Shalom everyone and thank you for joining me in the study of Parashat Baalutcha. Parashat Ba Alutha, which is the third Parasha in the Book of Numbers in Sephar Bamid Bar, is basically moving along in this journey from Mitzraim from Egypt to the land of Israel. This is prior to the sin of the spies, and basically the Jewish people are about to go into the land of Israel. A few more days and they should be at the border. And therefore, with that context in mind, with that background in mind, with that understanding in mind of Parashat Belatha, I would like to learn with you a very strange request that the Torah describes in our parjah. The Torah states the following. So the word choten moshe meaning Moshe's father-in-law. Now who is Chovav ben Rewel? We know that Moshe's father-in-law's name is Yitro. We know that from the book of Exodus. So who is exactly Chovav? And if it's the same person, if it's Yitro, why was his name changed? And the Torah continues. Moses says to his father-in-law or to that person, we are traveling to the place that Hashem told us that he will give it to us, which means the land of Israel. And we will try to bestow upon you goodness and kindness. Until here, it sounds wonderful. However, Moses' father-in-law says to him, Loelech, I am not going to go with you. I will not join you. But rather I will go to my land, to my country, to my birthplace. So I'm not staying with you and I'm not going with you. So Moshe responded, Al natazovotanu, please don't abandon us. Don't go back to your country, to your birthplace. Just stay with us and enter the land of Israel with us. Why is that so important for me? Seems to be. Now this paragraph is very, I would call it even enigmatic. It's very odd. Why would Moshe approach his father-in-law to join them entering the land of Israel? That's question number one. The second question is obviously what is exactly the discussion here? If Moshe offers Itro, if Chovav is Itro, and we will examine it in a few minutes, to go into the land of Israel, why would Yro refuse? What's wrong in going into the land of Israel and getting an inheritance in an inheritance in a land that was promised to the Jewish people? And the third question, which might be even the most difficult one, is what exactly the meaning behind Veita Lanu Le Einain? And you will be for us like eyes. You will be like one of the leaders. What exactly the role or the position that Moshe offered to his father-in-law? So with that in mind, let's see the first commentator, obviously, Rashi. Chovav, who is this person Chovav? Uitro, it's Itro. Sheneema Mibne Chovav Choten Moshe. So it seems to be that Itro has maybe another name, or alternatively, he is the son of Chovav, meaning Itro's father was Chovav, and he, Itro, was Moshe's father-in-law. So we are dealing here between Moshe and Itro. So Moshe is basically asking his father-in-law to join him and to go into the land of Israel. But why? says Ramban Nachmanadis. That's according to many opinions from among our sages. The Titro, when he heard about the war against Amalek and the splitting of the sea, and the fact that the Jews received the Torah, or maybe it was even before they received the Torah, he came, he approached Moshe, and then he converted to Judaism. So therefore, people who convert they change their name or they accept upon themselves a Hebrew name. So his Midianite name was Yitro, and his Hebrew name was Chovav, which comes from the word Chaviv, someone that we care about, someone who is kind, someone who is likable, someone that we love, Chaviv. So therefore, says Ramban, I have a proof. Yitro came, converted, his name was changed to Chov, and this is why Moshe approached him with this name, Chovav. So the Ramban Ahmadis says, Moshe in a way begged Yitro slash Chovav to go with them to the land of Israel. And Moshe at the beginning of the conversation, he told Chovav, he told Yitro, we will just give you something good, Vetavnulah, we will do some kindness with you. He understood from the beginning that Moshe is basically offering him what? Come with us to the land of Israel, we will give you some of the spoil, the gold, the silver, clothing, some flack, but not an inheritance, not a place to sit. And therefore, so Yitro says to his son-in-law, to Moshe, thank you, but no thank you. You can give me silver, gold, jewelry, flack, everything, but if you don't give me a place to settle, a place that I can build a house, a place of belonging, a place that I can call it home, no thank you. I'll go back to my place where I have an inheritance. I have a land, I have a territory, I have a home. I don't need to go to a land which I really don't get, a piece of the land. And then Moshe told him, Al Nata Azovotanu. Please don't leave us. What do I mean by that? Until now, we thought it was just a