Based on “Parsha Pshelt”
Shmos 18,1: “And Yisro, the minister of Midyan, heard all that HaShem did to Moshe and to Yisroel, His people; that HaShem took Yisroel out of Mitzrayim.”
The Pasuk says that Yisro heard all that HaShem did for Moshe and Klal Yisroel. We are presumably speaking about Klal Yisroel leaving Mitzrayim, and all the miracles that occurred on their behalf before they left and after they left. The miracles happened for Klal Yisroel, and Moshe Rabbeinu being part of them.
What is the Posuk referring to when it says that “HaShem did for Moshe?”
The following Divrei Torah will expound on this topic:
Devarim Rabbah 2:29 – The day after Moshe killed a Mitzri, he went out and saw Dasan and Aviram fighting with each other. Dasan began ridiculing Moshe and said to Moshe, “Do you intend to murder me as you murdered the Mitzri?” Dasan and Aviram went to tell Paroah that Moshe killed a Mitzri. When Paroah heard that Moshe killed the Mitzri, he said, “I have heard many things regarding Moshe’s conduct and I have remained silent, however now that it has reached to the point of bloodshed, capture him! Moshe needed to flee, for Paroah decreed that he be captured and killed. How did Moshe escape? Rebbe Yannai said: Moshe was captured, and at the time of his planned execution, the executioner approached Moshe to place the sword upon his neck. Moshe’s neck turned into marble, and the sword was blunted and slipped off his neck. (It says in the Medrash Tehillim that the sword broke upon touching Moshe’s neck). Rebbe Avyasar said that not only did Moshe’s neck turn to marble, but when the executioner placed the sword on Moshe’s neck to kill him, the sword bounced off of Moshe’s marble neck and killed the executioner. Bar Kapparah gives another explanation as to how Moshe was saved: A Malach came down from Shomayim that looked like Moshe, and the Mitzriyim thought that the Malach was Moshe. They captured that Malach, which allowed Moshe to flee without being chased. Rebbe Yehoshua gives another explanation that all of the law experts of Paroah were incapacitated: Miraculously, some of them became mute, others became deaf and others became blind. Being that they were all incapacitated, Moshe was able to flee.
Yafes Toar Devorim Rabbah 2:29 – Paroah said that he heard many things about Moshe, but now that he heard that he killed a Mitzri, he must be captured and killed. What did Paroah hear before this incident of the murder of the Mitzri? The Medrash in Shemos tells us what happened when Moshe was a young child in Paroah’s palace. Moshe removed the crown from Paroah’s head and placed it on his own head. Paroah’s advisors warned Paroah that this was a sign that one day Moshe would usurp the throne. They therefore told Paroah that Moshe should be killed immediately. Paroah initiated a test where there was gold and hot coals, and asked Moshe to choose one. Moshe wanted to choose the gold, but a Malach came down and pushed his hands into the hot coals, and this alleviated Paroah’s concerns, for he said that Moshe is a just a young foolish child, who happened to take off the king’s crown and place it on himself. Additionally, Chazal tell us that when Moshe became an adult, he went to see how his brethren, Klal Yisroel were faring. When he saw the harsh labor they endured, he would assist them with their tasks in order to take some of the load off them. This too was a potential sign that he had ambitions of becoming the leader of Klal Yisroel. Paroah had been warned about these deeds, yet he did not act on them.
Perush Mahzav Devorim Rabbah 2:29 – Paroah said that he heard many things about Moshe, but now that he heard that he killed a Mitzri, he must be captured and killed. What did Paroah hear before this incident of the murder of the Mitzri? Dasan and Aviram had been slandering Moshe to Paroah for quite some time prior to this. However, Paroah ignored all of their claims, until they told him that Moshe killed a Mitzri, at which time Paroah said enough, and that Moshe must be captured and killed.
