There are only a few Parashiot in the Torah that are named after someone. We have Parashat Noach, Yitro, Balak, and Pinchas. While we understand why Parashat Noach, Balak, and Pinchas are named after those people, Parashat Yitro is not so clear. In Parashat Noach, the Torah discusses the world-changing flood and Noach’s survival of it. The same is true about Parashat Balak, as the central story there is how Balak tried to kill all of Am Yisrael, and about Parashat Pinchas, in which Pinchas’ great act of zealotry that stopped the deadly plague amongst Am Yisrael is found. The story of Yitro, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be so important, especially when compared to the giving of the Ten Commandments that is discussed in that very same Parasha.
To understand the answer, we must first know who Yitro is. When Moshe fled to Midyan from Pharaoh after killing the evil Egyptian, he married Yitro’s daughter. Yitro was the high priest in idol worship, and he served all the idols. While Moshe went back to Egypt, Yitro took care of Moshe’s wife and his two children — Yitro’s daughter and grandchildren.
Now Am Yisrael left Egypt and they are in the Sinai desert. Yitro seeks to reunite the family, and the Torah dedicates a portion of the Parasha to discuss this. But, when Yitro comes to Moshe, he doesn’t just come as a guest, he gives Moshe some advice and rebuke on how he conducts his system of judging Am Yisrael.
This whole story took place prior to Maamad Har Sinai, and it looks like it has a strong connection to Maamad Har Sinai, especially according to the commentators that hold that this story took place after Maamad Har Sinai. Nevertheless, the Torah decided to bring this story beforehand.
The Arizal says that Yitro is a reincarnation of Cain, and that’s why one of his seven names was Kini. Moshe Rabbeinu was a reincarnation of Hevel. Cain and Hevel didn’t get along. We all know that Cain killed Hevel, but why? He had the entire world to him. Why does he have to kill his brother
The answer is his jealousy drove him to kill his brother. He saw that HaShem accepted his brother’s offering, but not his. Moshe Rabbeinu and Yitro came to the world to fix this sin, and they did so. Moshe and Yitro had tremendous respect for each other as we see Yitro went all the way to the desert to reunite Moshe with his family. Yitro did not care what others said. Even though he was such a prominent figure in idolatry, he realized it was wrong and left it. Then asked his son-in-law to teach him in order to convert.
We also see that Moshe was extremely respectful to his father-in-law. He didn’t just respect him as a host, but actually changed the entire judicial system following his advice. That’s why this Parasha is named after Yitro, and why it is written before the giving of the Torah. It is to teach us that Derech Eretz Kadmah LaTorah. We don’t have to agree, but we have to learn to listen to each other, respect each other, and to have patience with each other. Only then can we accept the Torah. As Rebbi Chaim Vital beautifully explains it in his book Etz Chaim, our soul is divided into two levels: First is our human character traits, which Rebbi Chaim Vital calls the lower part of the soul. Second is the intellectual level. This second level is the Torah, but beforehand we must fix the first level of our Midot and Derech Eretz.
May we all thrive in our relationship with those around us, and with our spiritual relationship with HaShem, Amen.
Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Tal