very nice gesture. Moshe likes his father-in-law. This is the father of his wife, Zipporah. He says, you know what, let's go as a family to the land of Israel. Itro misunderstands Moshe, or maybe he did understand Moshe, and he thought Moshe offers him just gold, silver, jewelry, flack, and whatever. And Itro says, I'm not interested. I am not interested. I'll go back to my place. I will miss you, but I'll go to a place that I can build a house, that this is my land, this is my territory. And then the Ramban suggests that we are not talking just about a nice gesture. Moshe is asking Yitro to do something for the Jewish people. What is that request? He says to him, You, Yitro, you lived in the desert for a while. You know, you have a knowledge on the ways, the pathways that we should avoid or we should take in order to get into the land of Israel in the easiest way. You will be like the Gashash, which means the soldiers that you send at the beginning, almost like a spy, to scatter the land to see this mountain is great to climb, and then you can attack the people from here. Meaning he's basically hiring him, or at least he's offering him a job to be like someone who can strategize and to create a plan, a military plan of how to conquer the lands before the land of Israel and to help the Jewish people to get into the land of Israel in the easiest way. Now, before we continue on, there is definitely a question that we need to think about and we will need to address, and we will in a few minutes. This pasha is before the Parsha that we will read next week about the Meraglim, the spies. And here, we know that the spies did a terrible job because of them. The Jewish people had to wander for 40 years in the desert. And we always don't really know if Moshe was the one to send them or it was under the pressure of the people. Did God really give his consent to it or not? But here we have a problem. Moshe is told by God that I'm going to bring you to a land filled with milk and honey. I will help you, I will lead you. And here Moshe is asking his father-in-law to what? To help him out. So let's leave that question aside for a second. Let's just complete the Ramban. And the Ramban says, So Moshe says to it, you will show us the way, the pathway to go into the land of Israel. And from everything good that Hashem will give us, we will give it to you as well. He gave him a hint that they will give him what? Which means, Moses says to Italy, if you will give us the keys for the land of Israel, meaning you will show us the pathways, the ways to get into the land of Israel safely, in exchange, I will give you a piece of the land. Now we all know Ito is not from any tribe. He's not from the tribe of Shimon, God, Ruven, Levi, Naftalis, Vulun, Yosef. He is not, he was not Jewish, he converted to Judaism. He shouldn't really have, he can't really have any territory because he has no tribe. And still Moses says to him, I promise you, I'll give you something. In exchange of you helping us to conquer the land of Israel. Now, what was Ital's answer? So if we go back to the Pasuk, to the verse itself, if you look at the last verse, and the good that Hashem will bestow upon us, we're going to share with you and we will give it to you as well. No, Ytero agreed or didn't? Did Itro go with Moshe or he didn't? It is so interesting that the narrative basically leaves it in a very ambivalent way. The first request was basically Yitro says no, thank you. After Moshe explained his request and told Itro, I will give you everything you are asking for, which means a territory, an inheritance in the land of Israel, in exchange of you helping us. We don't know if Itro agreed or not. So the Ramban said in the last line, the Aldaati, and according to my opinion, says Ramban, Kinitratza elav bazakin. That Itro agreed and he gave his consent to Moshe, and he joined Moshe and Amisrael in their journey towards the land of Israel. Now, before we continue on, let's try to really delve into the question that I asked before. How come that Moshe is asking Itho to lead them to the land of Israel? Do we have any doubts that Moshe had any kind of hesitations in terms of the idea that God is going to lead them to the land of Israel? Was Itro the one that Moshe thought will lead them to the land of Israel? He thought Moshe didn't rely on God. And even if Moshe thought that, you know, you need to ask some others to help for help, why not to send spies? And I would like to suggest to you, perhaps, the following idea. Moshe understands that now the eve really of their entry to the land of Israel, like a few days before, according to the original plan, prior to the spies and the punishment of 40 years in the desert, Moshe understands that the land of Israel, conquering the land of Israel, and also living in the land of