Yitro
Tazria is the ultimate short straw.
Yitro is one of the longest straws. It offers practical information which you do not have to dig for and offers immediately available practical information. More importantly I am less interested in direct factual information - and this parasha contains the 10 commandments. Rather I am intesested in attitude and what the Torah can teach us.
The last parasha, Beshallach end with the defeat fo Amelak. The Amelakites are the grand metaphor for those or that which causes us to doubt ourselves, to hesitate in the pursuit of our goals and to be uncertain of our capacities to effect change and create a better life and a better world. The Amelakites cause us to doubt our dependence on G-d and cause us to doubt the role G-d polays in the world.
Yitro offers us an admonition to the corallary, to be be cautious to being too certain, of being too sure of ourselves, of being arrogant. More importantly we learn of this from a non-Jew form the Midean priest, Yitro forcing us to be aware of what the outsider can teach us.
Following the defeat of Amalek, Yitro comes out to greet Moses. He observes Moses as leader passing judgment and making all the decisions as people seek him out. He cautions Moses. Hold on. You should not feel you have all the answers. You must learn to trust others with the decision making and give up your feelings that others must be dependent. Trust in the capacities of others and trust that things will eventually work out without your personal guidance. Turn to others for judgment and allow other perspectives to surface.
Yitro is speaking to us today in this meeting room. He warns us to be wary of any rigidity in our thinking, to listen to others and to honor the capabilities of others in making decisions. We open our eyes to a greater vision and we build stronger communities and nations.
Neiel