Aderes Eliyahu Shmos 18:4 – “And the name of one of them (one of the two children of Moshe Rabbeinu) was Eliezer, for the G-d of my father came to my aid, and He saved me from the sword of Paroah.” Tehillim 118:7 “HaShem is with me through my helpers; therefore, I can face my foes.” When a miracle is done for one in the Zechus of another person, the one that miracle occurs for is not Zoche to see the miracle. However, if the person himself has the Zechus for the miracle to occur, then he is Zoche to actually see the miracle. When HaShem does a miracle for me – in my Zechus, then I am Zoche to actually see the miracle. Meaning that I will actually be Zoche to see the downfall of my enemies. Over here, regarding Moshe Rabbeinu, Chazal tell us that Moshe was caught by the Mitzriyim, and they tried to chop off his head. A miracle occurred for him, and his neck turned to marble, so that he was not injured. Then another miracle occurred for Moshe that he was somehow able to escape the Mitzriyim and run away. The glaring question is why didn’t Hakodosh Boruch Hu just make the second miracle, of Moshe being able to escape? Why make a special fantastical miracle, of Moshe’s neck turning to marble when they tried to kill him? Additionally, we know that Hakodosh Boruch Hu generally minimizes miracles, and makes them look as much of a part of nature as possible. If so, why did Hakodosh Boruch Hu perform this miracle of Moshe’s neck turning into marble, which is completely out of the realm of nature? Moshe Rabbeinu had many Zechusim, and he was Zoche to be saved in his own Zechus, and not due to Zechusim of anyone else. Moshe was entitled to see the miracle occur for him with his own eyes. Hakodosh Boruch Hu had the servants of Paroah capture Moshe Rabbeinu, and have him brought to be killed. They tried to kill him with a sword, but miraculously his neck turned to marble and they were unable to harm him. This was apparent to all as a miracle, and Moshe was able to see first-hand this miracle that was performed for him, in his Zechus. Had Moshe been able to miraculously escape, that would not have been apparent that it was a miracle, and Moshe would not have been able to clearly see that a miracle occurred for him. Moshe was saying that he was Zoche to be saved with his own Zechusim, and not others. It doesn’t say, that Moshe was saved from Paroah, rather it says that Moshe was saved from the “sword” of Paroah, that he was Zoche to see the miracle of his being saved from the sword: namely that the sword was on his neck and his neck turned into marble and could not harm him.
Mahari Stife Shmos 18:1 - Why does the Posuk begin with the Shem Elokim, the Midas Hadin of Hakodosh Boruch Hu, and ends with the Shem Havayah, which is the Midas Harachamim of Hakodosh Boruch Hu? Hakodosh Boruch Hu deals with the Creation in two ways, through miracles, above nature and through “nature” which are miracles cloaked in nature. All must know that it is all from Hakodosh Boruch Hu. The miracle form comes from the Shem Havayah, for Hakodosh Boruch Hu encompasses everything, and thus can alter nature to His whim. The Shem Elokim is what rules nature. In Mitzrayim, both of these forms were recognized, and Paroah denied both of them. Paroah said, “who is this HaShem” – why should I listen to Him. However, Yisro did understand and recognize that both the nature, which is the Shem Elokim, and the miracles, which is the Shem Havayah were and are all Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Rashi says that Yisro “heard” the miracle of Krias Yam Suf, which was the Shem Havayah, and he also “heard” about the battle of Amalek, which was a miracle cloaked in nature – the Shem Elokim; it was all Hakodosh Boruch Hu. This is what brought Yisro to join Klal Yisroel.
Mahari Stife Shmos 18:1 – Yisro may have thought that Hakodosh Boruch Hu took Klal Yisroel out of Mitzrayim, and severely punished the Mitzriyim, for He wanted revenge of Mitzriyim for the evil he inflicted upon Klal Yisroel. There were many Makkos in Mitzrayim, which culminated in a final electrifying feat, of Krias Yam Suf. Klal Yisroel were freed and revenge was taken out upon their captors. Moshe Rabbeinu told Yisro that it was not so, the purpose was not just so that there would be revenge against the Mitzriyim, and that Klal Yisroel would be freed. The purpose of all of it was Matan Torah. Everything that Hakodosh Boruch Hu did to Paroah and Mitzrayim was all for the sake of Klal Yisroel, for they are His nation, and He wants to take care of them. He wanted to give them the most precious gift in the world, the Torah Hakdosha. “Yisro heard from Moshe about “everything” that Hakodosh Boruch Hu did for Moshe and Klal Yisroel – it was all done for the sake of Moshe and Klal Yisroel, and thus Yisro wanted to join them.
