Jethro Visits Moses Part 1 (Exo 18)

1 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, the father-in-law of Moses [Jethro now priding himself in Moses, whereas previously the reverse was the case (see 4:18)], heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people [Moses being equated with all of Israel], and that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt [this being the greatest of all].

Rashi’s Commentary
Now Jethro . . . heard—What was the particular report which he heard so that he came?—The division of the Red Sea and the war with Amalek (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:1:1; Zevachim 116a).

All that . . . had done for them through the falling of the manna and through the well (cf. Rashi on Num 21:17) and by the defeat of Amalek.

For Moses, and for Israel—Moses alone is of equal in importance to all Israel (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:1:5).

That the Lord had brought Israel out . . .—This was greater than all other things, and is therefore singled out for mention (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:1:5).

35 This Moses whom they had rejected with the words, “Who made you ruler and judge?” is the one whom God sent to be both ruler and deliverer by the help of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

36 He led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. ACT 7:35-36

2 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Moses’ wife Zipporah, after she had been sent [back to her father’s house to spare her suffering in Egypt]

3 and her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom, for Moses said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land”;

Moses fled when he heard this and settled as a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he had two sons. ACT 7:29

4 and the name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.” [When Dathan and Abiram exposed Moses (see 2:14-15) and Pharaoh ordered him decapitated, his neck became a pillar of marble.]

Rashi’s Commentary
And . . . saved me from the sword of Pharaoh—When Dathan and Abiram informed Pharaoh about the matter of the Egyptian whom Moses had killed and Pharaoh wished to slay Moses, his neck became as a column of marble so that the sword was powerless against him (Shemot Rabbah 1:31; cf. Rashi on Exo 2:15).

And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel, and has rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” ACT 12:11

5 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with Moses’ sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness where he was camped, at the mountain of God.

Rashi’s Commentary
Into the wilderness—Indeed we know that they were in the wilderness, and it appears unnecessary to state that Jethro came to Moses there. But by stressing this Scripture is speaking in praise of Jethro: that he was living amidst all the splendour that the world could provide, and nevertheless his heart prompted him to go forth into the wilderness, a waste place (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:5:2), to hear words of the law.

6 He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, and so is your wife and her two sons with her.”

Rashi’s Commentary
He sent word to Moses through a messenger (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:6).

I, your father-in-law Jethro etc.—If you will not come out for my own sake, come out for the sake of your wife; and if you will not come out for your wife’s sake, come out for the sake of her two sons (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:6).

7 So Moses went out to his father-in-law [followed by Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, all who saw them following in their wake—a monumental show of honor to Jethro] and he [Moses] bowed down and kissed him, and they greeted each other, and they went into the tent.

Rashi’s Commentary
So Moses went out—Great honour, indeed, did Jethro receive at that moment, for as soon as Moses went out to Jethro, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu went out, and who was it that saw these go out and would not himself go out? (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayigash 7)

You did not give me a kiss, but this woman has not stopped kissing my feet from the time I entered. **LUK 7:45

8** Moses told his father-in-law [to appeal to his feelings, to draw him to the law] about all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians on account of Israel and about all the hardships [at the Red Sea and with Amalek] that had befallen them on the way, and that the Lord had saved them.

Rashi’s Commentary
Moses told his father-in-law—In order to allure his heart that he might attach him to the law (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:8).

All the hardships that they had experienced at the Red Sea, and that caused by Amalek (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:8).

The hardships—Heb. הַתְּלָאָה. “Lammed aleph” comprise the primary form of the word and the “tav” is a formative letter and a part of the primary form of the noun which sometimes is omitted from it. Similar examples are תְּרוּמָה and תְּנוּפָה and תְּקוּמָה and תְּנוּאָה.

9 Jethro was happy about all the good that the Lord had done for Israel [the manna, the well, the law, and, above all], his rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. [Until now, one slave could not escape from the Egyptians—and now, six hundred thousand!]

Rashi’s Commentary
About all the good—The good of the manna and the well and the law—and above all, his rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians—Until now no slave had ever been able to escape from Egypt because that land was closely shut in on all sides, but these people fled six hundred thousand strong (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:11:1).

10 Thereupon, Jethro said, “Blessed is the Lord, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians [a hard people] and from the hand of Pharaoh [a hard king], who rescued the people from beneath the [oppressive] hand of the Egyptians.

11 Now I know [even more than in the past] that the Lord is greater than all the gods [there was no idolatry in the world that Jethro had not served], for [they (the Egyptians) were destroyed] with the [very] thing [water] that they plotted, he came upon them.”

12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and peace offerings to God, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel [with Moses “in attendance”] came to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God [whence it is seen that deriving enjoyment from a feast partaken of by law scholars is akin to basking in the divine radiance].

This work, “Jethro Visits Moses Part 1,” is a derivative of:
[“Pentateuch with Rashi's Commentary on Exodus”] (https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Exodus?lang=bi) by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, used under Public Domain.

[“The Rashi Chumash on Exodus 18”] (https://www.sefaria.org/Exodus.18?ven=The_Rashi_chumash_by_Rabbi_Shraga_Silverstein&lang=bi&aliyot=0) by [Rabbi Shraga Silverstein,] (https://www.sefaria.org/shraga-silverstein) used under [CC BY 3.0.] (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)

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