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Why does the Torah (תורה) describe Pinchas's lineage through 'Putiel' - referencing Yisro who 'fattened calves for avodah zarah' - when the tribes used this same term to mock him? Building on the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s understanding of Avrohom's spiritual journey, Yisro's idol worship represented sincere truth-seeking, systematically investigating every belief system before rejecting it. His thoroughness in 'fattening calves' showed complete commitment to testing each path, making this lineage a source of praise rather than shame.
Rabbi Greenberg begins by examining Moshe Rabbeinu's marriage to Tzipporah and the Midrash's account that Yisro made a deal with Moshe to raise their first son for avodah zarah. This raises two fundamental questions: why would Moshe agree to such a condition, and why would Yisro, who was pursuing Moshe as a son-in-law, make such a demand? The shiur then focuses on this week's parsha, which describes Elazar's wife as being 'from the daughters of Putiel.' Rashi (רש"י) explains that Putiel refers to both Yisro, who 'fattened calves for avodah zarah,' and Yosef, who overcame temptation with Potiphar's wife. The Torah (תורה)'s use of this term becomes problematic when we see that the tribes later used 'ben Putiel' as a derogatory term to mock Pinchas, questioning how someone whose grandfather fattened calves for idol worship could kill a prince in Israel. Rabbi Greenberg addresses the apparent contradiction: if the tribes used this term disparagingly, why does the Torah itself use the same terminology to describe Elazar's wife? He resolves this through a fundamental reframing of Yisro's character. Drawing on the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s understanding of Avrohom Avinu's spiritual journey, Rabbi Greenberg explains that just as Avrohom served idols from age three to forty while genuinely searching for truth - and this entire period is retroactively considered service of Hashem (ה׳) ('V'Hashem beirach es Avrohom bakol') - so too Yisro's idol worship was part of his sincere quest for ultimate truth. Yisro wasn't a fickle person jumping between beliefs, but rather a serious seeker who systematically investigated every known form of worship, rejecting each one after thorough examination. When he met Moshe, Yisro had already 'separated from avodah zarah' - not by accepting monotheism, but by rejecting all the false belief systems he had studied. His condition about raising Moshe's son wasn't for idol worship per se, but rather his way of saying he wanted the opportunity to raise the child according to whatever truth he would eventually discover. The term 'fattening calves for avodah zarah' reveals Yisro's thoroughness - he didn't serve casually but threw himself completely into understanding each belief system, ensuring he gave each one the best possible test. Rabbi Greenberg concludes that the Torah's description of Elazar's wife as 'from the daughters of Putiel' is actually praise, not criticism. Just as it was a virtue that she descended from Yosef who overcame temptation, it was equally a virtue that she descended from Yisro who conducted such a thorough and sincere search for truth. Pinchas, who saved all of Israel from the plague, came specifically from this lineage - not despite his connection to Yisro, but because of it. The Torah teaches us that Yisro's 'fattening calves for avodah zarah' represents the highest form of spiritual seeking, making it a source of pride rather than shame.
Parshas Vaeira - genealogy of Moshe and Aaron
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