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Parashat Yitro 5763/2003
EJD
The Bagel: Revelation. The reading emphasizes the giving of the Torah. This event is considered to be the greatest event in Jewish history. It represents the hopes and aspirations of Israel through its long journey down the corridors of time. Volumes have been written on this great revelation of God to Israel. But a simplified overview of three great texts and three great epochs in Israel's history may help to see the greatness of God's plan and purposes. The readings develop a pattern to express God's revelation in three stages:
- Conversion of the Remnant (among the nations) - represented by Yitro (Jethro) (Exo 18)
- Preparation of Israel - for receiving the Torah (Exo 19)
- Revelation of God - His presence on Mount Sinai (Exo 20)
The Haftarah inverts the pattern:
- Revelation of God - His presence in the Heavenly Temple (Isa 6:1-4)
- Preparation of Isaiah - for receiving his mission (Isa 6:5-10)
- Conversion of the Remnant (of Israel and the nations) (Isa 6:11-13)
The Brit Chadashah follows the inverted pattern of Isaiah, but emphasizes a greater authority of than that of Sinai:
- Revelation of the Word - His presence for eternity (John 1:1-5, 14)
- Preparation by John - for preparing Israel for her Messiah (John 1:6-15)
- Conversion of the Remnant - (of Israel and later all nations) (John 1:12-13, 16-18)
The Torah was given to teach Israel how to live in the land. Isaiah's mission was given to teach Israel how to live in Babylon. Yeshua's mission was given to teach Israel how to live in this long Hatafutsot (diaspora/dispersion among the nations) and how to prepare for eternity in God's heaven.
Cream Cheese: Feeling sinful? Take two tablets (of the Torah) and see your need for God's grace (Chesed).
The weekly reading for the week of 22 Shevat, 5763 - 25 Jan, 2003 Torah: Yitro Exodus 18:1 to 20:23(26)1; Haftarah: Isaiah 6:1-13; & (Ashkenazi) 7:1-6; 9:5-6(6-7); Brit Chadashah: John 1:1-18
1 The versification difference is unusual. For traditional Jewish texts of the Hebrew Bible (Masoretic Text = MT) and its translations, Chapter 20 and verse 13 combines three verses of the BHS (Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia) and translations for the Christian tradition, in which verses 14 to 16 are subsumed by verse 13. Thus, verse 14 of the traditional text is verse 17 for the BHS model. This pattern continues to the end of the chapter and the reading where verse 23 ends the chapter for the MT and verse 26 concludes the chapter for the BHS.
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