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What motivated Yisro to convert, and why does he experience both joy and pain at the splitting of the Red Sea? Through a Midrash on Parah Adumah and the names of Moshe's children, the shiur develops that Torah (תורה) created a revolutionary shift: before Sinai, God related to the world as Master demanding service; after Torah, He becomes totally committed to the Jewish people, acting from their perspective. A convert uniquely embodies both relationships—explaining the dual mitzvah (מצוה) to love a ger.
The shiur opens with a Midrash Rabba on Parshas Chukas stating that when Moshe ascended to Heaven, he saw Hashem (ה׳) learning the laws of parah adumah in the name of Rabbi Eliezer. Moshe prayed that this Rabbi Eliezer should be from his descendants, and Hashem agreed, referencing Moshe's son Eliezer mentioned in Parshas Yisro. Rabbi Zweig asks: what is the connection between Moshe's son Eliezer and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus who lived thousands of years later? Why does the Torah (תורה) interrupt the narrative of Yisro to mention the names of Moshe's children, which were already born in Parshas Shemos? And why does Parshas Yisro appear before Matan Torah when much of it—especially the story of the judges—clearly occurred afterward? The core question revolves around understanding Yisro himself. On one hand, he is described as the paradigmatic convert, someone whom the Rambam (רמב"ם) says we must love like God Himself. Yet Yisro needed spectacular miracles—the splitting of the Red Sea and the war with Amalek—to motivate his conversion. Furthermore, when Moshe recounts what happened to Egypt, Rashi (רש"י) offers two interpretations of "vayichad Yisro": either he rejoiced, or he felt like knives were piercing him—meaning he was pained. How could the destruction of the wicked Egyptians cause pain in this great convert? And what is so praiseworthy about Yisro's declaration "Baruch Hashem" and "now I know that Hashem is greater than all the gods"? The shiur notes that Rashi explains Yisro knew this through comparison—he had served every idol. Yet Dovid HaMelech says the same thing; did he also serve every idol?
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Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Parshas Yisro
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What is the primary purpose of the cities of refuge - protecting the accidental killer or something else? The shiur argues that creating respect for law takes precedence over providing sanctuary. True deterrence comes from recognizing the gravity of murder itself, not fear of punishment.
