Yitro is a relatively short sedra which packs a big punch – maybe the biggest punch of the Torah.
Let’s start with the SedraStats and go on from there.
Yitro is the 17th of the 54 sedras; the 5th of 11 in Sh’mot. It is written on 138 lines in a Sefer Torah (ranking 46th), and consists of 15 parshiyot – 4 open, 11 closed.
The sedra is made up of three p’rakim – 18, 19, and 20. Be aware that chapters (p’rakim, singular perek) in the Torah are a later, non-Jewish construct, introduced in the Middle Ages for reference convenience and not reflective of the Torah’s own internal divisions. Yet we use p’rakim because they provide a convenient way to locate verses and organize study, even though they do not follow the Torah’s original divisions or thematic flow.
Yitro has 75 p’sukim and ranks 47th (only 7 sedras have fewer p’sukim). However, the tradition is that Yitro has 72 p’sukim, not 75. If we count dibrot (statements is a better English term than commandments, despite the popularity of calling them The Ten Commandments) rather than p’sukim for the Aseret HaDibrot, then the number drops to 72 (from 75) and that probably explains the difference. Yet when we read the Aseret haDibrot with Taamei Ha’Elyon (more on that later), there are only 9 p’sukim/dibrot, since the first two are definitely combined. This gives us a total of 71 p’sukim for Yitro.
So how many p’sukim are there in Parshat Yitro? The simple answer is 75 – count them yourselves.
If you are confused (or not), read on for further clarification.
But first, the rest of the SedraStats: Yitro has 1,105 words and 4,022 letters (ranking 46th). It is the smallest sedra in the Book of Sh’mot.
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Let me break down the sedra into neat sections. We start with Yitro himself, identified as a Midianite priest and father-in-law of Moshe (a very odd combination of titles), coming to join Moshe and Bnei Yisrael. When did he come? What did he hear that motivated him to join our nation?
Some say that he came before the Revelation at Sinai, having heard about the Exodus and the crossing of the Sea. This easily explains the fact that these first 12 p’sukim appear before the account of Matan Torah.
Others say that Yitro arrived after Matan Torah, that event being a further motivation for his decision to convert to Judaism. However, that raises the question as to why the Torah tells us about Yitro before it tells us about the Sinai experience.
I’ll try to explain that in a moment. But first, we need to mention the second section of the sedra – the next 15 p’sukim which conclude perek 18. The section begins with Yitro doing what many fathers-in-law throughout history have done: He goes to see what his son-in-law does for a living (so to speak) and makes suggestions for improving job productivity. In short, Yitro was responsible for finetuning the court system of Jewish society.
This section, all seem to agree, took place after Matan Torah. So regardless of which opinion you prefer as to when Yitro came to Moshe, there is definitely at least part of the story that is out of sequence.
Here’s how I explain it. Perek 19 begins with telling us of the arrival of Bnei Yisrael at Sinai on Rosh Chodesh Sivan, a month and a half after leaving Egypt. Then comes the account of their travels: They traveled from Refidim; they came to Sinai; they camped in the wilderness – all in plural, referring to all the people of Israel. Then come the words “Vayichan Yisrael neged haHar,” and Israel (singular) camped opposite the mountain (Har Sinai). Rashi’s famous comment: Singular, to teach us that the entire nation (2.5-3 million people) was like one person with one heart. At that moment, days before receiving the Torah, the people achieved an unprecedented unity of purpose.
This unity is also expressed in verse 19:8, when after Moshe related G-d’s words, the people responded, “All that G-d has said, we will do – Naaseh.” This is repeated in the Torah a while later, and finally in next week’s sedra, we find the famous phrase “Naaseh v’nishma” – we will do and we will understand.
That was – and still is – great. But there is one thing that we might consider to be missing: the individual. Each and every one of us is part of Klal Yisrael. And each of us is also an individual person and Jew. And that’s where Yitro comes in. He was an individual. He questioned his own background. He experimented with other beliefs. (Not recommended for people born Jewish.) He made a decision to become part of the Jewish People.
