JEWS AND GENTILES

This week, a remarkable encounter took place at Buckingham Palace. It was the final stage of a conference between Muslim and Jewish leaders that had started at Dumlanrig Castle in Scotland.  The summit culminated in the Dumlanrig Accord, a declaration promoting mutual respect and collaboration. Dr. Sayed Razawi, a senior Shia cleric, spearheaded the initiative, and King Charles invited the leaders to the palace to offer his blessing on the Accord. At a time when divisions often dominate the news, this meeting is a hopeful reminder that relationships can be built across religious differences.

This spirit of cooperation is reflected in our parasha, where Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, hears about the extraordinary events that have occurred with the Jewish people and chooses to join them in the desert.

The question arises: what specifically did Jethro hear that prompted him to make the journey from Midian to the Sinai desert? Rashi suggests that Jethro was inspired by the miracles that preceded this parasha—particularly the parting of the Red Sea and the defeat of the Amalekites. These key events in the Israelites’ journey would have surely reached Jethro. However, other commentators provide a different explanation. Upon Jethro’s arrival, he advises Moses on how to establish a more efficient judicial system. Instead of handling all cases himself, Moses should appoint lower and higher courts, allowing him to focus on the most serious matters.

This advice raises a question: what laws would Moses and the other judges be enforcing, considering the Torah is only given in the next chapter? These commentators conclude that the events in this parasha are not in chronological order and that Jethro’s advice came after the Torah had been given and was in the process of being implemented.

The medieval Spanish commentator, Ibn Ezra (1089-1167), asks why shift the chronological order? What message does the Torah wish to convey by placing the passage about Jethro’s arrival out of sequence? His answer sheds light on the Jewish perspective regarding our relationship with the world. The previous parasha ended with the attack by Amalek. This was completely unprovoked. The Israelites posed no threat to the Amalekites. They were not passing through their territory. Yet the Amalekites pounced, symbolizing the start of antisemitism—an irrational and baseless hatred. Ibn Ezra warns against assuming all non-Jewish nations are like the Amalekites. He points to Jethro as a counterexample. The Torah has deliberately inserted the passage of Jethro’s arrival out of sequence in order to emphasize this point. Despite being the high priest of Midian, Jethro left his prestigious position to join the Israelites in the desert, demonstrating that not all non-Jews harbour hatred for the Jewish people.

This lesson remains relevant today. The passage in the Haggadah, “Vehi She’amda,” teaches that in every generation there are those who seek to destroy the Jews. Yet we also know that there are gentiles who respect us and wish to connect with us. From Pharaoh’s daughter to the present day, we have had non-Jews who stood by us and supported us.

Jethro’s example, along with the recent blessing at Buckingham Palace, shows that while we face challenges, there are always opportunities to build friendships and foster understanding. Our challenge now is to continue nurturing and expanding these relationships for a more peaceful and collaborative future.