: “Go and return
to Egypt,” Moshe took his wife and his two sons…When Aharon went out towards
him and met up with him at the Mountain of God (Shmot 4:27), Aharon asked
Moshe, “Who are these?” Moshe replied to him, “This is my wife whom I married
in Midian and these are my children.” Aharon said to him, “And where are you
taking them?” Moshe answered “To Egypt.” Aharon said to him, “We grieve for the
earlier (enslaved) ones and now you come to add to their numbers!”

At that point, Moshe told Tzipora to return to her
father’s house in Midian.

According to Siftei Chachamim, Moshe was worried
that the Egyptians would enslave Tziporah if she came with him to Egypt.
Therefore, he sent her back to Midian.

Since Tzipora and their sons were safe, there was no
point in endangering them in Egypt.

We now see how Tziporah and their sons ended up meeting
up with Moshe after the Exodus from Egypt, just in time for the Revelation at
Sinai.

In Parshat Yitro, B’nai Yisrael received the Ten Commandments. The
fifth commandment (Shmot 20:12) stands out because not only is it a
commandment, there is also a reward attached:

Honor your father and your mother, so that your days will be
lengthened upon the Land that HaShem your God gives you.

Which Land did God give us? According to the Netziv, this refers
specifically to The Land of Israel.

This sounds similar to the last line in the “Vehaya” paragraph of
the Shma which we recite twice a day (Dvarim 11:21):

In order to prolong your days and the days of your children upon
the Land that God has sworn to your forefathers to give to them…”

If the reward of a long life is specifically in the Land of Israel
then how do people merit to live long lives outside of the Land of Israel as
well?

The Talmud, Brachot 8a relates an incident:

Rabbi Yochanan was told: There are elderly people in Babylonia.
Rabbi Yochanan was surprised and said: It is written “In order to prolong your
days and the days of your children upon the Land…” meaning the Land of Israel.
However, outside of Israel, there is no promise of a long life. They then
explained that the elders in Babylonia are people who arise early to attend
shul in the morning and stay late in the evening. He said: That is the merit
that has gained them long lives.

We learn in the Talmud, Megilla 29a:

It is taught in a braita: Rabbi Elazar HaKappar says: In the
future, the shuls and Batei Midrash in Babylonia will be transported and
established in Eretz Yisrael.

According to Maharsha, since these synagogues and Batei Midrash
will later become part of Eretz Yisrael, when one prays or studies in them it
is as if they are in the Land of Israel and therefore they deserve a long life
even if technically they are not in the Land.

We already see some of this vision taking place in our time. The
Mir Yeshiva, the largest yeshiva in the world is based in Jerusalem with 9000
students. It was originally founded around the year 1814 in the small town of
Mir (now Belarus). It remained in that same location for about 100 years.
During World War I and World War II the yeshiva moved around to Poltava
(Ukraine today) and later Keidan, Lithuania. Whoever was left at the yeshiva fled
to Shanghai. After the war, many of the students joined the Yeshiva in
Jerusalem which opened in 1944 with ten students.

The Mir is just one example of a yeshiva that was uprooted and is
now flourishing in Israel.

May we merit to bring more yeshivot to Israel, not based on the
need to flee persecution but based on the ideal that Israel is the best place
to live and study Torah
 as it says in Yishayahu 2:3:

Ki Metzion Tetze Torah u’Dvar HaShem m’Yerushalayim

For out of Zion shall go forth Torah and the word of God from
Jerusalem.

Sponsored by Steven Toberman and
Bonnie & Micky Kamel

in blessed memory of
their mother, Marion Tomsky Toberman,

Miriam bat Yaakov Hirsch Halevi
and Devora,

in commemoration of her 12th
yahrzeit anniversary כ”ו בשבט

In Parshat Yitro, Moshe’s father in
law advises Moshe to bring judges to help him out so that he doesn’t have to
serve the entire nation alone. In this way, Moshe can share the burden as the
smaller disputes will not have to be brought to him and he will be able to
focus on the major issues.

Yitro then tells Moshe (Shmot 18:23):

If you do this—and God so commands
you to do so—you will be able to endure; and this entire people, as well, shall
arrive at its destination in peace.

Why does it say “and this entire people”,
rather than “each person will arrive at his destination in peace.”

Kli Yakar answers that the verse
refers to a general place that is unique to the entire nation as a whole; and
that can only be the Land of Israel.

It
says in Dvarim 16:20: “Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may
thrive and occupy the land that the Lord, your God is giving you.”

Rashi
explains: The appointment of honest judges is sufficient merit to cause Israel
to live and to settle them securely in their land. This is why it does not say
“This entire people will dwell in its place in peace” rather it says
“will arrive in peace.” It informs us that by virtue of appointing
proper judges, this entire nation will arrive in peace at the place that is
special to the entire nation- that is the Land of Israel.

