"Moshe went
to meet his father-in-law (Yitro), (...) he kissed her and they
inquired each other about their well-being ..." (Exodus 18:7)
The encounter
between Moshe (Moses) and Yitro represents that of two extremes. On
the one hand, the tzaddik (godly man) of spiritual perfection,
difficultly imaginable. On the other, the individual who is at an
infinitely great distance from Holiness; indeed, there was not one form of
idolatry in the world that Yitro had not practiced.
This encounter,
even if it is that of two characters who seem to have absolutely nothing in
common, reveals yet the unique greatness of the Tzaddik. Far from the
image of the scholar cut off from the world and whose close circle of knowledge
is filled only by individuals of his caliber, Moshe did not hesitate
a single second to go to meet Yitro, to the kiss and learn about his
well-being.
Moshe came
from another world than Yitro's. He had received the Torah of Hashem himself,
the experience he had on Mount Sinai - at the time of the grant of the Torah -
it made him a unique human being.
At the same
time, Yitro wanted to convert to Judaism, even though his past had
brought him into contact with all the forms of spiritual impurity that can be found
in this world. Nevertheless, Yitro had not been deceived in a
definitive way and now he wanted to join the Jewish People.
When Yitro met Moshe, he
was not yet converted to Judaism; rather, he was burning with the desire
to identify with the people who had just come out of Egypt and to this end, he
wanted to meet the Tzaddik who could help him in this process.
Yitro's past
and status had no bearing
on Moshe's willingness to meet his
expectations. It is like two friends that their meeting can be compared, a
little as if two friends were found after a long separation.
Here is the main
characteristic of a person whose spiritual level is high: to be available to
every soul, regardless of its origin and past. From the moment a creature
of God expresses its desire to approach it, the scholar in Torah opens
the door and gives him his advice.
In spite of his
spiritual elevation, the pious man (the Tzaddik) "descends"
from his world to help the soul who asks for it. If study and prayer are
the essential elements of a person who wishes to rise in holiness, this
elevation cannot be done by ignoring the other creatures of the Master of the
world.
Whenever
a Torah scholar advises, listens, and suggests the process to
follow for a specific soul, he acquires an aspect of the personality of Moshe Rabbeinu
(Moses, our Master). These moments of sharing are by no means lost time
for study or prayer; rather, they represent the essence of the person who
has reached a level of Holiness high enough to understand the reasons for his
presence in the present world.
So, do not be
surprised to learn that Moshe helped Yitro. We must rather
understand that it was because he came to help him that he was Moshe.
(Translated and
adapted from Rabbi Nathan of Breslov, Likutey Halakhoth, Yore
Dea, Halakhoth Bekhor Behema, 4:22)
By David-Yits'haq
Trauttman, posted in http://www.lapausecafe.org
Translated in
Portuguese by Gilson Sasson, Journal Mitzvah.
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