Yitro

Shabbat Shalom! This week's portion is all about a dude named Yitro (Jethro), Moses' father-in-law (No, not Jethro Tull aka that band with the flute).

Fun fact, Yitro is actually not a Jew! Say what now? Yeah Moses married a Midianite named Tzipporah, a perfect example of an interfaith marriage right there. So anyways, Moses is the leader of the Israelites at this point but he's a bit frazzled by the job he has to undertake. Moses is the lone judge of the people basically. He has to decide who gets possession of what, who is responsible if there is an accident and how crops are divided. Moses is seriously stressed and his father-in-law wants him to spend more time with the family. What's a guy to do? Here's where Yitro comes in.

Instead of complaining to Moses about their lack of family bonding, Yitro comes of with a plan to help. He tells Moses that a system of judges can be set up to alleviate the stress of his job and give him the balance he needs in his life. This is the perfect solution! You go, Yitro :)

Next, the Israelites go to Mount Sinai where they are prepared for 3 days and then get the Ten Commandments directly from God. The Israelites say that "All that God has spoken we will do."

The Israelites are scared of God's power so they ask Moses to to be their messenger to God.

^^^wait hold up Maia, you just wrote a whole thing on some random goy that you've never even heard of and practically skipped over the 10 Commandments? What the heck! 

I know, self, it's crazy right? Here's the deal: 1. This entire portion is named after one guy, so he must be pretty important. 2. These are not the real 10 commandments. The final tablets come into play in a few weeks so stay tuned!

Since Yitro is so important, the lesson we get from him is this: look for a solution first instead of complaining to someone that they are not doing enough. Instead of whining about what you hate, go and fix it! Trust me, you'll feel good that you helped you friend and your friend will appreciate the help!