It
says “will arrive” because they had not yet arrived there. The verse
teaches that injustice corrupts the Land. The generation of the flood proves
this. The Jews of the First Temple were exiled because of lack of justice, as
it says, “Your rulers are rogues and associates of thieves, every one avid
for presents and greedy for payments; They do not judge the case of the orphan
and the widow’s cause never reaches them” (Yishayahu 1:23) and in the
future “Zion will be redeemed with judgment, and those that return to her
with righteousness” (Yishayahu 1:27).

In regard to Moshe, the verse says “You
will be able to endure” (here in the desert). But the end of the verse
“And also this entire people will arrive in its place in peace”
excludes Moshe because it was already decreed that he would not enter the Land
in any event, as it says (Shmot 6:1) “You will see what I will do to
Pharaoh: For with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand
will he shall drive them from his land.”

Rashi comments: You (Moshe) will see what will
now be done to Pharaoh, but you will not see what will be done to the kings of
the seven nations of Canaan when I will bring them (the Israelites) into the Land
(of Israel).

We see from here that Moshe is unfortunately
left out. While he started the process of bringing them out of Egypt, he is not
able to bring them to their final destination.

We once again have the privilege to live as a
nation in the Modern State of Israel. Some take it as a given while others
spent their lives yearning to get here and appreciate every minute. The recent
airport closures made us contemplate the fact that just as Moshe couldn’t get
in even though he wanted to so badly, so too we can’t always take getting into
Israel for granted.

Shabbat Shalom from Yerushalayim,

Sharona Margolin Halickman       

In Parshat Yitro, Moshe is
overwhelmed with judging the nation on his own. Yitro, Moshe’s father in law
noticed this and told Moshe that he will wear himself out if he continues to do
everything on his own.

Yitro’s suggestion is found in Shmot
18:21-23:

You must seek out from among all the
people “anshei chayil”, capable men, “yirei Elokim”, God fearing men, “anshei
emet”. men of truth, “sonei vatza” who despise unjust gain. You must then
appoint them over the people as officers of thousands, officers of hundreds,
officers of fifties and officers of tens. Let them judge the people at all
times. Every major problem they will bring to you, and every minor problem they
shall judge by themselves. It will thus be easier for you since they will bear
the burden with you. If you do this and God commands you to do so, you will be
able to survive, and also this entire people will come to their place in peace.

Moshe listened to his father in law
(Shmot 18-25-26):

Moshe chose “anshei chayil”, capable
men from among all Yisrael and appointed them leaders over the people; officers
of thousands, officers of hundreds, officers of fifties and officers of tens.
They judged the people at all times. The difficult problems they would bring to
Moshe, and the simple problems they would judge by themselves.

Rashi explains the meanings of these
characteristics:

“Anshei Chayil”, capable men who are
wealthy and do not need to ingratiate themselves nor show favoritism.

Chizkuni adds that they were brave
men who were able to handle the work and not be afraid of the people.

Ramban points out that “Anshei
Chayil” are strong and quick just like the “Eshet Chayil”, woman of valor in
Mishlei (Proverbs) who is strong and quick with taking care of her household
tasks.

Rashi continues:

“Anshei Emet”, men of truth who
command confidence, who are trusted and listened to.

“Sonei Vatza”, hate unjust gain,
they “despise” their own property when they can obtain it only through
litigation. As it says in Bava Batra 58b, “Any judge from whom property is taken
through litigation is not fit to be a judge.” A judge should be extremely
sensitive to the possibility that he may be in possession of something that he
is not entitled to, that the case should never even get to court.

Rashbam adds that bribery and
robbery are always called vatza.

We see from here that Moshe sought
out good and honest leaders and judges and he found many who were able to help
him in judging the nation.

Why is it that today we are having
such a difficult time finding honest leaders and judges?

There are so many scandals in the
news that even if there are some good leaders, we don’t hear about them because
when you are a law abiding citizen, you don’t usually make the news.

With the Israeli elections coming up
soon, we really need to search out good candidates and focus on the prayer of
“Hashiva Shofteinu”, “Restoration of Justice” and hope and pray that good,
honest people will lead us:

Restore our judges as in earliest
times and our counselors as at first, remove from us sorrow and groan; and
reign over us- You, God, alone- with kindness and compassion, and justify us
through judgment. Blessed are You, God, the King Who loves righteousness and
judgment.

In Parshat Yitro, B’nei Yisrael
received the Torah as a community, yet each individual’s relationship with the Torah is personal
and unique.

In the Talmud, Eruvin 54, Rabbi Yochanan asks why the words of the Torah
are compared to a fig tree as it says in Mishlei (Proverbs) 27:18, “He who guards the fig tree shall eat its fruit.” Rabbi Yochanan’s answer
is that in the case of the fig tree, every time a person handles it, they find
a ripe fig, the same is true for the words of Torah: Every time a person
studies them, they find flavour in them.

