Could Yitro's wisdom help Kimonti, and help us all build a more just society?
Last week, in our Torah reading cycle, we followed the Israelites as they left Egypt, crossed the sea, and celebrated in song on the other side. This week, the Torah's narrative pivots quickly to take up a brand new question: how might a group of people exist -- independent, free, in the wilderness -- in peace? We see, in Parashat Yitro, the first building blocks of a just society.
Yitro (Jethro in English) is, of course, the title character, and also Moses's father-in-law. He shows up at the beginning of Exodus 18, escorting Moses's wife and two children back to him (another interesting story for another time), and immediately spots a problem. Yitro's questions and suggestions contain so many strands of wisdom, that I'd like to pick them apart:
1) First, Yitro observes Moses and immediately asks: "madua atah yoshev l'vadecha" - "why are you sitting alone?" A few verses later, he pronounces: "lo tov ha-davar asher atah oseh," "this thing that you are doing is not good" (see verses 14 and 18 of the chapter linked above). Before he even understands exactly what Moses is doing and why, Yitro can see that the very act of going it alone -- of shouldering a burden or tackling a challenging task solo -- is problematic. (Yitro's critique of Moses here echoes God's observation to Adam in the creation story: "lo tov heyot ha-adam l'vado," "it is not good for a human to be alone" - Gen. 2:18.) We learn from Yitro that it is best to tackle challenges in the company of others, in community.
2) Second, Moses explains to Yitro that what he's observing is that the Israelites are bringing him disputes and questions, and he is sharing God's teachings and laws in order to resolve these disputes. From this conversation, it becomes clear that the realm they are discussing is judicial. From here, we learn that one primary building block of a just society is an effective system of justice. (Later in this week's parasha, we'll arrive at the Ten Commandments, and next week in Mishpatim, dozens of other laws follow. It is significant that even before any of these laws have been stated, the Torah insists that there must be an organized judiciary and ways to adjudicate cases.)
3) Yitro is clear that Moses not only needs support, but needs the right kind of support. He makes the point that it is critical to identify ethical individuals to join Moses in this work: "strong people, God-fearers, people of truth who hate corruption" (see verse 21). If a society is to pursue justice, people must engage in the system for the right reasons and act in good faith.
Putting all of these points together, the bottom line is that Yitro instructs Moses that the way to make things easier on himself and also to create a better society is by establishing a judicial system that is fundamentally collaborative and ethical. If Moses can do so, Yitro promises, the outcome will be that "all the people will go to their places in peace" ("v'gam kol ha-am ha-zeh al-m'komo yavo v'shalom," verse 23).
The ancient themes that Yitro addresses are ever-relevant. So many of the top national and international news stories of this very week -- from courtrooms and government chambers across the U.S., to the E.U., to the UN court in the Hague -- have centered precisely around questions about collaboration, justice, and impartiality. The outcome of this year's presidential election may have everything to do with what has happened in -- and is happening / will happen in -- court-rooms.
Sometimes justice feels like a very lofty goal, and far out of our personal control. But, during this time of the year, while the legislative session is underway in Olympia, each and every one of us has the opportunity to participate in trying to build a more just society right here in the State of Washington.
For a number of years now, Kavana has been part of conversations around restorative justice; our participation in these efforts initially grew out of my participation in a clergy group of local Black Christian and Jewish faith leaders. Next Wednesday, Feb 7th, has been designated the third annual Multifaith Coalition for Restorative Justice Advocacy Day. In virtual/Zoom meetings with our legislators, we will focus on issues ranging from solitary confinement to juvenile points to sentence enhancements... all with the ultimate goal of helping to guide our legislators pass legislation so that judges can then adjudicate cases in a way that is maximally fair.
Many of you probably recall our screening of Gilda Sheppard's beautiful film Since I Been Down and the story of Kimonti Carter that I shared in a Yom Kippur sermon a couple years ago. Kimonti was freed from life in prison in 2022, but now prosecutors want to send him back (click here to read the Seattle Times article about this). One of the bills our coalition is supporting has the potential to help Kimonti and dozens of others; at question is whether it is fair for juveniles to receive mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole. Your voice can make a difference.
I love that this multi-faith advocacy event is grounded significantly in the wisdom Yitro shares with Moses. 1) He teaches that it is best to tackle challenging tasks in the company of others, and indeed, this activity is born out of years of relationship-building and coalition work. 2) Yitro points out the centrality of the justice system to our efforts to build a just society; this advocacy day hones in on legislation pertaining to a narrow slice of restorative justice issues because it understands the role the justice system plays is a key lever of power in trying to achieve the much broader goal of racial justice in our society. 3) Yitro insists that Moses choose partners who are ethical individuals and effective leaders; this coalition indeed brings together an awesome array of incredible people, each grounded significantly in their own ethical values and/or religious beliefs. If you're able to get involved, please click here for the full schedule and relevant Zoom links, here to learn more about this year's bills and talking points, and here to register if you'd like to be part of a lobbying team in your district.
May this -- and truly, all the work we undertake together -- ultimately lead our community and our society towards (in the language of Parashat Yitro) "places of peace."
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum
