Rabbah Arlene Goldstein Berger
This week’s Torah portion is Yitro: Exodus 18:1 – 20:23
As I’ve been reading the Book of Exodus, I’ve been reflecting on the phrase “seeing is believing” and whether it holds true. While seeing can be a powerful tool for belief, we know it is not always enough. We witness things and still struggle to believe them.
Skepticism is often necessary, as recent years have shown us. Yet, sometimes, even when confronted with truth, our minds refuse to accept what our eyes perceive. We see this in Pharaoh’s reaction to the plagues. He personally experiences their devastation, yet it takes 10 plagues — each worse than the last — before he acknowledges God’s power. Even then, his belief is fleeting, and he quickly reverts to denial.
In contrast, this week’s Torah portion, Yitro, presents an entirely different model of belief.
The first verse states:
“Yitro, priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, how the LORD had brought Israel out from Egypt.” (Exodus 18:1)
Yitro heard — he did not see or experience firsthand — but he believed. The sages tell us that Yitro was not just a priest but the high priest of Midian, knowledgeable about all the gods of that time. What made him believe in this one God?
According to Rashi, the key lies in the phrase “all that God had done” — which includes the manna, the provision of water in the desert, the defeat of Amalek, the splitting of the Red Sea and, according to some, the giving of the Torah. But the most significant phrase comes at the end: “how the LORD had brought Israel out from Egypt.”
The word “hotzi” (brought out) is crucial. The song Dayenu proclaims, Ilu hotzi hotzianu mi-Mitzrayim, dayenu! — If God had only taken us out of Egypt, it would have been enough! Or HaChaim, an 18th-century commentator, explains that God did more than just take the Israelites out geographically. Legally and socially, they were still slaves. By pressuring Pharaoh and ensuring the Egyptian army perished in the sea, God removed any claim of ownership over them. They were truly free.
Pharaoh saw and experienced yet did not believe. Yitro neither saw nor experienced but heard — and that was enough for him to believe.
Some years ago, I had the privilege of storytelling to a local Jewish kindergarten class. I shared the story “Does God Have a Big Toe” by Marc Gellman. In the story, a girl asks everyone in her family if God has a big toe. No one knows, so they ask the king, who orders a tower built to reach God and check. The story draws from the Tower of Babel narrative.
After reading, I discussed the story with the children. At first, they were curious and amused — “Does God have a big toe?” But the discussion deepened: “Does God even have a body?” One child confidently said, “God is invisible.” Another asked, “Why were they even looking for parts of God’s body? Didn’t they know God doesn’t have one?”
These 5- and 6-year-olds have neither seen nor fully experienced, yet they have heard — and they believe. Pharaoh saw, yet did not believe. Yitro heard, believed and then acted on his belief. He stepped in to assist Moses by improving the lot of the Israelites through a more streamlined legal system.
We live in a world saturated with news, both real and false. We are constantly bombarded with information from all sides. Newspapers (paper or virtual), blogs, television, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X and too many more to list.
In our complex world, what is the relationship in our life between seeing, hearing, experiencing and believing? Do our traditions help us navigate uncertainty?
May we all be granted the ability to hear with discernment, see with clarity and remain open to the possibilities that life presents.
Rabbah Arlene Goldstein Berger is rabbi of Shirat HaNesh in Chevy Chase, Maryland. She is also a community chaplain and life cycle officiant.
