Shabbos Parashas Yisro - 5777

Shabbos Parashas Yisro - 5777

Rabbi Hal Miller

Hashem said to Moshe, "Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and they

shall wash their clothing. Let them be prepared for the third day for on the third day Hashem

shall descend before the eyes of the entire people on Mount Sinai." [Shemos [19:10-11]

The people are out in the desert. There's not exactly an abundance of water. We know

from other sources that the clothing did not wear out during the entire 40 years. G-d

Himself is about to make the most dramatic appearance in all history. And at this very

moment He declares that it's laundry day?

Ibn Ezra tells us that the preparation referred to in verse 11 means they are to bathe in

water. Ramban asks, in that case why is the "today and tomorrow" phrase here, since one

who is tamei is only required to immerse once as part of the sanctification process. Further,

Ramban tells us that wherever the Torah tells us to wash clothing, it includes immersion

of the body, so there is no need for Ibn Ezra to tell us this.

Rav Hirsch looks at the bigger picture. This episode has to do with sanctification of the

people in order to receive the Torah, in other words the preparations are to bring holiness.

He notes that the Torah is coming to the people, rather than vice versa, so it follows that

the people should be raising their level of holiness. He then brings an interesting thought,

writing that the episode is "symbolically the rebirth of their inner and outer lives." This

would explain the need for immersion of the body, but why the clothing?

The Brisker Rav says that Moshe directed four steps here: mental preparation, washing

the clothing, separation of the sexes, and going out physically towards G-d to meet Him.

He notes that none of this came into play when G-d spoke to Moshe, only now, when He

is about to speak to the whole nation. He explains that this was, in effect, a change of plans,

that Moshe was on a high level of holiness, but the people as a whole were not. Since the

people asked Moshe to have G-d speak to them directly instead of through him as an

intermediary, the Torah now had to command what needed to happen to bring that about.

Rambam says that the mental preparation, donning clean clothing, and going out to greet

the King are all normal steps to bring in the Shabbos, and only the separation is different

here. Thus, the laundering clothing is really tied to Shabbos, with this event being a sort

of super Shabbos.

We do these things every week. Our verse is a reminder that we need to do them with

purpose, rather than just unthinkingly. As the sun sets on Friday, we must be in a state

of holiness, which requires preparation. The fact that the people were in the desert only

makes it more clear that cleaning ourselves, inside and out, is part of that preparation.