Shabbos Parashas Yisro - 5776

Shabbos Parashas Yisro - 5776

Rabbi Hal Miller

Now I know that Hashem is greater than all the gods, through the matter that they

acted maliciously against them. [Shemos 18:11]

Why, at this point, does Yisro suddenly realize that G-d is the Master of the Universe?

What occurred, what did he see, what did he hear? Why the word "now"? Rashi says

that Yisro "recognized Him in the past, but now even more." But this doesn't answer

the question of why now.

Rav Hirsch thinks that Yisro recognized that G-d acted in response not only to what

the Egyptians did, but what they were thinking. The plagues attacked the Egyptians

based on their intentions with regard to the Israelites. The Brisker Rav also says that

Yisro was amazed that G-d knew the evil schemes of the Egyptians. He knows the

inner thoughts of man.

Sforno says, "G-d saved the people by using the very means the Egyptians had used

to harm them to harm their oppressors." This is an example of middah k'neged

middah, punishing someone by using their own folly against them. However, in this

we can see a problem. If it was such action by G-d that made Yisro recognize His

power, then are we saying Yisro only recognized G-d by His physical actions? What

about faith?

Rashbam gives Yisro a different realization. "None of these other deities has the power

to avenge their worshipers from unjust sufferings they have endured." In this idea, Yisro

comes to the understanding that none of the idol worship religions he has studied can

explain G-d's ability to rescue the Israelites.

All of these approaches have something in common. They assume that Moshe has just

finished relating to Yisro the amazing events that occurred since they had last spoken,

AND that what Moshe said was the direct cause of Yisro's comment in our verse. But

there is another possibility.

In the previous verse Yisro blesses G-d for what He did for Israel. Yisro's next words are

"now I know". Talelei Oros asks whether this seems backward--wouldn't we think to

bless G-d upon realizing His power, rather than bless him to only then recognize it?

As he puts it, "doesn't faith lead to gratitude?" He then says, "The performance of the

mitzvos in themselves have the power to inspire and bring a person to the highest

levels of faith."

So what just happened to Yisro? He, who had supposedly tried every idolatrous

religion out there looking for truth, who had already heard all the stories about what

happened in Egypt which was now old news, blesses G-d for what was done for the

Israelites. It hits him at that moment, not just the things our other commentators mention,

but that he himself has just performed a mitzvah. He did it, not because he was told to but

because it was the right thing to do. His performing that blessing gave him faith in G-d.

Our verse is teaching us that a legitimate path to belief in Hashem is to begin performing

the mitzvos, even if we don't understand them.