Parashat Yisro

"Yisro sent word to Moshe: I, your father-in-law Yisro, am on my way to you, along with your wife. Her two sons are with her." (18:6)

Rav Chiyo said: Are the two sons only HER's and not Moshe's? However, since she toiled to raise them alone (because she was alone with them in Midyon), they were called HER sons, not Moshe's. (From the Zohar HaKadosh)

"Yisro said: Praised is Hashem ..." (18:10)

Converts are on a higher level than the rest of the Jewish nation because we mention Hashem's name after two other words, as we say "Boruch Atto Hashem" whereas Yisro was able to mention Hashem's name after only one word, as he said "Boruch Hashem". (The Vilna Gaon zt"l, quoted in MiShulchon Govoa)

"Moshe chose men of accomplishment ..." (18:25)

Yisro suggested to Moshe to select as judges "men of accomplishment, G-dfearing people, men of truth and people who despise money". Why did Moshe not do as he suggested and only selected "men of accomplishment"? The reason is that only Hashem knows the truth about the other qualities of man. Moshe could not divine these other qualities on his own. (Rabbeinu Avrohom ibn Ezra)

"... And Yisroel camped there [in the Sinai desert], facing the mountain." (19:2)

The Torah uses the word 'VaYichan' to mean 'camped'. 'VaYichan' contains the word 'Chein' (favour) within it. This tells us that each member of B'nei Yisroel found favour with each other. In this merit they received the Torah. (Rav Yitzchok zt"l of Vorki)

"... sanctify them today and tomorrow ..." (19:10)

The Evil Inclination attempts to persuade man "Listen to my ideas today and tomorrow you will begin to sanctify yourself." A person's responsibility is to respond "No! Rather, I will ignore you today and tomorrow we will renegotiate the matter." Similarly, the Torah hints that this strategy was employed at the Giving of the Torah as a lesson for future generations. Hashem instructed Moshe "... sanctify them today and tomorrow ...", i.e. sanctify them today and tomorrow ... we will discuss tomorrow when tomorrow comes. (Beis Avrohom zt"l)

"... beware of ascending the mountain or touching its edge; whoever touches the mountain will surely die." (19:12)

Mt. Sinai, which is inanimate and has no feelings, became holy through the Giving of the Torah to the point that "whoever touches the mountain will surely die". If so, one who learns Torah, which causes the Torah to reside in his soul and he is a living and feeling thing; one who causes distress or harm to such a person will certainly be punished. (Chofetz Chaim zt"l)

"Moshe brought the people forth from the camp toward G-d, and they stood at the bottom of the mountain." (19:17)

The Talmud tells us that this verse teaches us that Hashem turned the mountain on its side like a barrel and suspended it above the people, thus forcing them to accept the Torah. Tosfos asks that this is difficult to understand as the people had already said that they were willing to fulfill the dictates of the Torah even before its contents were shown to them. Rav Meir Shapiro zt"l of Lublin answered that B'nei Yisroel accepted the Torah willingly but 'the people', i.e. the Eirev Rav, refused to accept it. It was necessary to force them to do so as well.

"I am Hashem your G-d ... You shall not have any other gods ..." (20:2, 3)

Our Sages tell us that when Hashem pronounced these two statements, the souls of B'nei Yisroel departed from their bodies. Why? Could not Hashem have made it possible for the souls of B'nei Yisroel to remain in their bodies? The answer is that in this manner Hashem hinted to us that regarding every and any matter that endangers the fundamentals of our faith we should be prepared to sacrifice our very lives. (S'fas Emes zt"l)

"... therefore, Hashem blessed the Shabbos day and sanctified it. Honour your father and mother ..." (20:12)

The mitzvo of honouring parents is placed next to the mitzvo of keeping Shabbos to hint to us that when a son develops original Torah thoughts on Shabbos, his parents are awarded a special crown in the World to Come. (HaRav Chido zt"l in Nachal K'dumim, quoting the Zohar HaKadosh)

"You shall not covet ..." (20:14)

Rav Yisroel zt"l, the Kozhnitzer Maggid, fasted extensively to atone for sins which he committed in his years of adolescence. Once he saw a Jew dressed in a new garment and envied him thinking "Why can I not have a new garment?" Later, his heart troubled him, "It is not enough that I was not happy over the fortune of a Jew that he merited to have a new garment but I compounded my sin by being pained that I myself did not enjoy the same fortune."

"The entire people saw the sounds ..." (20:15)

HaRav Ezriel Hildesheimer zt"l asked the Chidushei Horim zt"l: "Why was it necessary for B'nei Yisroel to see the sounds?" The Chidushei Horim answered: "If they had merely heard the statements of Hashem saying 'do not kill, do not steal, etc.', they might have interpreted "Lo Tirtzach, Lo Tignov" as a command to kill or steal for Hashem's sake. Now that they saw the sounds, they saw that the 'Lo' of 'Lo Tirtzach, Lo Tignov' is spelled with an 'Alef' and not with a 'Vov'!"