Israel, it's not like dwelling in the desert. In the desert, you don't need to do much. You just need to follow God's commandments, and God will bring you the mana, the meat, the well, the water, the protection, everything. You are surrounded with miracles. When you enter the land of Israel, you need to understand that you become a partner. You need to toil the land, you need to plow the land, you need to plant the land, you need to harvest, you need to protect the land, you need to have an army, you need to have a government, you need to have hospitals, you need to have a functioning state. And God is not going to do it for you. He is going to help you to be successful, but he's expecting of us to become full partners. And therefore, Moshe understands that the way to the land of Israel, you also need to try to prepare Am Israel, who just left Egypt. Slaves, left Egypt, received the Torah. Now they are about to enter the land of Israel. What they experienced until now was only one thing: miracles upon miracles. They are really not used yet to put any walk, to do anything, to really show too much efforts. Moses says, you know what? I will ask Ethor to show us the way. And by him showing us the way of what is the best place to go, what is the best mountain to climb in order to go into the land of Israel, I will teach the Jewish people that now we, the people, need to take an active role in going and entering the land of Israel. That's stage A. And then the second stage is dwelling and conquering and dwelling and building the land of Israel. So perhaps this is why Moshe offered Ito not only just to join them, but in a way to lead them, to guide them in order to show that this is the proper way to enter the land of Israel. No more relying only on God's miracles, but taking the initiative and starting the path of conquering the land of Israel and dwelling there with the idea that God would help. But we need to do the our what we call in Hebrew Ishtadlut, which means to put our efforts in order to what? To accomplish God's vision for us. That's the Ramban. Suggested perhaps a little bit of a different idea. And he says the following. As I mentioned before, our sages said in Midrashtanaim in the Sifray that the land of Israel was divided to the tribes, but converts do not belong to any tribe. So basically, they cannot really get a place, an inheritance in the land of Israel. How? By gifting it to him, or her, meaning that a tribe decides to give a gift, a part of its land, to the converts. So Moshe understood that there are going to be five reasons to oppose his suggestion to Itro. Again, Moshe offered Itro that they will give him a gift, a territory in the land of Israel, but he knew that there can be five reasons to oppose it, which are first, that'll have dil. Which means Itro will be embarrassed. When time comes and a tribe of uh I don't know, Shimon, let's say, says, Okay, Yitro, we're going to gift you uh 10 meters on one kilometer of territory, it's yours. It will like be embarrassed, he will be shy, and he will say, No, no, no, thank you. So that's one. The second one, which means if I am the giver and I give it to you, the recipient, I might have some kind of a superiority perspective on you. Like I am giving you. So me, the giver, I would look down a little bit on the recipient. The third, another reason is that Yito would look at the gift that he received and he would say to himself, This is it? This is the territory that you give me? This is an embarrassment. That is an embarrassment to me. The fourth reason. Maybe he will what? Change his mind. And also, which means it might be that the giver will change his mind. He will change his mind because he will be stingy, or he will change his mind because he doesn't like Hitro anymore. And the second one is, or the fifth reason, that maybe the tribe of Shimon, for example, would look at their territory and they will say, look, this territory serves exactly the amount of people we have. We can't give anything to someone else. So basically, Moshe is giving a promise to Yitro that basically says what? He says, I will gift it to you. But just one second, how can you guarantee it? There are five reasons to oppose it. So Moshe was very wise, and he basically, with his words, he was able to overcome all those five reasons that will prevent giving that gift to Itro. So, how exactly he did it? So let's go back to the Psukim. Moshe says to Itro, Vehaya Tovahu Ashayitiva Shebimanuve, which means he makes a condition. If you will be for us for a naim, we will be obligated to give you a gift. So by being obligated to be a to give a gift, meaning there is almost like a contract, an unwritten contract, between Nitro and the Jewish people. So therefore, they cannot change their mind, he cannot change his mind, and they're going to