Thursday, January 16, 2014
Parshas Yisro: Seeing is better than Hearing
10:27 PM | 
Posted by
Rabbi Chaim Coffman |
"When Yisro, the priest of Midyan, Moshe's father-in-law, heard of all that G-d had done for Moshe and for Yisrael his people, and the L-rd had brought Yisrael out of Mitzrayim" (Exodus 18:1)
Yisro heard either the war with Amalek or the giving of the Torah and the splitting of the Red Sea according to the Gemara in Zevachim 116a. Rav Moshe Feinstein Z"l asks in Derash Moshe but didn't the whole world hear what happened there? Even if we say that hearing means understanding the other nations as well heard these things!
In reality, Rav Moshe explains there is no comparison in hearing something and seeing it with one's own eyes. Even if someone hears the truth, without proper introspection, it will not have that great an impact on a person's life. Proof of that is when Moshe comes down from the mountain and only breaks the tablets after seeing what the Jewish people are doing in regards to the sin of the golden calf.
It could be that even if the nations heard about the great miracles that occurred in Egypt, how did it effect there everyday life? Even if people saw miracles in front of their eyes, did it make them more into G-d fearing individuals? We would think so but the reality may be very different.
The reason is even after witnessing miracles if a person does not use that spiritual uplift to impact their lives and cause them to take stock and change, then what was its purpose? In our everyday life we have the ability to look beyond what is happening. This is because if we think about our daily events, we should be able to see G-d's hand in it someway.
It doesn't mean we always understand why things happen as we live in a world where G-d's ways are hidden but at the same time we can take stock of events and see the goodness that He does for us. This is not always an easy thing but He gives us the ability to grow from our trials and tribulations.
The thing we need to keep in mind is that when things happen to us that clearly shows Divine intervention at some level, we have to use that sacred time and allow us to benefit from it and grow spiritually. If we don't take advantage of that, it disappears quickly.
Yisro had the ability to internalize the message and it effected him to change. The thousands and millions who heard about it, did not get the message and therefore it didn't effect them. In recent history we have seen great miracles in the Jewish state of Israel just by all the rocket attacks and minimal death of civilians.
Even the secular media called it a miracle! The problem is that saying those words mean nothing if we don't get the message and internalize it and cause us to change. G-d does not have to change nature for us to see Him we just have to know how to look and take spiritual advantage!
Shabbat Shalom
Yisro heard either the war with Amalek or the giving of the Torah and the splitting of the Red Sea according to the Gemara in Zevachim 116a. Rav Moshe Feinstein Z"l asks in Derash Moshe but didn't the whole world hear what happened there? Even if we say that hearing means understanding the other nations as well heard these things!
In reality, Rav Moshe explains there is no comparison in hearing something and seeing it with one's own eyes. Even if someone hears the truth, without proper introspection, it will not have that great an impact on a person's life. Proof of that is when Moshe comes down from the mountain and only breaks the tablets after seeing what the Jewish people are doing in regards to the sin of the golden calf.
It could be that even if the nations heard about the great miracles that occurred in Egypt, how did it effect there everyday life? Even if people saw miracles in front of their eyes, did it make them more into G-d fearing individuals? We would think so but the reality may be very different.
The reason is even after witnessing miracles if a person does not use that spiritual uplift to impact their lives and cause them to take stock and change, then what was its purpose? In our everyday life we have the ability to look beyond what is happening. This is because if we think about our daily events, we should be able to see G-d's hand in it someway.
It doesn't mean we always understand why things happen as we live in a world where G-d's ways are hidden but at the same time we can take stock of events and see the goodness that He does for us. This is not always an easy thing but He gives us the ability to grow from our trials and tribulations.
The thing we need to keep in mind is that when things happen to us that clearly shows Divine intervention at some level, we have to use that sacred time and allow us to benefit from it and grow spiritually. If we don't take advantage of that, it disappears quickly.
Yisro had the ability to internalize the message and it effected him to change. The thousands and millions who heard about it, did not get the message and therefore it didn't effect them. In recent history we have seen great miracles in the Jewish state of Israel just by all the rocket attacks and minimal death of civilians.
Even the secular media called it a miracle! The problem is that saying those words mean nothing if we don't get the message and internalize it and cause us to change. G-d does not have to change nature for us to see Him we just have to know how to look and take spiritual advantage!
Shabbat Shalom
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