Yitro

📜 The Story

Yitro, the father in law of Moshe, heard about all the great miracles that God did for the people of Israel, taking them out of Egypt and splitting the sea for them. Yitro decided to come to the desert, bringing with him Tzipporah, Moshe's wife, and his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. Moshe went out to greet his father in law with great joy, bowed to him and kissed him, and told him everything God had done for Israel.

Yitro saw that Moshe sat from morning until evening judging the people all by himself, with everyone waiting in a long line. Yitro gave Moshe wise advice: choose honest, God fearing men and appoint them as leaders over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. That way only the hardest cases would reach Moshe, while everyone else would get a quick answer. Moshe listened to his father in law and did just as he said.

The people of Israel arrived at Mount Sinai in the third month after leaving Egypt, and camped facing the mountain. God told Moshe to give the people an important message, including the famous verse, 'You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' The people answered together, 'All that God has spoken we will do.' Moshe told the people to purify themselves for three days and not touch the mountain, in preparation for the great event about to happen.

On the third day there was thunder and lightning, a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud shofar blast, and the whole camp trembled. Mount Sinai was covered in smoke, because God came down on it in fire, and the mountain shook greatly. God called Moshe to the top of the mountain, and Moshe went up.

Then God spoke the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel: I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods, do not take God's name in vain, remember the Sabbath day, honor your father and mother, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not testify falsely, and do not covet. This was the great moment of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.