Photo Credit: Jewish Press

Everyone read about it in the newspaper. Everyone talked about it day and night. But only one got up and did something.

This week’s parshah starts with: “And Yisro, the priest of Midian and the father-in-law of Moshe, heard about everything G-d did for Moshe and Israel, His people.” Yisro hears about the departure from slavery to freedom, about the new tidings in the world, and does not remain indifferent.

Advertisement




He hears, turns, and acts: “And Yisro, Moshe’s father-in-law, came.” Yisro leaves his house and joins the Jewish people.

Many commentators write about Yisro’s hearing. The Torah relates that many nations heard about the exodus of Egypt and were amazed and startled. Millions in the Middle East followed the drama. Did it provoke them to change? To do something? No.

Only Yisro went deeper into what this all meant to him. He didn’t just hear – he changed.

Massive amounts of information compete for our attention. Every day we hear countless pieces of news. The story of Yisro raises a question: What do we do with what we hear?


Share this article on WhatsApp:
Advertisement

SHARE
Previous articleIn Wake of Jewish Delegation’s Visit Saudi FM Denies Any Relations with Israel
Next articleActors, Activists, And Assorted Liars
Sivan Rahav-Meir is a primetime news anchor with weekly broadcasts on television and radio. Her “Daily Thought” has a huge following on social media, with hundreds of thousands of followers, translated into 17 languages. She has a weekly podcast on Tablet, called "Sivan Says" and has published several books in English. Sivan was recognized by Globes newspaper as Israel’s most popular female media figure and by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews worldwide. She lives in Jerusalem with her husband Yedidya and their five children.