His story is followed by our standing at Har Sinai to enter into a covenant with Hashem. To hear His voice. To commit to a life of Torah and mitzvot.
The record of the events at Sinai should inspire us all. And so should the story of Yitro. Commitment to Torah needs to be more than “I’m Jewish.” It is also “I am a Jew.”
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Okay. So far, we have the Yitro parts of the sedra – a total of 27 p’sukim from perek 18.
Then comes our arrival at Sinai, the dramatic preliminary preparation to receive the Torah. “And you shall be a kingdom of Kohanim and a holy nation” – that promise from G-d and our promise to Him of “Naaseh” (and subsequently “Naaseh v’nishma”) form the two sides of the Covenant. It is these 25 p’sukim of chapter 19 that bring us to hearing Hashem’s voice and Moshe’s transmission of the Aseret HaDibrot, the Ten Divine Statements (a.k.a. The Ten Commandments, the Decalogue, or – as I sometimes lightly but respectfully call them – The Big Ten).
Let’s look at the Aseret HaDibrot.
Reminder: The natural breaks in a Torah scroll are parshiyot. An open parsha (p’tucha) begins at the beginning of a line in a Sefer Torah, the previous line having a blank space from the last word of the previous parsha until the end of its line. A closed parsha (s’tuma) begins on the same line as the previous parsha ended, with blank space between the old and the new parsha. Keep this in mind.
First, an introductory pasuk: “And G-d spoke all these words, saying” – this pasuk is its own parsha s’tuma.
What follows are 13 p’sukim stating the Dibrot. The first two p’sukim are considered to be that which we all heard from G-d Himself.
“Anochi…” – I am Hashem your G-d Who took you out of Mitzrayim from the house of bondage. This pasuk is counted by the Rambam and Sefer HaChinuch (and others) as commanding belief in G-d. Other commentaries see it as an introduction to the mitzvot that follow – as if it means, “I am the One Who took you out… Therefore, you shall obey the following…”
This is immediately followed by the prohibition “You shall not have any other gods before Me.” This is the command against avodah zara, idolatry. It is a mind and heart mitzvah, rather than being related to action. It is in its own pasuk, the first of four verses that make up the second dibra, or dibur (generally translated as commandment, but as I noted earlier, “statement” is a more faithful translation). This Dibra #2 includes three other mitzvot numbered among the 613:
- Not to make idols, even if the one who makes them does not worship them;
- Not to bow to idols, even if one does not intend bowing as a sign of worship – that act of bowing to an idol is forbidden;
- Not to worship other deities in any way that they are worshiped. Note that there are four practices of worship that are forbidden regardless of how a specific deity is worshiped by its followers: bowing, sacrificing, libation, burning incense. Additionally, this mitzvah prohibits any other act that is used to worship a specific deity.
The first and second dibrot are contained in a single parsha s’tuma.
Dibra #3 is the prohibition of taking G-d’s name in vain. This is considered to mean specifically not to swear falsely or vainly in His name. But conceptually, it also includes saying a blessing in vain (b’racha l’vatala) and other improper use of His Divine names. One pasuk, one dibur, one mitzvah, one parsha s’tuma. Simple.
Then we come to the Shabbat commandment. It consists of four p’sukim and contains two of the Torah’s mitzvot. The first is the positive one of “Zachor” – remember the Shabbat day to sanctify it. This is understood as the mitzvah of saying the words of Kiddush (in the davening on Friday night) and then, by Rabbinic decree, to follow that with Kiddush over wine at the Shabbat table. So too, as Shabbat leaves, the saying of the Havdalah passage in the Amidah of Motza’ei Shabbat and following that up with Havdalah with wine, spices, and a candle.
