Yitro

Yitro 1st Portion (Exo 18)1 Now Yitro, the priest of Midyan, Moshe’s father-in-law, heard all that Elohim had done for Moshe and for Isra’el his people, and that יהוה had brought Isra’el out of Mitsrayim.2 Yitro, Moshe’s father-in-law, took Moshe’s wife Tzipporah, after he had sent her away, 3 and her two sons, of which the name of the one was Gershom [a foreigner there], for Moshe said, “I have become a sojourner in a foreign land”;

Yitro 1st Portion (Exo 18)4 and the name of the other was Eli‘ezer [my God helps], “For the Elohim of my father,” said he, “was my helper; and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”5 Then Yitro, Moshe’s father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moshe in the wilderness, where he was encamped near the mountain of Elohim.

Yitro 1st Portion (Exo 18)

6 He sent word to Moshe, “I, your father-in-law Yitro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.”7 So Moshe went out to meet his father-in-law and he bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent.

Yitro 1st Portion (Exo 18)8 Moshe told his father-in-law everything that יהוה had done to Pharaoh and the Mitsrites for Isra’el’s sake and all the hardship that had befallen them along the way and how יהוה had delivered them.9 Yitro rejoiced over all the goodness which יהוה had done for Isra’el in rescuing them from the hand of the Mitsrites.


10 So Yitro said, “Blessed be יהוה, who delivered you from the hand of the Mitsrites and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from under the hand of the Mitsrites. 11 Now I know that יהוה is greater than all other gods, for it was proven when they acted proudly he was above them.”


12 Then Yitro, Moshe’s father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and slaughterings to Elohim, and Aharon came with all the elders of Isra’el to eat bread with Moshe’s father-in-law before Elohim.

Yitro 2nd Portion (Exo 18)13 And it came to pass on the next day that Moshe sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moshe from the morning until the evening. 14 And when Moshe’s father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”

Yitro 2nd Portion (Exo 18)15 And Moshe said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to seek Elohim. 16 When they have a matter, they come to me, and I decide between one and another, and I do make them know the laws of Elohim and his Torot.”17 And Moshe’s father-in-law said to him, “The thing you are doing is not good.

Yitro 2nd Portion (Exo 18)

18 You shall certainly wear yourself out both you and this people that is with you. For the matter is too heavy for you; you are not able to do it yourself alone. 19 Now listen to me. I will counsel you, and may Elohim be with you. You represent the people before Elohim, and you shall bring the matters to Elohim.

Yitro 2nd Portion (Exo 18)20 And you shall enlighten them concerning the laws and the Torot, and you shall show them the way in which they shall walk and the work they shall do. 21 But you shall seek out of all the people—able men who fear Elohim, men of truth, hating unfair gain—and place these over them Isra’el as rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

Yitro 2nd Portion (Exo 18)22 And they shall judge the people at all times, and it shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but they themselves shall judge every small matter. So it will be lighter for yourself, and they shall bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this word, and Elohim so commands you, then you shall be able to stand, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

Yitro 3rd Portion (Exo 18)24 Moshe listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he said. 25 And Moshe chose able men out of all Isra’el and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times. The hard matters they brought to Moshe, but every small matter they decided themselves.

Yitro 3rd Portion (Exo 18)

27 And Moshe saw his father in law off, and he went away to his own land.

Yitro 4th Portion (Exo 19)

1 In the third month after the children of Isra’el’s departure from Mitsrayim—on the very day—they came into the Wilderness of Sinai. 2 They set out from Refidim, and they came to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness, and Isra’el camped there in front of the mountain.

Yitro 4th Portion (Exo 19)3 Moshe went up to Elohim, and יהוה called to him from the mountain, saying, “So shall you say to the house of Ya‘akov and tell the children of Isra’el: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Mitsrites, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to me. 5 Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed and guard my covenant, then you shall be a treasured possession to me above all people: for all the earth is mine,


6 and you shall be to me a reign of cohanim and a set-apart nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Isra’el.”


7 And Moshe came and called for the elders of the people and set before their faces all these words which יהוה commanded him. 8 And all the people answered together, and said, “Everything that יהוה has spoken we shall do.” And Moshe brought the words of the people to יהוה.