Every time that we study Torah, we can always find a new idea. We just
need to know where to look. Some find new ideas by reading the text more
closely, others study commentaries that they have not read before while others
choose to study with a teacher with whom they have not yet studied, who can
give them a whole new perspective.

While we celebrated Tu B’Shvat this past week, we were reminded to
internalize the messages that the seven species of Israel, including the fig,
teach us.

The compilation of midrashim, Yalkut Shimoni Yehoshua 2, presents a
similar question to the one mentioned in Eruvin: Why is the Torah compared to a
fig? Because most fruits contain something inedible- dates have a pit, grapes
have hard seeds and pomegranates have a peel. But every part of a fig is good to
eat. So too with the Torah- every part of it contains wisdom.

I have been writing a Dvar Torah (short sermon) about the weekly Torah
portion each week for the past fifteen years and I have found the words of this
midrash to be true. There is always something new to find and ideas that one
may have overlooked in previous years can suddenly become relevant.

One idea about the fig that I especially find meaningful this year is in
Micha 4:2-5:

But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and
none shall make them afraid for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken it.
For let all people walk everyone in the name of his god and we will walk in the
name of the Lord our God forever and ever.

Just a few weeks ago, delegates from around the world came to Jerusalem
to mark 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz. Let’s hope that this is the
beginning of the fulfillment of Micha’s words, hoping for a time when the
nations of the world will be at peace with Israel and when members of all
religions will have respect for one another while enjoying the beauty of Israel’s
grape vines and fig trees.

In Honor of Melitta Oppenheim’s Bat Mitzvah

In Shmot 2:16-17, we see that
Yitro’s daughters were treated disrespectfully by the shepherds: “The Kohen of
Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water (from the well) and fill
the troughs to water their father’s sheep. Then the shepherds came and chased
them away. Moshe got up to their aid and watered their sheep.”

Yitro was a revered Midianite
Priest, so why did the shepherds disrespect his daughters?

According to Rashi, Yitro was
the most prominent of the Midianite Priests. However, when he abandoned idol
worship, the Midianites shunned him.

We see from here that Yitro
had already stopped worshipping idols even before he met Moshe yet we only see
him speak about God after the exodus from Egypt when Moshe returns in Shmot
18:10-11: “Yitro said: ‘Blessed is God who rescued you from the hand of Egypt
and from the hand of Pharaoh; who rescued the people from under the hand of
Egypt. Now I know that God is greater than all the gods, because the very thing
they plotted came upon them.’”

Rashi comments that Yitro was
saying: “I was aware of God in the past but now, all the more so.” Yitro was
acquainted with all forms of idol worship in the world.

Ramban explains that we see
Yitro’s official conversion in Shmot 18:12: “Then Yitro, Moshe’s father-in-law,
brought a burnt offering and peace offerings to God. Aharon and all of the
elders of Yisrael came to eat bread with Yitro, Mosh’s father-in-law, before
God.”

Why did Yitro, wait until now
to convert?

Rashi ties Yitro’s choice to
convert to the first words of Parshat Yitro (Shmot 18:1) “And Yitro, Kohen
Midian, Moshe’s father in law heard about all that God had done for Moshe and
for his people Yisrael, when God brought Israel out of Egypt.” The Mechilta
states that he chose to convert after hearing about the splitting of the Red Sea. Rabbi Yehoshua taught that Yitro came because he
heard about the war with Amalek (Zevachim 116a).

Rabbi Kazryel Fiszel Tchorz,
1896-1979, a
founder of HaPoel HaMizrachi, comments: The splitting of the sea showed the Mesirat
Nefersh (martyrdom) of B’nai Yisrael as they jumped into the water up to their
necks and saw miracles that even Yechezkel the prophet did not see. The attack
by Amalek showed a nation attacking B’nai Yisrael when they were weak, spilling
innocent blood. At that time, Yitro took it upon himself to stand with B’nai
Yisrael and to join them.

Yitro understood that we will
experience miracles but we will also have to fight many wars in order to defend
ourselves. He was ready to commit in the good times as well as in the bad
times.

Living in Israel is also
a mixed bag. We see miracles being performed on a daily basis while at the same
time our enemies are attacking innocent men, women and children. Whether one
converts to Judaism or makes aliya, they have to understand that there will be
easier times as well as more difficult times and that is the reality of being
part of the Jewish people. 

The Aseret HaDibrot, the Ten Commandments,
were declared to B’nei Yisrael as a group while they stood at Mt. Sinai.

If the commandments were told to B’nai
Yisrael as a group, then why are they written in singular form?

Let’s take the first commandment for
example (Shmot 20:2):

“I am HaShem, Elokecha, your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves.”