The second Shabbat mitzvah here is the prohibition of doing any manner of melacha (specific types of creative activities – 39 categories, each with many derivative categories). The reason given here by the Torah for Shabbat is to acknowledge and appreciate G-d’s Creation of the World. One dibur; two mitzvot; four p’sukim; one parsha p’tucha. Not simple.
Next comes the well-known “Honor your father and your mother…” One dibur; one mitzvah; one pasuk; one parsha s’tuma.
The next pasuk contains four mitzvot, all prohibitions – against murder, against incest and adultery, and against stealing (here, specifically kidnapping, but also serving as a chapter heading for many mitzvot to be specified later in the Torah related to different aspects of stealing, and bearing false witness). One pasuk; four mitzvot; four separate parshiyot s’tumot. Interesting. Three of the parshiyot are two words each. Contrast this to the entire sedras of Vayeitzei and Mikeitz – each a single parsha of 148 and 146 p’sukim respectively. Each over 2,000 words! “Lo tirtzach” is a two-word parsha. So are “Lo tin-af” and “Lo tignov.”
Finally, the Big Ten finish with the prohibition against coveting, an unhealthy desire to have that which belongs to someone else, be it his wife or possessions. This prohibition is detailed in two parshiyot in a single pasuk.
So, here’s the deal with the Aseret HaDibrot (or Aseret HaD’varim, as the Torah refers to them). Ten statements, or whatever you want to call them, comprising 14 mitzvot (with a 15th mitzvah counted in Va’etchanan’s restatement of the Decalogue), contained in 13 p’sukim. That’s about as Torah by the Numbers as you can get.
How many words are there in the Aseret HaDibrot (of Parshat Yitro)? Answer: 620 – significantly, the number of mitzvot in the whole Torah, plus seven more, representing the seven mitzvot d’rabbanan. What are those seven? Chanuka lights; Megillat Esther; Shabbat and Yom Tov candles; netilat yadayim; Hallel; Eiruv (Tavshilin, Chatzeirot, T’chum); and b’rachot.
One more point about the Aseret HaDibrot. Taamei HaMitzvot are the Torah notes for reading the Torah. For the Aseret HaDibrot, there are two sets of notes:
- Taamei HaTachton (“lower notes”), by which we read the Aseret HaDibrot as p’sukim – just like the rest of the Torah.
- Taamei HaElyon (“upper notes”), by which we read the Aseret HaDibort in public, as dibrot – different from all other parts of the Torah.
The standard practice in the Jewish world is to read the Aseret HaDibrot with the upper notes on Shabbat Parshat Yitro, on Shavuot morning, and on Shabbat Nachamu (Parshat Va’etchanan).
But Minhag Yerushalayim, based on the opinions of the Vilna Gaon, is to read with the upper notes only on Shavuot. For Yitro and Va’etchanan, the Aseret HaDibrot are read with the lower notes, as p’sukim, just like all the rest of the Torah.
Not every shul in Yerushalayim follows Minhag Yerushalayim. And there are other places in Israel (and elsewhere) that do it the GR”A (Vilna Gaon) way. The overwhelming majority of shuls use Taamei HaElyon for all three readings. The GR”A’s opinion presents the Aseret HaDibrot as both unique and as just like the rest of the Torah. Both ways are important.
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Right after the Aseret HaDibrot, the Torah tells us that the people were afraid at Matan Torah. They asked Moshe to tell them what G-d wants of them and that G-d not speak directly to them.
It seems that the ideal plan was to have direct communication between G-d and the Jewish People. Because of their panic, instead we heard only the first two dibrot – “Anochi” and “Lo yihyeh l’cha” – from Hashem, and the rest of the Aseret HaDibrot were transmitted by Moshe Rabbeinu. And all the rest of the mitzvot of the Torah were taught to Moshe by Hashem, and were transmitted to the people by Moshe during the years in the Midbar.
The last p’sukim of the sedra contain three more mitzvot, bringing Parshat Yitro’s total to 17 mitzvot.
Shabbat Shalom.