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Why does the Torah (תורה) repeatedly call Yisro "Kohen Midian" when he lost that position 60 years earlier? The shiur argues that the eser makkos repudiated idolatry worldwide, vindicating Yisro's early stance and restoring his position. The dual title "Kohen Midian" and "chosain Moshe" reflects two perspectives: international relations and family benefit, shaping how Yisro viewed events and advised Moshe on community responsibility.
Rabbi Zweig opens with a striking textual anomaly: the Torah (תורה) identifies Yisro as "Kohen Midian, chosain Moshe" in Parshas Yisro, yet Rashi (רש"י) in Parshas Shemos tells us Yisro was excommunicated and expelled from his position as Kohen Midian 60 years earlier for rejecting idolatry. Why does the Torah use a title he no longer holds? And why does Rashi later describe Yisro as sitting "b'chvodo shel olam" (in worldly honor) when he had been cast out? The shiur establishes that "Kohen Midian" does not mean priest of Midian's idolatry, but rather political leader or prime minister—a public servant of the nation. Rashi at the end of Parshas Vayigash explains that the word "kohen" generally means priest, but in two cases (Kohen On and Kohen Midian) it means servant of that place, i.e., a political leader.
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
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, Shemos 18:1-24
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