Yitro 5774

“You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people who are with you, for the matter is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. Now listen to me. I will advise you and the L-rd will be with you.” (Shemot/Exodus 18:18-19)

Yitro (Jethro), Moshe’s (Moses’) father-in-law, observes that Moshe alone serves as judge and advisor of the Jewish nation. He recognizes that if Moshe continues doing this important and time-consuming job on his own, he will very soon exhaust himself and render himself ineffective as a leader. Yitro thus advises Moshe to delegate his authority, to appoint others to share his heavy burden.

Rabbi Aryeh Leib Lopiansky in Shabbos Delights notes that Talmud (Sanhedrin 17a) states that if a prophet is overworked he will lose his ability to receive prophecy. He writes: “Yitro was warning him [Moshe] that he must reduce his workload or else Hashem [G-d] will not be with him, since Hashem will not communicate with anyone who is not in the proper frame of mind.”

As parents, our important work never ends and is always a tremendous burden. We must be aware of our limitations. If we overextend or over schedule ourselves, we may experience burnout and will not be able to parent effectively.  We should therefore try to find reliable people with whom we can share some of our responsibilities. (Rabbi Zelig Pliskin in Growth Through Torah)

Yitro 5772

In this week's parsha, the Jewish people receive the Ten Commandments, one of which is "Remember the Shabbat (Sabbath) day."

How do we fulfill the mitzvah to remember Shabbat?

Remembering Shabbat means more than merely not forgetting to observe Shabbat when it comes each week. It means keeping Shabbat in mind and remaining aware of it all week long. The Hebrew language contains a tool to help us accomplish this: what we call the days of the week in Hebrew expresses their relationship to Shabbat. Sunday is Yom Rishon, the first day to Shabbat; Monday is Yom Sheni, the second day, and so on until we reach the seventh day, which Torah names Shabbat.

Naming the days by number helps us to remember that G-d creates the heavens, the Earth and its inhabitants in six days. It helps us to recall that G-d distinguishes the seventh day from the rest of the week not only by stopping creation on that day and by resting, but by giving the day a special name.

Even when we do mundane activities such as shopping, we should have Shabbat in mind. In the course of our daily errands and duties, if we come across something special that would beautify or enhance our Shabbat, or make our Shabbat memorable, we should purchase it and put it aside for Shabbat. Many children associate oneg Shabbat (the joy of Shabbat) with the eating of sweets and treats served exclusively on Shabbat.

We should remember to arrange our busy schedules and to utilize our weekday time efficiently so that we can refrain from even thinking about work on Shabbat, and thus can take time to rest and refresh ourselves on Shabbat.

As parents, our work is never done – there will always be more to do at the office as well as at home. Remembering Shabbat frees us from the temptation to work continually and allows us to stop and appreciate our accomplishments when Shabbat arrives.