Parsha_Push, Parshat Yitro

Each and every one of us has different points of connection with the religious world. Some of us are more connected on an intellectual level, and some more on an emotional level. Some feel challenged by various commandments, while the soul of others (and perhaps of the same people themselves) is satisfied with the fulfillment of Jewish law. Many of us imbibed Judaism with our mother’s milk, and Judaism for us is “home,” while for others the Torah might perhaps constitute a demanding and challenging requirement.
When the Sages discussed the question ‘What is the report that Yitro heard and came (and converted)?’, it is possible to suggest that they wondered what attracts people to the Holy One and His people. When some of the Sages determine that Yitro arrived as a result of the miracles of the Exodus from Egypt, or thanks to the deliverance from the Amalekites who ravaged the desert, they present a perception that people are drawn to the power of God that is expressed through the people of Israel. The great miracles, the victory in war (the beepers and walkie-talkies…) are what sanctify the name of Heaven in the world, and bring ‘honor to Your people and glory to those who fear You.’
But when other Sages believe that Yitro heard about the giving of the Torah, they perceive the attraction of Judaism specifically in its intellectual and existential aspects. God is called a hero not only by being a ‘man of war’. As E.E. Urbach points out, the Sages determine that we heard the Ten Commandments “from the mouth of the Mighty.” God’s heroism, and the strength of His people, are measured precisely by their spiritual contribution to the world.
In later days, there will be Sages who determine that we do not accept converts who come only when the situation of Israel is good, that we do not accept converts in the days of David and Solomon.
By extension, there are those who would say that one who comes to Israel primarily to enjoy and benefit from the economic wealth and a good political situation (and an absorption basket), arrives with invalid motives. However, one who comes to convert for the sake of the Torah itself, at a time when Israel is ‘swept away and afflicted,’ testifies that he recognizes the true power of God and His Torah. These Sages believe that the people of Israel should not strike the world with blindness, but rather be a light to the nations.
In our time, we strive to be a country with political achievements and economic growth, as a means of earning the world’s respect and admiration. But, at the same time, we need to understand that it is our goal – and responsibility – to illuminate the world with Torah and good deeds.