Yitro: Why Yitro comes before the Torah | Rabbi Reuven Ibragimov скачать в хорошем качестве

Yitro: Why Yitro comes before the Torah | Rabbi Reuven Ibragimov

This week’s episode explores why Parashat Yitro—the gateway to Matan Torah—begins with a non-Jew who hears, internalizes, and chooses. Yitro reminds us that Torah isn’t inherited by default; it’s received through ratson—the decision to want a relationship with Hashem. We unpack a striking Midrash about the Luchot: two handbreadths in Hashem’s hands, two in Moshe’s, and two suspended between them—a picture of Torah as a shared bond. Like two people holding one garment, Torah becomes a partnership: we hold onto Hashem through Torah, and Hashem holds onto us through Torah—a “double knot” that doesn’t untie. The takeaway: inspiration is easy, but ownership requires effort. Judaism as “information” becomes optional; Judaism as relationship becomes transformational. Showing up, struggling, choosing—this is how we receive Torah, and this is how we build a lasting connection. Shabbat Shalom, and thank you for listening.