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YITRO-JETHRO
Going against tradition is a
difficult task.
Let me say at the outset; I do
not like Jethro or the Rabbinic white-washing given to him and his family.
And these are the reasons why:
From the get-go, Jethro was a self-serving
conniving opportunist who had seven daughters who needed husbands. That is why
he showed kindness to a runaway Egyptian criminal, wanted for homicide.
Moses never really fully accepted
his wife Zipporah or their children. He divorces her and refuses to circumcise
his children, never accepting them as Jewish. In the Chumash and in our history
they are absent and are not mentioned as part of the family tree. In contrast
to Aaron’s family Moses’ offspring do not becomes Priests or leaders.
When Moses banishes Zipporah, Jethro
is stuck providing for her and the kids. Then Jethro learns of Moses’ success,
that Moses has become a kind of king, and kings are rich; so he sets out to
dump the Mrs. and the kids on the king’s lap, and maybe get a well-paying
position for himself.
Jethro arrives at our
encampment and throws a party at which Moses is missing. Some think,
traditionally, that Jethro was celebrating his conversion. In order to convert
he would have to be circumcised and would not likely be in the mood to throw a
party.
So will the real Jethro please
stand up?
A person’s Hebrew name
reflects distinct characteristics and the purpose and role towards which the
person was created.
For
example: Adam was named
for the Adamah “Earth” from which he was formed, and Eve was
named Chavah because she was the mother of
all Chai “Life”. Names are very important: Manoach, Samson’s
father asked the angel to tell him his name was (Judges 13:17). Likewise, Jacob
demanded that the angel tell him the angel’s name (32:29). Both men were
disappointed.
Yitro
had no less than seven names: "Reuel", "Jether",
"Jethro", "Hobab", "Heber", "Keni" and
"Putiel.
I
think that Yitro used these names as smokescreen. He hid behind these names. He
used them in order to confuse people as to his character and purpose. However
in one Rabbinic interpretation of the name Putiel, Jethro’s true character
comes out. In that instance Putiel is taken to mean he fattened (פַטֵם) calves for the
purpose of idolatrous worship.
A
careful reading of the text will show that Yitro was a conniving opportunist
who tried to fool Moshe, but did not succeed.
The
first question to ask is why did Jethro make the long trip from Midian to
Moshe’s encampment, having in tow Zipporah and two children? What was in it for
him? There were at least two things.
Reading
the text the immediate answer is as follows:
At
18:1 –“ Now Moses' father in law, Jethro, chieftain of
Midian, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, His people that
the Lord had taken Israel out of Egypt”
וַיִּשְׁמַע
יִתְרוֹ כֹהֵן מִדְיָן, חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה, אֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱלֹהִים לְמֹשֶׁה,
וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ: כִּי-הוֹצִיא יְהוָה אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִמִּצְרָיִם..
From this verse it can be inferred that Jethro was aware that
his son in law Moshe was a powerful “king” and most likely quite wealthy.
If by emphasizing their family connection and perhaps becoming
an advisor to the king, maybe there was a possibility of a monetary reward.
At 18:2: וַיִּקַּח, יִתְרוֹ חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה,
אֶת-צִפֹּרָה, אֵשֶׁת מֹשֶׁה--אַחַר, שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ.
“So Moses' father in law, Jethro, took Zipporah, Moses' wife,
after she had been sent away”,
I want
to focus on what “to be sent away” may possibly mean.
To be sent away has an emotional connotation of
finality or divorce or banishment. At Genesis 21:14 where Abraham sends Haggar
away, there is no question as to Abraham’s intent:
וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר וַיִּקַּח-לֶחֶם וְחֵמַת
מַיִם וַיִּתֵּן אֶל-הָגָר שָׂם עַל-שִׁכְמָהּ, וְאֶת-הַיֶּלֶד--וַיְשַׁלְּחֶהָ; וַתֵּלֶךְ וַתֵּתַע,
בְּמִדְבַּר בְּאֵר שָׁבַע.
“And
Abraham arose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water,
and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent
her away; and she went, and became lost in the wilderness of Beer-sheba”.
Getting
back to Moshe and Jethro, it is only in 18:2 and not before that we learn that
Zipporah had been sent away, banished or divorced.
You
have to read into the text in order to make sense out of 18:2. In my mind,
Jethro had enough on his plate with Zipporah’s six other sisters without having
the additional burden of Moshe’s ex-wife and their two children. By bringing
Moshe’s family to the encampment Jethro was reminding Moshe that they were
“family” and in addition Moshe’s obligation for child support.
