Gordon Kay Sermon 15th Feb 2025 / 17th Sh'vat 5785

Sermon for Yitro

This weeks’ reading is titled Yitro – Jethro, named after Moses' father-in-law, an outsider but a

supporter and advisor to Moses. The reading talks of the preparation for the defining event in

Jewish history – the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.

As our shul’s tradition is to read the Torah section in thirds, you will need to come back in 2027

to hear the Ten commandments in the winter time. You don’t need to wait that long of course, as

you can come back and hear them at Shavout!

One would think that a Torah reading with such a momentous event should at least be called

Torah, Revelation, Giving or Accepting. For example, next week’s reading Mishpatim means

‘Laws’ which is appropriate as the it details the laws following the Ten Commandments.

However, this weeks’ reading is named after Yitro. Moses’ father-in-law.

And the content of Chapter 18, which we have heard today, does not talk about the revelation at

all, instead it focuses on a number of interesting themes around leadership and education and how

the two interact, and the importance of preparation.

Jethro

Let’s start first with Jethro. The parasha begins with a family reunion. While Moses has been

leading the Israelites to freedom, his family has been kept safe with his father-in-law. Now

realising that it is a time of safety, after the Exodus and a brush with the brutish Amalekites.

Jethro sends word that he is bringing his wife Zipporah and sons Gershom and Eliezar and the

family reunion is made.

While reading this I found a very personal link to this. This week’s reading is also my father’s

Yarzeit and one of the reasons I chose to give this sermon. My name Gershon Moshe ben Eliezar

Leper, which brings together the names of Moses and his two sons, and so as I read this, I am

reminded of the importance of the strong family bond, just I had with my father, in whose

memory I give this sermon.

Moses tells of his experience of leading the Israelites out of Egypt at God’s command, and in turn

Yitro, praises God and makes a sacrifice in his name. Some commentators say he does this out of

fear and awe of the power of one God rather than love, but I suggest that his consistency in being

there for Moses suggests more than that.

Jethro's family and tribe welcomed Moses when he was alone in the wilderness having ran from

Egypt, after realising his true identity as an Israelite. Despite not being a Midianite, Moses is

supported and helped by Jethro. He marries his daughter, Zipporah, becomes a sheep farmer and

some commentators say through this learnt the skills to shepherd a nation. Jethro was there to

support and advise.

Now Moses is in the wilderness again, but not alone. Moses is now the leader of six hundred

thousand people, having led them to freedom through God’s command. While Jethro is not

officially an Israelite, he does share the same values in believing in one God and seeing him as the

supreme source, in marked contrast to Israel's other violent neighbours such as the Amalekites.

This shows there are nations who might not be Jewish but who share the same values and can

support each other.

At this point, you would think that Moses would be in what political commentators refer to

as the honeymoon period, that short time after a great result (usually an election win),

where people are full of hope for the future and new beginnings, but this is not so. Freedom

brings new responsibilities and potential problems. First the Israelites complain about the

food, then the water, and even nostalgically looking back to the time in Egypt, while

conveniently forgetting the oppression and slavery.

Added to this, there is so much work to do. Moses is spending his day judging on the

disputes between Israelites.

Jethro observes this, and his advice to Moses is that he cannot do it all himself. He talks

about the risk of being the judge for all, the leader and decider and says that Moses will

exhaust himself. Jethro clearly an early advocate for a good work-life balance, but also for

sharing the responsibility with the people.

His suggestion is to create what would become the largest leadership programme in the

known world. There would be judges for each section of the population, for groups of 1000,

100, 50 and 10, therefore creating a leadership of 78,600 - 13% of the population.

Jethro says that by delegating this responsibility with the people, he can focus on the wider

education programme and those aspects that only he can do such as disputes before God.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks in his book Lessons on Leaderships, which explores leadership

through each of the Torah portions, describes this as the ‘delegation, distribution and

democratisation of leadership’ by the Israelites.

Two quote the title of another of his books, this idea was ‘Radical then, Radical now.’

Compare this with other nearby leadership structures run as monarchies or oligarchies. We

in the west look to Athenian democracy as the basis for our political structures, yet only

men with property were qualified to vote, let alone lead.

In Israel, we produced the largest leadership programme, with clear lines of authority,

shared values and responsibility. Showing the importance of a collective large nation down

to the the smallest community. It is one of the sources for the minyan of 10 - the smallest

group that can be considered a community – it is a running thread from local to national.

In a world of dictators and oligarchs (has much changed?), the Israelites solution to good

government was to create a nation of leaders set around shared values to deliver a vision.

Recruitment and selection

However, how do we select these judges? Is it by long election campaigns, backed by

donors seeking influence, or by strong men fighting or negotiating their way to the top?

Again, Jethro advises “You shall also seek out, from among the people, capable individuals

who fear God – trustworthy ones who spurn ill-gotten gain.”

The focus here is on selection, not election, finding people who meet the attributes to be

good judges and leaders of their community.

The commentators gave some interesting perspectives:

Rashi, referencing Mekhita suggested that the Ishi Chayil - ‘men of ability’ could mean rich

men who will not need to flatter or show fear. He saw Ishi Emet, ‘men of truth’, or ‘men

who keep their word’ as those who command confidence with people, deserving the role

because people could rely on their words, and on that account of these they will be listened

to. They should also hate lucre, ill gotten gain and pay no regard to property when it is

being made a matter of law. He gives a good example.: A judge that needs to wring the

money he gives via law suit – is not a fit judge.

Ibn Ezra saw the qualities as those who fear God, but not man. They should be ‘wise and

understanding’, suggesting that fear of God is linked to education. There is also the importance

of localism - the men of trust are known by the community rather than on the edge or unknown,

perhaps they would have a greater responsibility to their community. #

Ibn Ezra also asks whether suddenly there could be 79,000 potential leaders so soon after leaving

Egypt. The answer suggests a need for a significant education programme to match the leadership

one.

Ramban considers the ‘ish chayil’ as ‘wise, alert and fair, but reflects that they reflect this skills

and values in different ways. For the military man it may be arranging forces appropriate in war,

for in peace administrating good counsel.

What all three commentators suggest is that Jetro is advising Moses to find people with shared

skills and values, chosen not because of an election but because of their good character and

qualities.

What can we learn

To me first preparation – having leaders before the revelation of the Torah, shows the need to

prepare, to have a vision of what you need and to create opportunities for leaders to develop.

The other key aspect is education. You cannot create a generation of leaders without giving them

the skills and knowledge to succeed.

That’s why I am proud at the commitment this shul does for its young people, not just the

thriving cheder but that it offers bnei mitzvah the opportunity to become helpers, and support the

teaching. The RSY-Netzer Madrichim programme also provides a leadership experience that is

often only experienced in your twenties and thirties.

And there is always more that can be offered. We should be inspired by this parasha to be open

to leaders throughout our community at all ages and background. It is a challenge for communal

organisations sometimes to be led by the same people, with their collective knowledge,

experience and most of all commitment.

Widening the leadership to offer a variety of differing voices that need to heard, can help

engagement and responsibility, and as a congregation, we should offer our participation in

addition to our payment. Equally, those in leadership must be prepared to ‘head a nation of a

million presidents’, as Chaim Weitzmann, the first President of Israel once said.

One final point, is that sometimes it is a reminder to listen to those who are outside the circle, as

they may well share the same values. Jethro was not an Israelite but saw something was wrong,

and perhaps only he could see this as coming from outside. Respecting the views of a wider

range of people, encourages engagement and involvement which is the key preparation for

delivering any project, not just the revelation of the Torah at Mt Sinai.

Shabbat shalom