Why does God say “Elokecha”, your
God (singular) and opposed to “Elokeichem”, your God (plural)?

The answer is that God is a personal
God.

Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heshel ben Rav
Shmuel of Apt (1755-1825) known as the Ohev Yisrael explains: It says “Elokecha”,
your God (singular) since at Mt. Sinai God spoke to each and every person
individually according to their understanding, according to the depth of their
knowledge, according to their strength and according to their level. In this
way, each member of B’nai Yisrael was able to appreciate God’s glory.

This past week, I had the honor to
conduct six Tu B’Shvat seders for different populations in Tel Aviv, Yafo,
Jerusalem and a Kibbutz near Hadera: teenagers at a special needs boarding
school, senior citizens with special needs, mothers who attend Torah classes
with their babies, two groups of at risk elementary school students and a group
of independent senior citizens. Each seder was tailored to the needs of the group
that was attending and although they participated as a group, each individual
connected to the holiday in their own way. Some connected through song, others
through dance, the readings or the eating of the fruits.

Receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai was
a communal miracle. B’nai Yisrael received the Torah as a group. However, it
was also a personal miracle since each individual in attendance formed a
personal relationship with God and felt as if He was speaking directly to them.

Parshat Yitro describes God’s revelation to B’nai Yisrael at
Har Sinai.

According to Yalkut Shimoni, Shir HaShirim 992, B’nai
Yisrael who were sanctified at Har Sinai are compared to a nut. When the shell
is broken, the nut emerges. When the Jewish people are sanctified and their
evil inclination is broken they become soft and gentle to both God and other
people.

Midrash Shir HaShirim Raba 6:11 explains: There are three
types of nuts. The first kind has a shell that is very simple to open and it is
easy to remove the nut. The second type has a medium shell, if you bang it hard
then it will break open. The third variety is very hard to crack and you need a
tool such as a nutcracker to smash it open. So too are the Jewish people: Some
give Tzedaka by themselves, some give when asked and others don’t give even
when asked. Fortunately most of the Jewish people are like the first two types
of nuts.

Rav Azariya taught: If a nut (that is still in its shell)
falls into the dirt, then it can be wiped clean, washed and restored to edible
condition. So too the Jewish people, they may get tainted by wrongdoing and sin
during the year but when they return to God before Yom Kippur and do Tshuva
(repent) their sins are forgiven.

The same Midrash also explains that the Jewish people are
like a pile of nuts. If one nut is removed from the pile, all of the other nuts
are disturbed.

We saw this idea very clearly last week when a high school
student from Boston
was missing and Jewish people from around the world offered their help to look
for him. The Boston police said that they never saw such an outpouring of concern for a missing
person.

Just as the pile of nuts was shaken, the Jewish community
was unable to sit comfortably until the boy was found.

With Tu BiShvat behind us this is a good opportunity to
examine our deeds and see if in fact we are acting as the right kinds of nuts.
Do we give Tzedaka generously? Do we do Tshuva and apologize if we hurt our
fellow person? Do we open our shells to the teachings of the Torah? Do we go
out of our way for others even if we may not know them personally?

The first time that the Ten Commandments appear in the Torah
is in Parshat Yitro.

The Third Commandment is found in Shmot 20:7: “Do not take
the Name of Hashem, your God in vain. For God will not acquit the one who takes
His Name in vain.”

The Talmud in Brachot 33b states: He who pronounces an
unnecessary benediction  violates the
prohibition of “Do not take the Name of Hashem, your God in vain.”

Rabbi Kasher in the Torah Shlemah explains this commandment:
“Whoever pronounces an unnecessary benediction or says his prayers without
devotion or at the wrong time takes the name of Heaven in vain. Regarding him
the text states: He will not acquit him.”

What Rabbi Kasher is saying is that if someone prays without
kavana, without being focused, without paying attention to what he is saying,
without understanding the meaning of the words, without being aware that he is
standing before God- then he is actually taking God’s name in vain.

How many people would take prayer more seriously if they
thought about this concept?

There are many observant Jews who would not dare to utter
God’s name outside of the recitation of prayers and blessings yet while praying
their minds may wander, they may involve themselves in conversations with
people in the room (instead of with God) during the course of the davening or
they may be so tuned out that they may not even realize which prayers they have
already recited.  

Every time that God’s name is uttered it should be for a
purpose.

When we look at the third commandment from this perspective,
it seems even harder to observe than the normative explanation of this
commandment, not swearing falsely using God’s name. Prayer is said three times
a day and blessings are said throughout the day so not taking God’s name in
vain has to be something that we are aware of every day, all day long.

As we read the Ten Commandments this week, let’s take it
upon ourselves to have more kavana each and every time that we recite God’s
name in a prayer or a blessing.