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Allusions in Jewish rabbinic literature to the Biblical character Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, contain various expansions, elaborations and inferences beyond what is presented in the text of the Bible itself.
One puzzle for the Talmudists was the difference in names presented at Numbers 10:29 and Judges 4:11, compared to Exodus 4:18: some thought that his real name was "Hobab" and that Reuel was his father; others thought that his name was "Reuel", interpreting it "the friend of God" (compare the view of some modern scholars, who hold that his name was "Reuel," and that "Jethro" was a title, "his Excellency"). [1]
According to Shimon bar Yochai, he had two names, "Hobab" and "Jethro". [2] It became, however, generally accepted that he had seven names: "Reuel", "Jether", "Jethro", "Hobab", "Heber", "Keni", [3] and "Putiel"; Eleazar's father-in-law (Exodus 6:25) being identified with Jethro by interpreting his name either as "he who abandoned idolatry" or as "who fattened calves for the sake of sacrifices to the idol". [4]
According to the Talmud, Jethro together with Balaam and Job was consulted by Pharaoh as to the means for exterminating the children of Israel; and as he dissuaded Pharaoh from his design, he was recompensed in that his descendants, the Rechabites, sat with the Sanhedrin in the Temple. [5] Jethro and Amalek were consulted by Pharaoh, and that both advised him to throw the male children into the river; but, seeing that Amalek was excluded from both this and the future life, [6] Jethro repented. [7] Some commentators maintain that when Pharaoh asked his advisors about how to go about outsmarting/exterminating Israel, Jethro promptly fled the scene while Job remained silent and Balaam suggested to enslave them.
R. Joshua and R. Eleazar of Modi'im disagree as to Jethro's position in Midian: according to one, the words kohen Midyan mean that he was the "priest [of] Midian"; according to the other, "prince [of] Midian". [8] Other sources state that Jethro was a priest. [9]
Jethro, having remarked that the worship of an idol was foolish, abandoned it. [10] The Midianites therefore excommunicated him, and none would keep his flocks; so that his daughters were compelled to tend them and were ill-treated by the shepherds. This, however, is in conflict with another statement, to the effect that Jethro gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses on condition that their first son should be brought up in the worship of idols, and that Moses swore to respect this condition. [11] However, commentaries explain this away by saying that the purpose of this was that he wanted his grandson to truly appreciate the foolishness of idolatry and that which led Jethro himself to abandon it and that Moses only acceded when he saw through divine inspiration that Jethro would end up releasing him of the vow anyway.
Whether Jethro went to the wilderness before or after the Torah was given, and consequently what it was that induced him to go to the wilderness, are disputed points among the ancient rabbis. According to some, it was the giving of the Torah; according to others, the crossing of the Red Sea dry-shod, or the falling of the manna. [12]
The manner in which Jethro announced his arrival to Moses is also variously described. According to Rabbi Eliezer, Jethro sent a messenger; according to Rabbi Joshua, he wrote a letter and tied it to an arrow which he shot into the camp. Moses did not go out alone to meet his father-in-law; but was accompanied by Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel to honor Jethro. Some say that even the Shekinah itself went out to meet him. [13]
The words vayihad Yitro (Exodus 18:9), generally translated "and Jethro rejoiced," are interpreted by the Talmudists as "he circumcised himself"; or "he felt a stinging in his flesh"; that is to say, he was sorry for the loss of the Egyptians, his former coreligionists. By an interchange of the ח with the ה, the phrase would read vayihad, meaning "he became a Jew". [14]
Jethro was the first to utter a benediction to God for the wonders performed by Him for the Israelites (Exodus 18:10); such a thing had not been done either by Moses or by any of the Israelites. [15] Jethro knew that God was greater than all the gods (Exodus 18:11), because he had previously worshiped all the idols of the world; [16] but at the same time he did not deny to idols all divine power. [17] According to Rabbi Joshua, Moses purposely sent Jethro away so he would not be present at the revelation of the Law. [18]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Jethro". The Jewish Encyclopedia . New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
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According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of Moses. Information about Aaron comes exclusively from religious texts such as the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Quran.
Aaron's rod refers to any of the walking sticks carried by Moses' brother, Aaron, in the Torah. The Bible tells how, along with Moses' rod, Aaron's rod was endowed with miraculous power during the Plagues of Egypt that preceded the Exodus. Later, his rod miraculously sprouted blossoms and almonds to symbolize God's choice of Aaron and his tribe for holy service.