promise him something which will be good for him. So this is how Moshe overcame all the obstacles. What we have by now is that until now, we basically identified Khovav as Itro, Moshe's father-in-law. According to the Ramban and perhaps even the Orachaim, the entire discussion here, the entire subject matter of this discussion between Moshe and Itro was about what? I'm asking you, please, come with us because I need you to lead us the way. I need you to be Lanule Einaim, which means I need you to be our tool guide and to show us how to enter the land of Israel. We are a bunch of slaves, we have no idea. I don't know either, says Moshe Rabeinu. God told me he will help me, but I think I need to teach the Jewish people a lesson of that from now on we need to be active partners with God, so you are my first choice. The Sifray, which is Midrash Alcha, that was composed probably the first or second century in the land of Israel, has a totally different perspective on this discussion between Moshe and Itro. And our sages suggested the following. Moshe says to Yitro, please, na, nun aleph, it means please. Meaning when I say na nun aleph, it means I ask you. I really beg you. Amalo, im ein ata mechabel alecha, if you don't accept my request, says Moshe to Itro, Gozeer Anigzera Alecha. I will make a decree that you will come with me, meaning I will use some force in order to force you to come with us. Why? Why is that so important for Moshe that his father-in-law will join them? Says the sifre. This is a beautiful insight into the discussion, and they have a few interpretations, and we'll go one by one. The first interpretation is that Moshe basically says to Eto, look, you converted to Judaism. And people would think that you know why Etoh converted to Judaism? Because he heard that Am Israel will conquer the land of Israel, and therefore, if he's part of Am Israel, he will get a territory. And now when he heard that he cannot get a territory, because it's only for the tribes and not for the converts, then he left Judaism. So basically, Yitro converted to Judaism for something that he can get out of it. And now people will bash Itro and will basically badmouth him and will say that he converted only for his own benefit. When he realized that he will not receive that benefit, he left Judaism. So therefore, Moses says to him, please, I don't want anyone to doubt your conversion. I don't know anyone, I don't want anyone to doubt your sincerity because I know you are sincere and I know you converted not because of an inheritance in the land of Israel. You converted because you realized that the Torah is truth and Am Israel is the chosen people. But please, we all know people. People have their own ideas about things. They were not going to delve into the situation, they're not going to ask you why are you going back to your land? They will assume that you did it because you didn't get the land. So I ask you, I beg you, please come with me. We will deal with the land. You will get it as a gift, not as an inheritance. But please come with me so people will not bedmouth you and they will not basically disqualify your conversion. This is an amazing psychological insight into the ideas and the brain of people. When people see that something does not go exactly like they were playing, they immediately come up with all sorts of things that have nothing to do with the truth. But Moshe is well aware and he says to him, please, you are the first convert, the first known convert in the Torah. Please don't mess it up. Please don't tell, don't let them think those terrible thoughts about you. Please join me. The second interpretation is the vachir, Kasavura Tasha Tama Bekavot Eina Tailamema et Kama Giriva Vadimni Canestahat Kanfea Shrina. The second stage now in this Midrashtanaim, in the Sifray, takes this idea to even a higher level and says to him, Look, Itro, you are the first convert. Everyone is looking at you. All the future converts, they are looking at you, Ito. And if you go back to your place, it means you didn't find a place with us. It means that you felt that you don't belong. It means that you felt that there is no sense of friendship or connection between you and the Jewish people. This is why you go back to your country. Please ital. Stay with us because by staying with us, you will show for generations to come that you converted and you joined the Jewish people. Very similar to what we read in on Shavot with Seferut with the book of Ruth, when Ruth says to Naomi, Baasher Telkhi Elech, wherever you go, I go. Wherever you sleep, I sleep. Which means the convert or the expectation from the convert is that you will go, you will walk this journey with the Jewish people, with the ups and the downs, with the successes and the failures. Don't turn your back, stay with us. Moshe