Yitro: Ascending to God
Rav Johnny's original thoughts on the weekly parsha
Sometimes we can overlook just how radical some of the Torah’s teachings are. In this Dvar Torah I would like to explore just one verse from Parshat Yitro, and in so doing, I hope to reflect upon some truly remarkable Jewish ideas relating to Jewish faith, the divine-human encounter, and the spiritual significance of human endeavour.
Towards the beginning of Chapter 19 of Sefer Shemot we are taught that Bnei Yisrael camped facing the mountain and that: ‘Moshe went up to God’ (Shemot 19:3).
These words of ‘Moshe went up to God’ (U’Moshe Alah El HaElohim) are nothing short of radical, because not only do they suggest that Moshe directly encountered God, but that he did so on his own initiative without first being instructed by God to do so. Accordingly, we may naturally assume that Moshe went up to the mountaintop where he experienced a prophetic communication with God.
The issue, however, is that wherever Moshe went on the mountain at this moment in time, it was not the peak of the mountain (as made clear a little later on in Shemot 19:20 where God commands Moshe to ascend to the mountaintop and from Sukkah 5a). Given this, what does it mean for Moshe to ‘go up to God’ - especially if Moshe does not fully ascend to the peak of the mountain, and especially when God has not yet commanded him to do so?
Both the Sforno and Malbim address this question, with each suggesting that when the Torah tells us that ‘Moshe went up to God’, this actually means that Moshe spiritually readied himself to receive a divine prophecy. On this basis, the true meaning of ‘going up to God’ means to spiritually prepare ourselves to encounter God.
From here we learn a profound lesson about human endeavour and the divine-human encounter, which is that by preparing ourselves to encounter God, we actually ascend to God.
Shabbat Shalom!
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OTHER NEWS
I am thrilled to announce that I will be making a visit to the US in May, spending Shabbat 17-18 May at Ohr Torah in Atlanta and Shabbat 24-25 May in the New York/New Jersey area. In addition to seeking a scholar-in-residence opportunity for this second Shabbat, I’d also like to deliver shiurim, lectures, and teacher training sessions between these two dates both in these two regions and possibly also elsewhere. If you are interested in me visiting your community or in meeting up, please send me a PM or email me at ravjsolomon@gmail.com