Summary

One of my favourite Torah portions is named after Moses' father-in-law, Jethro or Yitro (Exodus 18:1 - 20:23), a Midianite priest who, according to Rabbinic tradition, converted to the Israelite cult (not all agree, me included!). Personally, I find cause to celebrate that a non-Israelite - at least as I read it - has a portion named after him and indeed one of the most important, as it contains the 10 Commandments (Decalogue).

Jethro brings Moses' wife, Zipporah and their two sons, Gershom and Eliezer to Moses, having: "heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel." The family dynamics are fascinating and you might like to see my sermon that is an extended midrash on this passage before Jethro departs. After the festivities of their arrival, Jethro witnesses Moses sitting as the sole Judge of the Isrealites. Jethro, the first management consultant in history instroduces Moses to the ideaof devloution and so a judicial structure was established.

Jethro departs and the Israelites travel to the foothills of Mount Sinai where they begin to prepare for Matan Torah, the giving of the Torah. There is a structure to where people stand but the primary goal is that every single person hears the pronouncements that God makes to Moses. On the third day, God descends onto Mount Sinai in a fire that emerges from a dense cloud with thunder and lightening all about.

The Decalogue s pronounced by God and the People, in fear, confirm their need for Moses as an intermediary between God and them. The portion ends with God affirming that the Israelites had 'witnessed' God, that they should only worship God in appropriate ways and thereforem instructions on how to make their first offering.

commentary on Exodus 19:2

Exodus 19:2

And they journeyed from Rephidim and they came to the Wilderness of Sinai and they encamped (plural) in the Wilderness, and Israel encamped (singular) there neged [root nagad – to be conspicuous. Translated variously as: In front of, In sight of, Opposite to] the mountain.

Mekhilta Bachodesh 108

“And there Israel encamped.” Wherever it says: “And they journeyed..and they encamped,” it indicates that they were journeying with dissent and that they were encamping (vayachanu) with dissent. But here it says: “And there Israel encamped (vayichan),” indicating that they all agreed and were of one mind.

“Before the mountain.” On the east side of the mount. Wherever you find the expression “before (neged)” it means on the side that is towards the east.

Sifre Lev. 111a and Sifre Num 42; Tanhuma B Tzav 10, Lev R 9:9, Num R 11:7, Deut R 5:12

Hezekiah said: Great is peace, for Scripture says of all other journeys, “They journeyed…they encamped,” that is to say that they set out in strife and encamped in strife. But when they came to Sinai, they encamped as a single encampment: ““And there Israel encamped.” Then the Holy One said: Since they have learned to hate strife and love peace, so that they are now encamped as a single encampment, the time has come for Me to give them My Torah.

Pesikta de-Rab Kahanna 12:14

The verse does not go on to say “and Israel – there they encamped,” but says, “and Israel – there it encamped…” Then and there the Holy One said: The Torah, all of it, is peace. To whom shall I give it? To a people that holds on to peace.

Rashi

“And there Israel encamped.” As one man and one mind. But all their encampments (plural) were made in a murmuring spirit and in a spirit of dissension.

“Before the mountain.” Wherever you find the expression “before (neged)” it means on the side that is towards the east.

Apirion (Solomon Ganzfried, Hungary, C.19) qu. Rabbi Natan Adler

“And there Israel encamped in front of the mountain.” Neged means “against” the evil inclination, which is called a mountain as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “To the righteous, [the evil inclination] will seem like a mountain” (bSuk 52a) and which forever yearns to stir up controversy in Israel. Here, however, “[Israel] encamped” all of one mind, “in front of the mountain” – that is, in defiance of the mountain.

Or Yesharim (Hasidic teachings by Moshe Hayyim Kleinman, pub. 1924)

“And there Israel encamped in front of the mountain.” Rabbi Moshe of Kubrin said: When Israel is encamped - in the singular, that is, when they are of one mind – then they are “in front of the mountain” – they can stand up to the mountain, that is, the evil inclination, which is compared to a mountain.

Beit Aharon (Hasidic, Lithuania C.19)

“And there Israel encamped in front of the mountain.” – In everything that involves his being Israel, obstacles as but as mountains loom before him (negdo).

Binyan Shlomo (Comm. On Tractate Avot, Meir Yehudah ben Shlomo, Przemysl, 1896), qu. Rabbi Avraham Ya’akov of Sadgora

“And there Israel encamped in front of the mountain.” The author of the Haggadah says, “Had God brought us before Mount Sinai and not given us the Torah, it would have sufficed.” The point is this: the performance of every precept requires preparation, and the greater the precept the greater the preparation. And sometimes, the preparation is even more important than the preparation. Thus, the people Israel was given the Torah by the Holy One, blessed be the Eternal One, but the preparation for receiving it was something they had to do themselves. “Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey…when you were famished and weary, he being undeterred by fear of God (Deut 18:25). It was immediately after that that “Israel encamped in front of the mountain.” Being united and of one mind.