is asking it ovaita lanu le einaim. What does it mean? And you will be for us, to be eyes for us, not that you will lead us, that you will be eyes, you will be a leader, you will be this prototype convert, you will be the model convert to all future converts in the future generations. They will look at you and they will say, look at him. He went with the Jewish people through the desert, got into the land of Israel, never deviated, never went back, always felt this sense of belonging. Totally different than the Ramban. And then he continues. He says, Ain are the judges. They call Aine Aeda, the eyes of the congregation, because they can see for afar, they can see and understand the Halachot, the Jewish law. Who was the one who came with the idea and offered Moshe help in the judicial system? That was Itro. Itro came along and he saw that Moshe is walking from morning until night. And he says to him, You're going to, you will not be able to keep up like that. You need to have helpers. You need to have ministers of the thousands and the hundreds and the tens. But just one second, says the Sifray. Moshe was told already on Mount Sinai, Vetzivchai Lokim veya holta mod, which being interpreted as you need helpers. But Moshe never implemented it until Yto, his father-in-law, told him that. In this interpretation, there is something beautiful. The first interpretation says, please, Moshe says to Ito on a very personal level, I don't want people to doubt your conversion. Saying that you converted only to get a piece of land, and when you were told that you can't, you went back. The second one is, Ito, you are a leader of the converts. What you do will print its mark for generations to come. Therefore, please stick with us. The third interpretation is the contribution that someone who is foreign, someone who is estranged to the Jewish people, someone who came from afar and converted to Judaism can contribute to all Am Israel. The entire judicial system that Moshe implemented was basically based on a suggestion of a convert. Which means the idea, the lesson is don't look down at converts. Don't look down on people that were not born exactly like you or raised like you. They also have something to offer. They also have something to contribute. Open your mind and listen. Sometimes Dafka, specifically people who were not born and raised exactly like you, maybe have something insightful to say. And this is what Moses says to Itro. You are our eyes. You opened our eyes to see some of the deficiencies in our system, and you helped us. So that's the third, the third interpretation. And then we have one more. Which means Moses says to it, don't worry, we will show you tremendous love and care and compassion. Don't ever think that we will turn our back to you. You are part of us. Leave alone the historical background to this midrash, which might suggest that the Jewish people did not exactly behave so nicely to the converts. But it seems to be that the idea that the midrash is encouraging us is to do exactly the opposite. He's to do what the Torah commands us so many times. Love the convert, care for the convert, because don't forget, you were also converts in the land of Egypt. A convert does not mean only in the halachic manner, which means someone who converted to Judaism. A convert is a stranger, it's a foreigner. Always remember, you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. You were treated with no rights. You were treated as people that has no place, no identity, nothing. Just slaves. Don't do it to the convert. Moses says to Ito, you will be our role model. You will be the convert that we will show this love and compassion and kindness and we will try to imbue it for generations to come. So this Midrash does not talk about the fact that Moshe offered itro a job of being like this little spy, a trader to be a convert who is a role model for future converts. Abu Vadias Fono, the 16th century commentator from Italy, says the following. You want to go back, go back. Let your children come with us. Why? You want to go back, I can't stop you, but I need your children to go with us because if not, you know what the other nations will say? But he's going back. And he's taking his family. I can understand he's going back because he's old, he wants to be with his country, but his children join the Jewish people. But if you take your children with you, says Moshe to Itro, this is basically like a declaration. Look, I converted to Judaism, I tried it out, it's the same thing like any other religion, so I go home and I take my children with me. Says Moshe, they need to stay. Sforno says, no, no, Yitro went home. Moshe sent him home. But Yitro's children went with Moshe. How do we know? Because it says in the book of Judges, in Sephar Shoftim, Uvne Keini Choten Moshe, alume