Living Parashat Yitro: Hearing G-d’s Voice in a World of Noise
- Rebbetzin Hannah Miryam Bejarano-Gutierrez
- Feb 4
- 4 min read
Rebbetzin Hannah Miryam Bejarano Gutierrez
-When the World Finally Listens
Parashat Yitro is not only the parashah of Matan Torah—it is the parashah of listening. Before a single word of the Ten Commandments is spoken, the Torah introduces us to a man whose greatness lies in his ability to hear. Yitro, a non-Jewish priest, hears about Yetziat Mitzrayim, hears about Amalek, hears about the miracles—and he moves.
The Torah tells us:
“וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ… אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱלֹקִים”
“Yitro heard… all that G-d had done.”
(Shemot 18:1)
Many people heard the same news. Entire nations trembled. But only Yitro transformed what he heard into action, humility, and truth.
For Jewish women—especially in a world overflowing with voices, demands, and distractions—Parashat Yitro asks a deep and intimate question: What do we truly hear? And even more—what do we allow to shape our lives?
-Why Does the Torah Bear Yitro’s Name?
The Zohar (Zohar II, 67b), a foundational source in the Sephardic tradition, raises a striking question:
Why is the parashah of the Torah’s revelation named after Yitro, and not Moshe, Aharon, or Bnei Yisrael?
Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (Ramak), one of the great Sephardic mekubalim, explains that Torah can only be revealed where humility and openness exist. Yitro represents the soul that is willing to leave behind honor, status, and certainty in order to stand before truth.
Yitro had everything:
* Honor as a religious leader
* Intellectual sophistication
* Social standing
Yet he arrives in the desert with humility and says:
“עַתָּה יָדַעְתִּי כִּי גָדוֹל ה׳ מִכָּל הָאֱלֹקִים”
“Now I know that Hashem is greater than all powers.”
(Shemot 18:11)
The Ibn Ezra, a classic Sephardic commentator, explains that Yitro’s declaration is not philosophical—it is experiential. He knows because he is willing to change.
For Jewish women, this is a powerful message: Torah does not require perfection—only honesty.
-A Woman’s Role in Preparing the World for Torah
Before Matan Torah, Hashem commands Moshe:
“כֹּה תֹאמַר לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב וְתַגֵּיד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל”
“Thus shall you say to the House of Yaakov, and speak to the Children of Israel.”
(Shemot 19:3)
Rashi, following Midrash Mechilta, explains:
* “Beit Yaakov” refers to the women
* “Bnei Yisrael” refers to the men
Rabbi Ovadia Sforno, a towering Sephardic sage, explains that women are addressed first because they transmit values through daily life, not speeches.
Women prepare the emotional and spiritual atmosphere where Torah can live. Without that environment, even revelation cannot endure.
This is not symbolic—it is practical. The Torah was not given in a synagogue, but in a family camp. The home was the first Beit Midrash.
-The Desert: Why Torah Is Given in a Place of Nothing
The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 1:7) teaches:
“The Torah was given in the wilderness to teach that whoever makes themselves like a desert—humble and open—can receive Torah.”
Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai (the Chida), one of the most beloved Sephardic authorities, explains that the desert represents a space free of ownership, ego, and noise.
Jewish women today carry immense responsibility. Schedules are full, expectations are heavy, and silence is rare. Parashat Yitro reminds us that Torah enters where there is inner space.
Even a few quiet moments—lighting candles, whispering a tefillah, speaking gently—create desert-like holiness.
-The Ten Commandments: Relationship Before Law
In Sephardic tradition, the Aseret HaDibrot are not called commandments alone, but dibrot—expressions, communications.
Rabbi Saadia Gaon (one of the earliest Sephardic sages) teaches that the Ten Commandments encompass the entire Torah, divided between:
* Our relationship with Hashem
* Our relationship with people
And yet the first statement is not a command at all:
“אָנֹכִי ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ”
“I am Hashem your G-d.”
(Shemot 20:2)
Before Hashem tells us what to do, He tells us who He is to us.
For women—often conditioned to give endlessly—this is radical. Torah begins with relationship, not obligation. You are seen. You are chosen. You are loved—before you perform.
-“Do Not Ascend with Steps”: The Dignity of Modesty
At the end of the parashah, Hashem commands:
“וְלֹא תַעֲלֶה בְמַעֲלֹת עַל מִזְבְּחִי”
“Do not ascend My altar with steps.”
(Shemot 20:23)
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch is often cited here, but the Sephardic approach, brought by the Ramban (Nachmanides), emphasizes tzniut as inner dignity, not external restriction.
Hashem is teaching that how we approach holiness matters as much as what we do.
For Jewish women, this verse affirms that modesty is not about hiding—it is about honoring the sanctity of presence, movement, and intention.
-Fear That Brings Closeness
When the people recoil from the thunder and fire, Moshe reassures them:
“אַל תִּירָאוּ… בַּעֲבוּר תִּהְיֶה יִרְאָתוֹ עַל פְּנֵיכֶם”
“Do not fear… for in order that His awe be upon you.”
(Shemot 20:17)
Rabbi Yosef Albo, a Sephardic philosopher, explains the paradox:
There is a fear that pushes away—and a fear that draws close.
Jewish women often experience the second kind: awe mixed with love, responsibility infused with tenderness. That is the yirah the Torah desires.
-Becoming a Living Sinai
Parashat Yitro does not remain in the desert. It follows Jewish women into kitchens, workplaces, carpools, and quiet bedrooms at night.
Every woman who chooses:
* Integrity over convenience
* Faith over fear
* Gentleness over noise
* Becomes a living Mount Sinai.
You do not need thunder. You do not need fire.
You only need a heart that listens.
And when a Jewish woman listens deeply—the world hears Torah again.
Sources
Chumash Shemot with Ramban, Ibn Ezra, Sforno
Zohar II, Parashat Yitro
Rabbi Saadia Gaon, Emunot veDeot
Chida, Nachal Kedumim
Mechilta d’Rabbi Yishmael
Bamidbar Rabbah
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