Benyahu - Zevachim 116a – The Gemara is telling us that Yisro didn’t just “hear” with his ears, rather it means that he had a hearing of understanding. That is why Chazal use a double Loshon of, “עמש העומש” meaning that he did not just hear on the surface, but had a deeper level of hearing – understanding. The Torah tells us that Yisro was a “ןידמ ןהכ” because he was in a position of authority and power, he was privy to much information. He knew all the details of what occurred on the side of Klal Yisroel and on the side of Mitzrayim. The Torah then tells us that in addition to him being the he was also the father-in-law of Moshe, and was therefore was Zoche to understand that which may be hidden from others. Yisro heard everything, internalized, and then came to proper conclusions about what he heard. He recognized that Hakodosh Boruch Hu is the Ruler of the world, and thus Yisro chose to join Klal Yisroel.
Shu”t Tashbatz 2:223 – Why does Rashi tell us that Yisro heard about Krias Yam Suf and Milchemes Amalek, when the Torah tells us explicitly, “ לארשי תא 'ד איצוה יכ םירצממ” – because HaShem took Klal Yisroel out of Mitzrayim? The Posuk says, “השע רשא לכ תא” – that Yisro heard all that occurred to Klal Yisroel. Certainly, Yisro did not actually hear everything, all the details, rather when the Posuk is telling us that he heard about everything, it refers to the major events which occurred. Rashi tells us that aside from Klal Yisroel actually leaving Mitzrayim, as the Posuk tells us, the two major events were Krias Yam Suf and Milchemes Amalek.
Mahari Stife 18:1 – What did Yisro hear that made him want to join Klal Yisroel? Gittin 56b – Titos the wicked, Yemach Shemo, said that Hakodosh Boruch Hu only has power on the water. Perhaps Yisro could have erred and thought so as well. However, Yisro heard about Krias Yam Suf and about Milchemes Amalek – one on water and one on dry land, he knew that Hakodosh Boruch Hu’s power had no limitations, and he knew that He was the Absolute Ruler of the world. This caused him to want to join Klal Yisroel.
Rashbam 18:1 – What did Yisro hear about what HaShem did for Moshe? Yisro heard that Moshe was raised in the palace of Paroah, yet was never harmed there. Hakodosh Boruch Hu raised Moshe right in front of Paroah and his servants, and He protected him from them. It was this very Moshe, who was raised in front of Paroah, who would be the one through whom the miracles would occur in Mitzrayim, and lead Klal Yisroel out of Mitzrayim.
Now we can understand what the Pasuk refers to when stating all that Hakodosh Boruch Hu did for Moshe Rabbeinu. Moshe was raised in the palace of Paroah, right under the nose of all the leaders of Mitzrayim, yet he was not harmed. Even more amazing, is the miracle that Hakodosh Boruch Hu performed for Moshe when Paroah was informed that he killed a Mitzri. Not only did Hakodosh Boruch Hu perform a hidden miracle, that he was able to escape from the Mitzriyim, but He performed an open miracle, when the executioner attempted to chop off Moshe’s neck, Moshe’s neck turned to marble and they could not harm him. This was a clear open miracle that Moshe was Zoche to see with his own eyes, for it was in his own Zechus that he was Zoche to have this miracle performed. Yisro saw how exact Hakodosh Boruch Hu is in everything He does, and how He takes care of His people. Yisro wanted to join Klal Yisroel, and be a part of Hakodosh Boruch Hu’s people. It was not only what occurred for Klal Yisroel as a whole, but also for what occurred to Moshe Rabbeinu. May we be Zoche to acquire Zechusim for ourselves so that we are saved from all evil.