Erat Marim et Bneyuda. That the children of the Keni, who was Moshe's father-in-law, they went from Erat Marim, which is Jericho, with Bneyuda, with the children of Yehuda. So according to this phono, this is really beautiful. Basically, Rabhovajah's phonos suggested the fact that Moshe says to Itro, you need to stay with us, at least your children. And maybe even if the children stay, it reflects on Judaism even nicer or better, meaning Eto is too old to travel, he needs to go home, he wants to go home. But he entrusts his children to this nation that they don't know. Because he knows that the truth is with that religion and with that people, with that nation, with that land, with that Torah, with that God. According to Sforno, Moses' request for Mitro was in a way, I'm begging you, you took a tremendous step, you converted, but don't take it back. Show others that they also, if they want, they can come close to us. So that's what the Sforno suggested. And the last one is the Ktavedn Kabbalah that offered us yet another aspect. We really don't need a guide. We have a pillar of fire, we have the pillar of cloud. He says, I disagree with the Ramban. Moses says to Yito, Itro, you have a historical role, you have a historical position. You were not born Jew, a Jew. You were not born a part of Am Israel. You, by walking with us, you saw all the miracles. You saw the pillar of fire, you saw the cloud, you saw the manna, you saw everything that is going on, all those miracles that we experience here at the desert day by day. Kiliyothakwa in Midiana Shermafusam Shavu, Alecha Kama Minisonot Binanea Vot Elohine Hararetz, Uvehhozatlo Dot Beloke, Achaamata Kiataya Dati Kigadola Shemikola Elohim, in etuhaliot ed a ruebe inava la mituta d'avar, the gamhemayashuvulemor, kamonu kamau gamanachnu necheseven itlunen tahat kanfeo emunazu. This is what I will call the universal vision. Moses says to it, look, you are one individual, but you saw the light, you saw the truth, you converted to Judaism, you saw all those miracles. You have a job to do. Your job is to spread the word. Spread it everywhere you can. Tell everyone you know what you saw, the miracles you saw, the beauty of the religion, the faith in God. And you know what? People believe you more than they will believe me, says Moshe, because I'm already a Jew. I'm already part of Am Israel, I'm already the leader of Am Israel. They will take whatever I say with some hesitations and with doubts. But you transformed your life. You will not do it unless you know that you are doing the right thing. I'm asking you to help us to fulfill our second mission. What is the first mission? The first mission is to create a nation with the Torah and land of Israel and to establish a kingdom. The second stage or the second mission is to be a light unto the nations. How can we do that? When you have people who seize the light, we are not forcing anyone. We are allowing them to see the truth in our religion, the morality, the ethics in our religion, the true God and the Torah, the kindness, the day-to-day life. And then when they join, they create some kind of an effect on others, saying, oh wow, if it joined them, maybe I should do the same. Which means that you will be a role model for others to understand that they want to be necheseven it lunen takat kan fei emunazo, that we also will believe with that faith. By the way, we are not talking here about full conversion. Judaism was never a religion that forced conversion. But we do want that the entire world will recognize God, will recognize the seven laws of Noah, we will have a common basis, and the Jewish people will continue to have the 613 commandments. But there need to be some kind of what we will call a base faith religions. And by doing so, so this strange request for Moshe to Ito has basically two different schools of thoughts, or two different, I would call it uh two different ways to explain it. One, Moshe asks Ito, please be our tour guide. And if we go with that interpretation of the Ramban, basically Moshe is understand and anticipate the idea that he needs to teach the Jewish people that from now on we are taking an active role in conquering the land of Israel and dwelling there. The second option is about the universalism of Judaism, being a light unto the nation, spreading the word, which, by the way, these two opinions are not mutually exclusive. They can be intertwined into one. We need to take an active role in the initiation of our redemption. And part of our redemption is also the redemption of the entire universe and the entire humanity. The day will come, and that recognition will come, and we will be able to fulfill the two missions. One, to create a kingdom, a holy kingdom in the land of Israel, and at the same time to be a light unto the nations. Thank you.