Shortly
thereafter throws a party, a festive meal for Moshe, Aaron and the Elders.:
At 18:12 – וַיִּקַּח יִתְרוֹ חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה, עֹלָה
וּזְבָחִים--לֵאלֹהִים; וַיָּבֹא אַהֲרֹן וְכֹל זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, לֶאֱכָל-לֶחֶם
עִם-חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה--לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים
“And Jethro, Moses'
father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron came,
and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God”.
I think this is an
attempt on Jethro’s part to ingratiate himself with the leadership of
Israel. Looking at the text Moshe is
nowhere to be seen, only Aaron and the Elders. I think that Moshe is
miffed. He has begun to see through
Jethro’s shenanigans and stays away.
Shortly thereafter,
Jethro, as part of his scheme in the role of a counselor, advises Moshe on how
to efficiently judge the people. At 18:19 Jethro begins his discourse:
“עַתָּה שְׁמַע
בְּקֹלִי, אִיעָצְךָ”
“Now listen to my voice. I will counsel you,…”
Moshe is no fool; he takes in what Jethro has to
say, but in the end at 18:27 he banishes Jethro who returns to his homeland -
וַיְשַׁלַּח מֹשֶׁה, אֶת-חֹתְנוֹ; וַיֵּלֶךְ לוֹ, אֶל-אַרְצוֹ.
“And
Moses banished his father-in-law away; and he went to his own land”.
Ask
yourself: Why would Moshe banish his father-in-law as he done previously to Zipporah?
The
answer may be found in a conversation between Moshe and Jethro.
Some
verses from the Book of Numbers 10: 29-32 shed some light on what may have
transpired :
Moses
says: “…We
are traveling to the place about which the Lord said, I will give it to you.
Come with us and we will be good to you, for the Lord has spoken of good
fortune for Israel.
Jethro
replies: He
said to him, I won't go, for I will go to my land and my birthplace.
Moses
answers: He
said, Please don't leave us, for because you are familiar with our encampments
in the desert and you will be our guide. And if you go with us, then we will bestow
on you the good which God grants us.
There is another clue as to what is happening. At 18:24, Moses seems to comply with what Jethro is
telling him:
וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע משֶׁ֖ה לְק֣וֹל חֹֽתְנ֑וֹ וַיַּ֕עַשׂ
כֹּ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָמָֽר
"Moses understood his father in law,
and he acted to all that he said".
וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע means that Moses heard or listened or understood. On
its face this conversation seems to refer to setting up of a judicial system.
But it might mean
something more because Moshe got the picture. His father-in-law was a
Midianite who had no desire to throw in with the Jews.
We all
know that Moshe had a temper. I’m thinking that Moshe understood and was so
upset with Jethro’s response, that Moshe threw him out never to return. In all
what follows in the Chumash, the Midianites
have been our enemy and not our friend. In the Book of Numbers, Chapter 25, in
addition to the Moabites seducing Israelites, we have a Midianite princess
figuring prominently in the rebellion of the Tribe of Shimon against Moshe. At
25:16 –17 and Hashem commanding Moshe:
צָרוֹר, אֶת-הַמִּדְיָנִים;
וְהִכִּיתֶם, אוֹתָם וַיְדַבֵּר
יְהוָה, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר.
“The
Lord spoke to Moses saying: Sweep the Midianites up, and you shall smite them”.
It did not stop there. At Numbers 31:1-2 that takes place at the end
of Moshe’s life he is again commanded to wage an all-out war against the
Midianites.
נְקֹם, נִקְמַת בְּנֵי
יִשְׂרָאֵל, מֵאֵת, הַמִּדְיָנִים; אַחַר, תֵּאָסֵף אֶל-עַמֶּיךָ. וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר.
“The Lord spoke to Moses saying, "Take
revenge for the children of Israel against the Midianites; afterwards you will
be gathered to your people."”
At 31:7 -
וַיִּצְבְּאוּ, עַל-מִדְיָן, כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה
יְהוָה, אֶת-מֹשֶׁה; וַיַּהַרְגוּ, כָּל-זָכָר.
“They waged war against Midian, as the Lord had
commanded Moses, and they killed every male”.
Returning to Jethro’s names, there is no doubt
that Jethro’s true essence is embodied in the name “Putiel”:
Putiel is the one that fattened
calves for the purpose of idolatrous worship.
He was one with his fellow Midianites, and although it took some years, Moshe
put an end to his father in law’s tribesmen and possibly Jethro himself.