Yitro 5th Portion (Exo 19)9 And יהוה said to Moshe, “See, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people will hear when I speak with you and believe you forever.” And Moshe reported the words of the people to יהוה.10 And יהוה said to Moshe, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. And have them wash their garments 11 and be ready against the third day: for the third day יהוה shall come down in the sight of all the people on Mount Sinai.

Yitro 5th Portion (Exo 19)12 And you shall put limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves, that you do not go up into the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall certainly be put to death. 13 Not a hand shall touch it, but he shall certainly be stoned or shot through. Whether it be man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the shofar sounds a long blast, they may go up to the mountain.”


14 So Moshe came down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their garments. 15 And he said to the people, “Be ready for three days; do not come near a wife.”

Yitro 5th Portion (Exo 19)16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the shofar was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moshe brought the people out from the camp to meet with Elohim, and they stood at the nether part of the mountain.


18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because יהוה descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled exceedingly. 19 And when the blast of the shofar sounded long and became louder and louder, Moshe spoke, and Elohim answered him by a voice.

Yitro 6th Portion (Exo 19)20 And יהוה came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain, and יהוה called Moshe up to the top of the mountain; and Moshe went up 21 and יהוה said to Moshe, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break their formation to go nearer to ,to see and many of them fall. 22 And also, the cohanim יהוהwho go near to יהוה consecrate themselves, or else יהוה will break out against them.”

Yitro 6th Portion (Exo 19)23 Moshe said to יהוה, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you warned us saying, ‘Put limits for the mountain and sanctify it.’ ”24 But יהוה said to him, “Go down and come up again, you and Aharon with you. But the cohanim and the people must not break through to come up to יהוה, or he will break forth upon them.”25 So Moshe went down to the people and told them.

Yitro 6th Portion (Exo 20)1 And Elohim spoke all these words, to respond:2 “I am יהוה your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, out of the house of slavery.3 “You shall have no other gods before me.4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of any thing which is in heaven above or which is on the earth beneath or which is in the water beneath the earth.

Yitro 6th Portion (Exo 20)5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I, יהוה your Elohim, am a jealous El, visiting the crookedness of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 and I perform loving kindness to thousands of generations, to those who love me and guard my mitzvot.7 “You shall not misuse the name of יהוה your Elohim, for יהוה will not leave him unpunished who takes his name in vain.

Yitro 6th Portion (Exo 20)8 “Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart. 9 Six days you shall labour and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Shabbat to יהוה your Elohim. In it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or your daughter, your manservant or your maidservant, nor your beast, nor your stranger who is within your gates.


11 For in six days יהוה made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day. Therefore יהוה blessed the day, Shabbat, and set it apart.12 “Respect your father and your mother, in order that your days may be long in the land that יהוה your Elohim is giving you.


13 “You shall not murder.“You shall not commit adultery.“You shall not steal.“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.


14 “You shall not covet your neighbour’s house, you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his manservant or his maidservant, his ox or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbour’s.”


15 And all the people saw the thunders, the lightning flashes, the sound of the shofar and the mountain smoking, and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance 16 and they said to Moshe, “Speak to us yourself and we will hear. But let Elohim not speak to us or we will die.”


17 Moshe said to the people, “Do not fear; for Elohim has come in order to prove you, and in order that his fear will be upon your faces, so that you shall not sin.”18 The people stood at a distance, while Moshe approached the thick darkness where Elohim was.

Yitro Maftir (Exo 20)

19 Then יהוה said to Moshe, “So shall you say to the children of Isra’el: ‘You yourselves have seen that I have spoken with you from heaven: 20 You shall not make with me gods of silver; neither shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.

Yitro Maftir (Exo 20)21 “ ‘You shall make an altar of earth for me and you shall slaughter on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be remembered, I shall come to you and bless you. 22 If you make an altar of stones for me, you shall not build them of cut stones, for if you use your chisel on it, you will defile it.

Yitro Maftir (Exo 20)

23 Nor shall you go up by steps to my altar, so that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.’

Yitro

Spiritual

Transcript of Yitro