Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Yitro The lord said to moshe, "go down, warn the people Not to break through to the lord to gaze,  lest many of them perish". (Shemot 19:21)   Warn the people not to break through – when I will speak with them, lest, having risen to the level face-to-face prophecy like you, they will think that they can ascend to be close to you.                                                                                                                                     (Seforno ibid. ibid.)     Moshe was charged: "You shall set bounds...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Yitro Six days shall you work and perform all you labors. (Shemot 20:9)   Six days shall you work – at temporal matters, which are, without doubt, the work of a slave, because much of his work is really not essential, like the work of a slave. And perform all you labor – which is essential for one who is satisfied . (S'forno, ibid.)   All your labors – Much of your labor,...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Yitro You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his servant, his maidservant, his ox, his ass, nor whatever he possesses. (Shemot 20:14)   You Shall Not Covet. It is common knowledge that desire depends upon the heart, and the essence of the commandment is that man must relinquish all thought of possessing that which his friend possesses – property and movables – and turn his heart away from this...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Yitro Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians on account of Israel, all the hardships that had befallen them on the way, and the Lord had saved them. (Shemot 18:8)   Moses told his father-in-law: to attract his heart, to draw him near to the Torah (Mekhilta). (Rashi Shemot 18:8)   For if otherwise, why did he tell him? he...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Yitro And the entire Mount Sinai smoked because the Lord had descended upon it in fire, and its smoke ascended like the smoke of the kiln, and the entire mountain quaked violently. (Shemot 19:18)   And Mount Sinai smoked – This does not mean that the fire from Above makes smoke; rather, it means to say that He, may He be blessed, caused Mount Sinai to be full of smoke because the Lord had descended...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Yitro AND MOSES SAID TO THE LORD, "THE PEOPLE CANNOT ASCEND TO MOUNT SINAI, FOR YOU WARNED US SAYING, SET BOUNDARIES FOR THE MOUNTAIN AND SANCTIFY IT.' " (Shemot 19:23)   The Holiness of a Place is not Essential Holiness When the sound of the ram's-horn is drawn out, they may go up on the mountain Our Sages intended to tell us that actually the main principle of the religion is to uproot all matters...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Yitro MOSES TOLD HIS FATHER IN LAW ALL THAT THE LORD HAD DONE TO PHARAOH AND TO THE EGYPTIANS ON ACCOUNT OF ISRAEL, ALL THE HARDSHIPS THAT HAD BEFALLEN THEM ON THE WAY, AND THE LORD HAD SAVED THEM. JETHRO WAS HAPPY ABOUT ALL THE GOOD THAT THE LORD HAD DONE FOR ISRAEL, THAT HE HAD RESCUED THEM FROM THE HANDS OF THE EGYPTIANS. (Shemot 18:8-9)   Was Jethro was Sorry,...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Yitro SO THE LORD SAID TO HIM, "GO DOWN, AND COME BACK UP WITH AARON; BUT LET NOT THE PRIESTS OR THE PEOPLE BREAK THROUGH TO COME UP TO THE LORD, LEST HE BREAK OUT AGAINST THEM. AND MOSES WENT DOWN TO THE PEOPLE AND SPOKE TO THEM. (Shemot 19:24-25)   The two terms yerida and aliyah have been given in the Hebrew language the respective meanings of "descent" and "ascent." Accordingly when a body...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Yitro NEXT DAY, MOSES SAT AS MAGISTRATE AMONG THE PEOPLE, WHILE THE PEOPLE STOOD ABOUT MOSES FROM MORNING UNTIL EVENING. BUT WHEN MOSES' FATHER-IN-LAW SAW HOW MUCH HE HAD TO DO FOR THE PEOPLE, HE SAID, "WHAT IS THIS THING THAT YOU ARE DOING TO THE PEOPLE? WHY DO YOU SIT ALONE, WHILE ALL THE PEOPLE STAND ABOUT YOU FROM MORNING UNTIL EVENING? (Shemot 18:13-14)     From morning until evening – Is it really...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parashat Yitro HAVING JOURNEYED FROM REFIDIM, THEY ENTERED THE WILDERNESS OF SINAI AND ENCAMPED IN THE WILDERNESS. ISRAEL ENCAMPED THERE IN FRONT OF THE MOUNTAIN. (Shemot 19: 2)     The Torah Was Given out of Peace and Unity, But Unity Does Not Necessarily Imply Unanimity Israel encamped – as one person of one heart, but all the other stations of encampment involved complaining and controversy. (Rashi on Shemot 19: 2)   Peace is great –...