Post Ethics Before Sinai At the start of the Torah portion of Yitro (Exodus 18:1-20:22), we read about Jethro’s visit to Moses in the desert before the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai…. Read More
Post Jethro and Amalek: A Tale of Two Paths The placement of stories in the Bible is sometimes as instructive as the narratives themselves. The story of Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, in the Torah portion of Yitro (Exodus 18:1-20:22) is… Read More
Post Jethro: Midianite Priest and Father-in-law of Moses The Torah portion, comprised of Exodus 18:1–20:23, is named after Moses’ Midianite father-in-law, Jethro. It tells of Jethro’s counsel to Moses, and God’s revelation of the Ten Commandments to the Israelites… Read More
Post Marching to the Messiah: An Invitation from Moses to You Shortly after I got married I introduced a friend to my mother-in-law. Hearing the loaded term, my mother-in-law flinched, not wanting the title with all of its negative connotations. Noticing… Read More
Post Midian: Cradle of the Exodus or Israel’s Enemy? After killing an Egyptian taskmaster, Moses fled Egypt and ran to Midian where, according to the sages, he lived in exile for 40 years. While in Midian, he married Zipporah,… Read More
Post Who were the Midianites? After the ten brothers put Joseph in a pit, a group of Midianite traders happened along and took Joseph to Egypt where he was sold to Potiphar. That ill-intentioned act… Read More
