14 Feb Yitro gets a vav and the Israelites get the Torah
Inspired by the teachings of Harav Yitzchak Ginsburgh and Rabbi Moshe Genuth
and the Mamre of The Rashab (1887)
It was in the merit of Yitro that made it possible for the Israelites to receive the Torah at Sinai. The influence of Yitro is why the Parsha is named Yitro. Yitro’s name was previously Yeter– יֶתֶר meaning ‘abundance and plenty’ until he acquired the addition of the letter Vav thus changing his name to Yitro – יִתְרוֹ .
In the beginning of Creation, when G-ds Infinite Light filled all reality, G-d’s contracted His Light (the tsimtsum) to fill the hollow empty space, as it were, the “place” necessary for the existence of finite worlds. Into this vacuum God drew down, figuratively speaking, a single line of light, from the Infinite Source. This ray of light is the secret of the letter vav. Though the line is singular in appearance, it nonetheless possesses two dimensions, an external as well as an internal force, both of which take part in the process of Creation and the continuous interaction between the creative power and created reality. Harav Y. Ginsburgh
Yitro became a master of many religions but ultimately found the greatest truth in Hashem. He had previously acquired 7 different names as he was associated as the master of 7 different religions.
The Torah is the connector of the infinite to finite. Yitro was able to connect to the infinity, the darkness or the concealed ‘nothingness’ beyond the reality of the source of the light and the revealed finiteness of this world and bring it into the applicable reality of this world . This can also be expressed as connecting to the ‘concealed’ that is outside time and space as we know it, and to bring it into the applicable reality inside time and space as we know it.
Yitro made the connection of the necessary ability ‘to receive’ from above as the power of the letter Vav does.
Yitro’s conversion ; the Vav, 6 and 22
Letter vav – 6 th letter aleph beit- 22nd letter of the Torah (as the 22nd last letter of the aleph beit TeT encompasses all the powers of all the letters and therefore all the powers of the Torah that is written with those letters). The Vav first appears in the Torah as the 22nd letter in the phrase ‘ G-d created the heavens and the earth’; V’et ha’aretz indicating the connection of heaven and/Vav earth and a single source of the act of Creation.
Something from Nothing(ness)
Where there are two sides to Chochma (Wisdom); one side as impure, the other side as Holy, Yitro was able to bring down from the side of Holiness which enables ‘connection’.
Other world philosophies and religions may view the concept of nothingness as an empty void. Not so in Judaism. Nothingness is a space filled with that which contains the power of Infinity, indefinable and unknowable in that state of existence.
Torah is the connection to the Infinite and nothingness through our service of body, mind and soul to bring G-dliness and the Torah into a worldly reality. Yitro made it possible to reach above to connect and bring do to reality the darkness of nothingness into a finite reality… something from nothing(ness).
When we connect t and transform the darkness to the light,… the concealed to the revealed… the mundane to the holy, we merit to receive an added measure of the powerful sparks of the concealed.
The power of our words create reality. It was Yitro’s words of sincerity and humility, of mind and heart that concretized his commitment to G-d merited his conversion and made it possible for all Israel to receive the Torah at Sinai; ‘I know that G-d is above every other force in the Universe.’
As Yitro was able to connect to the infinite above to connect to the reality below and vice versa, we also must be like Yitro; humble, sincere and honest in our pursuit of our tshuvah whether it be for our addiction and in all our affairs.
Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax
Addictions and Counseling
www.lawrencelax.com
lawrenceJlax@gmail.com
