posts so far on parshat Yitro

2010

1. Yisro sources -- revamped. More than 100 meforshim on the parsha and haftarah, organized by topic.
   
2. One is Gershom, and one is Eliezer -- What is bothering Ibn Ezra? I would guess that he is responding to Saadia Gaon, who makes much of the duplication.
   
3. Did all the nation see the sounds? After considering several, including Saadia Gaon, who maintain that the sound was visual, we cite Ibn Ezra who maintains that it means perception. As peshat, Ibn Ezra appears correct, though there are a number of other compelling suggestions. The Karaites side with Rashi and Saadia Gaon, and the Samaritans emend away the difficulty.
   
4. The kamatz and the aleph at the end of panay -- In the phrase לֹא-יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל-פָּנָי, the last vowel is written as both a kamatz and a patach. Grappling with this variation. The true answer is that one is a pausal form, and that it intersects with taam elyon and taam tachton. The Gra also has a drasha based on this.
   
   
5. Do variant translations in Onkelos of שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ reflect different sides of a dispute in Mechilta, as to whether Moshe sent Tzipporah away or divorced her? I part ways with a consensus, and consider that Onkelos is merely trying to preserve the ambiguity of the Biblical text.
   
   
6. 
   

2009

1. Yisro sources, in an online Mikraos Gedolos, plus many meforshim on the parsha and haftara.
   
2. Yitro running commentary, pass i, part i -- a different style of parshablogging, giving a running and perhaps integrated commentary. This first post is just on the first pasuk in the parsha.
   Yitro running commentary, pass i, part ii; and part iii
3. A great proof that it was Moshe who bowed to Yisro -- to quote myself:
   
   
   
   
   
   

   I was of the opinion that either Moshe bowed down to and kissed Yisro, or else that there was mutual bowing and kissing. Rashi brings down a Mechilta on that early pasuk in parshat Yisro with proof that it was Moshe, based on a gezera shava of ish-haIsh, here with Ish leRei'eihu, and there with veHaIsh Moshe.
   
   But in this past week's parsha sheet, Torah Lodaas, we have the following great, and entertaining explanation, from the Cheshek Shlomo...

2008

1. The Trup on el-Hamidbar -- with a three way dispute between revii, zakef-gadol, and pashta-zakef. Shadal decides in favor of the revii, and labels the others a result of taut sofer. I analyze what each would mean. And I suggest that these two parsings may accord with the Talmudic dispute of whether Yisro come before or after matan Torah.
2. The Meaning of the Trup and Nikkud On לֹ֥א תַֽעֲשׂ֖וּן אִתִּ֑י אֱלֹ֤הֵי כֶ֨סֶף֙ וֵֽאלֹהֵ֣י זָהָ֔ב לֹ֥א תַֽעֲשׂ֖וּ לָכֶֽם׃ -- Two potential parsings of that pasuk, and how the trup decides. And how Shadal rereads itti as oti, to make the first part of the pasuk about making graven images of God, with the second part as elaboration.
3. Did Yisro remain silent when he fled? Two different readings, one in which he fled rather than speaking, and one in which he protested and then was forced to flee. I prefer the latter, and in fact Yisro has a long speech against Pharaoh's plan in Ginzberg's the legend of the Jews. This year, I noticed that in fact this is taken directly from sefer hayashar. See here.

2007

• How Is Yisro related to Moshe? I suggest that relationship is that Yitro married Moshe's ex-wife, Tzippora.

2006

1. What Parsha Did Yisro Add? It depends on what you mean by "parsha." Leading to an interesting discussion in the comments.
2. Parsha, Meaning Topic -- As an attempt to reinforce the definition above.
3. Class Notes of Sidra vs Parsha -- as a distinction between the portions of Bavel and Eretz Yisrael
4. Sidra vs. Parsha -- The Article

2005

1. Hashem is greater than the other gods! Er... What other gods? -- Two Targumim take up the challenge.

2004

1. Round Trip Tickets -- In which Pesach Mitzrayim occurred at the Bet HaMikdash!
2. Ha'Am as Elders -- and how the zekeinim existed as such before Yitro's suggestion.
3. A Jewish Scholar Class? How these judges appointed at Yisro's urging devoted themselves full-time to learning and judging, rather to any profession.
4. From parshat Bahaalotcha, but appropriate nonetheless: Who was Chovav? Who was Yisro? various opinions and their basis. Was Yisro a father-in law or brother-in-law to Moshe?
5. Also, on the same topic as above, in terms of what Choten might mean (father-in-law /brother in law), see Another interesting cognate from "Hebrew Cognates in Amharic"
6. From Behar/Bechukotai and Shavuot: BeDibbur Echad and a summary of this dvar here.

to be continued...