{"id":41896,"date":"2018-10-11T18:58:37","date_gmt":"2018-10-11T15:58:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=41896"},"modified":"2022-05-09T08:00:24","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T05:00:24","slug":"moses-unburdens-himself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/moses-unburdens-himself\/","title":{"rendered":"Moses Unburdens Himself"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In Exodus 18:1-5, Jethro, having heard of all the miraculous deeds wrought by God, comes to visit his son-in-law Moses. Yet a few verses later (8-9) we hear Moses telling him <\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/i>all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel\u2019s sake, and all the hardship\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/em> and<\/span> that<\/span> \u201c<\/span><\/i>Jethro rejoiced because of all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

If the story is already familiar to Jethro, then for what purpose does Moses retell it, and why does Jethro rejoice as if he is hearing it for the first time?<\/span><\/p>\n

Of all possible answers, let me present three that speak to me:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Intellectual<\/span>integrity<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/i> Jethro is described midrashically as a seeker who explored all world religions. As a true empiricist, he would not credit the veracity of rumors. He must hear from a firsthand eyewitness, and only then allow himself to fully rejoice.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Emotional<\/span> effect<\/span><\/em>. A specific, first person account is different from generalities. 5,000 killed in an earthquake might be just a number, but the story of a particular individual\u2019s tragedy moves us to tears. <\/span>Hearing is not the same as seeing<\/span><\/em>, teach the Sages. For example, on Mount Sinai (Exodus 32:7-8), God tells Moses that the people are worshipping a molten calf. The word of God is fact \u2013 yet, actually witnessing the idolatrous dancing with his own eyes ignites the great prophet\u2019s anger. <\/span><\/p>\n

In our chapter, the principle still applies, even if at one remove. While Jethro has not seen the events personally, Moses has; and in hearing this first-person dramatic recounting, Jethro is moved to the point of goosebumps.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Unburdening<\/span>. Retelling to an outsider helps us to understand what we have been through; it is cathartic. Jethro is one of very few people to whom Moses may speak as a peer, sharing his feelings about everything that just occurred, including \u201c<\/span>all the hardship.<\/span><\/em>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I imagine them sitting together in a tent, breaking bread, conversing for many hours. By the end, Jethro is deeply immersed in the story, and marvels at all these wonders; while Moses, for his part, feels a sense of relief at the unburdening.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, in 21-22, Jethro will advise Moses to further unburden himself, by delegating responsibility. 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