1) The Rishonim (Ramban, Seforno, Rabbeinu Bechayeh and others) learn that this seudah was a bris seudah, Yisro just performed bris milah on himself, and he was making a bris seudah in honor of the bris. From the Gemara in Sanhedrin (94a and Rashi d.h cherev) it’s clear that Yisro gave himself a bris milah, by passing a sharp sword over himself.
The Chasam Sofer asks: Surely the pasuk should have said, “Yisro invited/called Aharon and the elders to come and eat bread”, why is the pasuk written in a way that seems to imply that they came on their own accord, uninvited? (See Chasam Sofer for an answer b’derech pilpul).
According to the Rishonim that learn that this was a bris seudah, we can understand very well why Yisro never invited anyone. The Rema (Hilchos Milah, 265:12) brings from Tosfos, that a bris seudah is a seudas mitzvah, and anyone who doesn’t partake gets excommunicated from Shomayim. Based on this, the Pischei Teshuvah brings from the Be’er Heitev that they would tell the town gabbah not to invite people to a bris seudah if they had no interest in coming, in order to avoid them from getting excommunicated.
Based on the above, we can understand why Yisro never invited Aharon and the elders of Klal Yisroel. Yisro was worried that they may not be able to come, and they would end up getting excommunicated from Shomayim, therefore, he never invited them.
Regarding the question of where Yisro got so much bread from, Rabbeinu Ephraim in his commentary Al HaTorah writes: “Yisro was very wealthy, and he brought from his house – lots of bread to the Midbar, and the elders of Yisroel ate with him to give him respect, additionally, they had a great desire to eat bread (as it had been a while since they last ate bread, as they were living off the mon).”
How Can We Say that the Kedoshei Elyon (Holy Elders of Klal Yisroel) Had a Desire for Bread?
Perhaps we can explain based on something the Arvei Nachal (Parshas Shlach) writes. He writes: “Klal Yisroel in the Midbar would buy bread off the non-Jewish merchants in order that they could recite a birchas hanhenin”. According to this, we can explain that the elders of Klal Yisroel desired to recite the berachah of “Hamotzi” and to recite Birchas HaMazon on bread, as it had been a long time since they did this. Their great desire was for the berachos associated with eating bread, and not the bread itself. (Pikudecha Dorashti)
2) The Pirkei D’Rebbi Eliezer (Perek 46) writes that Maamad Har Sinai and everything incredible that went on when Klal Yisroel received the Torah took a grand total of just three hours. At chatzos [midday] they received the Torah, and by the ninth hour of the day, the already returned to their tents. It comes out that Kabbolas HaTorah took just three hours.
As to why it was so quick, the Hagoas Radal (ois 3) explains that this is the Pirkei D’Rebbi Eliezer leshitosoi [according to his own opinion] who holds that the Torah was given on erev Shabbos. Therefore, Hashem didn’t stretch the giving of the Torah past nine and a half hours into the day, as people needed to get ready for Shabbos. Like we find in Pesochim (50b): “One who does work on erev Shabbos and Yom Tov from Mincha time and on won’t see any blessing forever”, and Rashi explains: From Mincha time and on – nine and half hours into the day.
Based on this we can bring a mekor [source] to the Rema (Orach Chaim 251:2) who writes: “A person should learn slightly less on erev Shabbos, in order to prepare for Shabbos”. Just like the proceedings by Matan Torah were kept short so that people could prepare for Shabbos, similarly, every erev Shabbos one should shorten his learning, to take care of the necessary preparations for Shabbos.
The Hagoas Radal suggests a second reason for why things were kept short. According to many Rishonim, we were commanded with the mitzvah of tefillah on Har Sinai, and the Rambam (Hilchos Tefillah, Perek 6) says that we interrupt Torah for tefillah, therefore, Hashem had to stop Matan Torah by nine hours into the day so that Klal Yisroel could at least daven Mincha by the zeman of mincha ketanah.
The Hagoas Radal suggests a third reason. He says that the Torah was given “with great light” and after nine hours into the day it already starts getting dark, therefore, Hashem made sure to finish by nine hours into the day.
The sefer Nefesh Kol Chai (Ma’areches 40, ois 66) writes that it’s important to know which time of day the Torah was given, as presumably these hours every single day are mesugal for learning torah, and one who learns in these hours will experience extra berachah with his learning. (Mostly from Otzar Pelois HaTorah)
3) When Shimon did what he did with the knife, he wasn’t hinting to the monkey to do anything, rather, the monkey due to its nature to copy – did it on its own accord.
There is a similar shailah, if one is allowed to pretend to turn on a light on Shabbos in front of a monkey, if the monkey will then go and actually turn on the light?
R’ Moshe Sternbuch (Teshuvos V’Hanhagos 3:101) was asked about using a trained clever monkey belonging to a non-Jew to do melachah on Shabbos.
R’ Moshe answered: Even if the monkey doesn’t belong to a Jew, there is still a prohibition of mechamer (causing animals to work on Shabbos), and we find in the Kadmonim that mechamer is worse than shevisas behemtoi (the obligation for one to rest his animals on Shabbos), as one violates mechamer even if an animal simply hears ones voice and does a melachah (see Avodah Zorah 15a). If the monkey belongs to a Jew, then one violates both mechamer and shevisas behemtoi.
The above is regarding a clever monkey, however, the story we mentioned from the Sefer HaBris is talking about a regular monkey who by nature copies (but hasn’t been trained). Therefore, perhaps this case is different and would be allowed?
However, the Hisorarus Teshuvah (4:34) rules that even by a regular monkey, it is forbidden to do an act in front of the monkey, if it will cause the monkey to do a melachah on Shabbos. (For example, to carry a chatzi shiur on Shabbos from one domain to the next, if the monkey will copy and carry the full shiur).
4) The Shu”t HaRosh (Klal 15, siman 6) says that it makes no difference if the older brother is from the mother’s side or from the father’s side, if in the end of the day he is older, the younger brother must respect him. The Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah 240:22) rules accordingly: “One is obligated to respect his older brother, whether he is his brother from the father’s side, or from the mother’s side”.
However, R’ Yonasan Eibshutz (Ya’ares Devash Vol. 2, Derush 12 pg. 210, or in some versions pg. 296) writes an incredible chiddush. He writes: The reason Chazal learn the obligation to respect an older brother from the pasukואת אמך , is because it applies specifically to the older brother from the mother’s side. The reason being: If the older brother would have caused the mother harm at childbirth, then the younger brother may have never been born. Therefore, just like he respects his father and mother as they brought him into the world, similarly, he must respect his older brother from the mother’s side as he allowed him to be brought into the world. However, the above doesn’t apply to an older brother from the father’s side, therefore, there is no need for one to respect an older brother from just the father’s side. However, the Achronim (Hagoas Rav Pik on Yaares Devash, and Shu”t Pri HaSodeh Vol. 3, siman 171) already point out, that this is against the Shulchan Aruch.
What About Twins?
If twins are born a few minutes apart from each other, is the younger one obligated to respect the older one? The Shu”t Pri Sodeh (Vol. 3, siman 171) writes, that according to the Yaares Devash there is no obligation in such a case, because even if the older brother who was born first would ruin the womb of the mother, the younger twin is still very likely to survive. Once he has already made it through the pregnancy stage it is very likely that he will stay alive, even if something chas vesholam happens to the mother.
However, we already said above that we don’t pasken like the Yaares Devash, therefore, it would seem that even by twins the younger one must respect the older one. Even according to the Yaares Devash, the Pri Sodeh suggest that there may be a lo plug (i.e. we don’t make any distinctions, and we keep all cases the same).
