Yitro Drash

Working with HaShem.

This weeks Parshat is Yitro. It covers Exodus 18 - 20. Many important events occur during this Parshat.

In the final paragraph of this chapter we have the description of building the Holy Altar. As I read this it reinforced in my mind HaShem desires order and structure in his worship and service. This is accomplished when one works with HaShem rather than in place of him. This may seem like an obvious thing but often times I find it is hard to accomplish.

This last paragraph contains a significant event and several commandments that sets our faith a part from others. It also contains a detail that one may gloss over and not consider important.

1st The creator of the universe spoke to all of the multitude of people present at the mountain. No one has needed to reveal HaShem to the people he revealed himself to everyone present.

Starting in verse 22 of chapter 20 one can read:

22 Then Adonai said to Moses, “Say this to Bnei-Yisrael: You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven. 23 Do not make gods of silver alongside Me, and do not make gods of gold for yourselves. 24 You are to make an altar of earth for Me, and there you will sacrifice your burnt offerings, your fellowship offerings—your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be mentioned I will come to you and bless you. 25 When you make for Me an altar of stones, do not build it from cut stone, for if you use a tool on it, you will have profaned it. 26 Nor are you to go up to My altar on steps, so that your nakedness would not be uncovered while on it.”

The first commandment given concerning the Altar and it’s service is a negative commandment or a “do not”. HaShem is clear do not make idols for worship even of him. He does not need them and you know what else we do not need them either. We have access to HaShem directly in the manner that he wills and not according to our own will.

The instructions are clear that an altar is to be made, yet the components of the altar where not to be manufactured as much as they where to be gathered to the place that HaShem has directed. HaShem is the creator and owner of the whole of existence and it is with the materials he has fashioned and according to his design that we worship him. Our efforts should be in concert with him. Using what he has provided and not adding our own creations, when they have not been called for.

Then finally we are presented with what appeared to me at first to be an extraneous detail of how to approach the altar. HaShem tells us that steps would not be acceptable to approach his altar. The phrase used to explain why is to “not uncover our nakedness”. At first this seemed strange to me. There is nothing that is hidden from HaShem. As well we use steps many times all over the world and we do so in ways that are discrete. The kohanim also wore pants. So how could nakedness be revealed? How is this truly significant of a detail? What is really being said here?

The idea that came to me is really a humbling one. There is not a part of us so delicate, beautiful or sensitive that it is worthy to be over looked by HaShem. When one approaches him one should be modest and humble and fearful of him. Even with details that might seem to us to be irrelevant or no longer current with the time. These details matter to HaShem and we cannot replace his will with our own ideas of morality and modesty.

Proverbs 9:10 States: The fear of Adonai is the beginning of wisdom

I understand this to mean if I truly want wisdom I will fear Adonai to the point that no detail of his is considered insignificant. I must restrain myself, or else when I least expect it I may replace his will with my own.

In all of this it seems to me that the invitation to serve HaShem is not one given for me to take charge of the service he has designed so much as it is an invitation to submit to HaShem in the work as he has designed. I am to be his hands and feet to swiftly carry out his commands. To use the words of our Master Yeshua “Let not my will but his will be done.”