Balaam, son of Beor, was a biblical character, a non-Israelite prophet and diviner who lived in Pethor which has never been located and is thought to be between the region of Iraq and northern Syria in modern day Kurdistan. According to chapters Numbers 22–24 of the Book of Numbers, he was hired by King Balak of Moab to curse Israel, but instead he blessed the Israelites, as dictated by God. Subsequently, the plan to entice the Israelites into idol worship and sexual immorality is attributed to him . Balaam is also mentioned in the Book of Micah.
Zipporah, or Tzipora, is mentioned in the Book of Exodus as the wife of Moses, and the daughter of Reuel/Jethro, the priest and prince of Midian.
In the Hebrew Bible, Jethro was Moses' father-in-law, a Kenite shepherd and priest of Midian, sometimes called Reuel. In Exodus, Moses' father-in-law is initially referred to as "Reuel" but afterwards as "Jethro". He was also identified as the father of Hobab in Numbers 10:29, though Judges 4:11 identifies him as Hobab.
Korah, son of Izhar, is an individual who appears in the Biblical Book of Numbers of the Old Testament and four different verses in the Quran, known for leading a rebellion against Moses. Some older English translations, as well as the Douay–Rheims Bible, spell the name Core, and many Eastern European translations have "Korak" or "Korey".
The Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael is midrash halakha to the Book of Exodus. The Aramaic title Mekhilta corresponds to the Mishnaic Hebrew term מדה middā "measure," "rule", and is used to denote a compilation of exegesis. Other important mekhiltas were those of Shimon bar Yochai and on Book of Deuteronomy. The latter work was also associated with Rabbi Ishmael's teachings.
Yitro, Yithro, Yisroi, Yisrau, or Yisro is the seventeenth weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the fifth in the Book of Exodus. The parashah tells of Jethro's organizational counsel to Moses and God's revelation of the Ten Commandments to the Israelites at Mount Sinai.
Sifre refers to either of two works of Midrash halakha, or classical Jewish legal biblical exegesis, based on the biblical books of Numbers and Deuteronomy.
Balak is the 40th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the seventh in the Book of Numbers. In the parashah, Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, tries to hire Balaam to curse Israel, Balaam's donkey speaks to Balaam, and Balaam blesses Israel instead. The parashah constitutes Numbers 22:2–25:9. The parashah is made up of 5,357 Hebrew letters, 1,455 Hebrew words, 104 verses, and 178 lines in a Torah Scroll.
Midrash Abkir is one of the smaller midrashim, the extant remains of which consist of more than 50 excerpts contained in the Yalkut Shimoni and a number of citations in other works. It dealt, according to all accessible evidence, only with the first two books of the Pentateuch.
The Yalkut Shimoni, or simply Yalkut, is an aggadic compilation on the books of the Hebrew Bible. It is a compilation of older interpretations and explanations of Biblical passages, arranged according to the sequence of those portions of the Bible to which they referred.
Sifre Zutta was a midrash on the Book of Numbers. Medieval authors mention it under the titles "Sifre shel Panim Acherim" and "Vi-Yeshallehu Zutta"; and to distinguish from it the Sifre, Or Zarua calls the latter "Sifre Rabbati."
Eleazar ben Perata I was a tanna of the third generation, junior contemporary of Eleazar of Modi'im and of Jose the Galilean.
Midrash Vayosha is an 11th-century CE midrash, one of the smaller midrashim. It is based on Exodus 14:30-15:18. It is an exposition in the style of the later aggadah, and seems to have been intended for Shabbat Shirah or for the seventh day of Passover.
Yalkut haMachiri is a work of midrash. Its author was Machir ben Abba Mari, but his country and the period in which he lived are not definitively known. Moritz Steinschneider says that Machir lived in Provence; but his date remains a subject of discussion among modern scholars. Strack & Stemberger (1991) say that the work was most probably composed in the late 13th or 14th century.
Allusions in rabbinic literature to the Biblical character Noah, who saved his family and representatives of all the animals from a great flood by constructing an ark, contain various expansions, elaborations and inferences beyond what is presented in the text of the Bible itself.
Discussions in rabbinic literature of the biblical character Moses, who led the Israelites out of Egypt and through their wanderings in the wilderness, contain various expansions, elaborations and inferences beyond what is presented in the text of the Bible itself.
Allusions in rabbinic literature to the Biblical character Jonah, the unwilling prophet on whom the Book of Jonah centers, contain various expansions, elaborations and inferences beyond what is presented in the text of the Bible itself.
Allusions in rabbinic literature to the Biblical character Job, the object of sufferings and tribulations in the Book of Job, contain various expansions, elaborations and inferences beyond what is presented in the text of the Bible itself.
