Yitro, יִתְרוֹ  "Jethro"  Exodus 18:1 - 20:22

Poem of Yitro

Poetic notes on the Parashat Yitro*

The Hand of the Eternal

was carrying Israel through the wilderness,

up out of the confining dungeon,

the deadly fortress of Egypt

There in the wilderness

Israel would pass by dry twigs and branches

of the tree of Adam,

sticks that could burn 

in fires of good or evil

Yitro was one such stick

Amalek was another

Yitro was a smouldering torch

waiting to be lit into blue flame

His color then was black and fading orange

Amalek was a dry stick in the desert,

a grey twig that was barely more than paper

attracting every passing spark

The word of Hashem was a mighty Hand of light,

crushing Egypt into darkness,

hammering out many sparks

from the fristborn of Egypt

Sparks of fire were carried far into the wilderness

Egypt’s spirit was a crawling serpent,

a staff of Egyptian magic

It was a stick in the dust, 

and it was kin to the tribe of Amalek

The staff of Egypt sidled out into the desert

to speak to Yitro

"You see HaShem,”

the serpent said with cunning

"You know that at best

HaShem is only first among equals

He is a powerful god among many gods

Today one is on top, tomorrow another

You know that all gods are proud

to display their power

You have seen HaShem in Egypt

All you saw there is a rivalry of gods”

In truth, Yitro had heard

the news about Hashem in Egypt

When he had heard,

he had prayed with fear

to know Hashem

Being a dry stick himself, 

he had flickered from the spark of truth

that had touched him

But he had not yet sparked into flame

Yitro’s ears had already been cultivated

by the voice of Moses singing in his tent

Yet Yitro had always served all gods

He was weakened with shame

The argument of the serpent,

the stick crawling on its belly,

that came to him out of Egypt,

was like one wet stick in a bundle

It dampened the air around him,

weakening Yitro’s prayer

Then All Israel came

Israel came and the Red Sea trembled

Yitro heard the waters tremble

He heard how Hashem walked with Israel

Israel’s powerful feet of faith

conquered the sea

When the rod of Moshe

split the waters like an arrow splits

the heart of the prey,

it split even the waters above the world

Still the slithering wet stick of Egypt

stuck its splinters in Yitro's ear

"You see how Hashem dominates his people!”

the serpent said

Slithering words slipped in and out of Yitro’s ear

“He makes them work like little angels,

to show off among gods

his power over his servants"

But Yitro's ear still defended itself with prayer

The voice of Moses was in his heart

His heart grew warmer

But still his heart was damp with doubt

and did not yet burst into flame

Then Amalek,

that ancient serpent's seed itself,

came out of the bad lands

Egypt’s stick was from the south

Amalek’s from north of Egypt

They sounded different when they lied,

because, though from the same father,

they were each from a different bride

Yitro knew it was the very same stick by name

Then it was that Yitro’s world changed

A spark of truth fell into his ear

and his fire would forever remain

When Yitro heard

about Israel's war with Amalek,

how Moses had fought with his hands of faith,

it was then that his blue flame ignited

He then knew

that Israel was going to the mountain

to receive the Torah

The serpent then exclaimed,

“How can Yitro become an ever-burning flame?”

What standing does Yitro have at Sinai?

By what right will he go to the burning mountain?

Then Yitro asked himself:

What standing do I have at the Giving of the Torah,

seeing that I myself am but a stick in the desert

and have no feet with which to stand before HaShem?

Still, though he was a cripple with no feet,

Yitro rejoiced with God’s people, Israel

For he said, "Now I know that HaShem is God!

He is the One and Only in heaven and earth"

In the world, Israel the slave

had become a strong man, a strong woman,

but in faith Israel was still a child

"Now I see", said Yitro, 

"that HaShem put all his revelation at risk,

the revelation of his goodness and glory

All confidence he placed in the faith of a child

Though they could only wield their faith 

through their sword,

and not yet through their word,

Hashem risked all for Israel, 

not openly revealing his power,

trusting their faith in him,

to silence the serpent's seed"

All nations, all generations

had seen Israel crossing the sea

"They’re invincible and untouchable!"

said many of those gathered round

"No!" Said Amalek

his arrogance exploding,

his hatred smouldering

“I will drink their water!

I will steal their fire!

I will show you that they are touchable!"

"He will crush your head,”

thundered Hashem to the serpent,

“and you will strike his heel!"

Yitro heard what the children of Israel did,

how even the lame defeated Amalek through faith

And burning brightly like a flame he said,

"I will go to serve Hashem with them!

For now I understand

He invested all his revelation

in the obedience and learning of his children

who revere and love him,

who lift their hands like birds, 

who fly like lowly Yitro, up through the clouds,

to reach, to touch, the Cloud of Glory!"