I became a rabbi because I love my people, our tradition, our Torah, and our God. Loving my people does not mean I turn my back on any other people; the boundaries between Jews and non-Jews have perhaps never been thinner than at any other time in our history. Yet, when we look to our Torah, we see that Israelites and non-Israelites have a robust history of collaboration and fellowship. This epic Torah portion – in which we receive the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai – is named after Moses’ father-in-law, Yitro, a Midianite priest.

When Yitro learns of the leadership structure his son-in-law has established, in which people line up to seek Moses’ counsel alone from morning until night, Yitro responds (Exodus 18:17-18):

וַיֹּאמֶר חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵלָיו לֹא־טוֹב הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹשֶׂה׃ נָבֹל תִּבֹּל גַּם־אַתָּה גַּם־הָעָם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר עִמָּךְ כִּי־כָבֵד מִמְּךָ הַדָּבָר לֹא־תוּכַל עֲשֹׂהוּ לְבַדֶּךָ׃

But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing you are doing is not right; you will surely wear yourself out, and these people as well. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.”

Yitro instructs Moses to appoint trustworthy judges from the people to share the load and settle minor disputes, effectively transforming the leadership structure to be more decentralized and egalitarian. It is incredible to me that a non-Israelite could weigh in on matters not only civil but also religious, given that Moses is the key intermediary between the God of our Torah and the Israelites. As a rabbi, I am amazed at the robust, deep, and thoughtful contributions non-Jews have made in the Base Denver community.

Perhaps the wisdom of naming this portion after Yitro reminds us that truth and guidance can come from unexpected places, and that listening across boundaries strengthens rather than weakens our commitments. The Torah itself models a humility of being rooted in our tradition while remaining open to wisdom from beyond our borders.

Who is your Yitro? What person in your life who offers you counsel outside your usual circle, and how might their perspective help you see your own tradition or life more clearly?