Yitro

Big Ideas:

• A person's position often affects the way in which that person is perceived.
• The way in which one understands the events at Sinai is fundamental to one's religious beliefs.
• Mainstream Jewish thinkers understand Sinai differently.

Some Questions:

• In chapter 18, almost every verse has a reference to Yitro.  In each case Yitro is identified as "Hoten Moshe", Moshe's father-in-law.  Do you have any thoughts about why this label is repeated over and over?  Wouldn't it be enough to identify him by name after the first time?
• How do you understand the event that occurred at Sinai?  What Jewish thinker shares your understanding?
• How does your understanding of Sinai affect the way you are Jewish? 

Learning Activities:

• Read chapter 18 carefully.  How many times is Yitro referred to as "hoten Moshe"?  How do you understand this?
• Find information that describes these Jewish thinkers' beliefs about revelation.
• Joseph Soloveitchik
• Abraham Joshua Heschel
• Eugene Borowitz
• Mordecai Kaplan

Assessment:

• Choose one of the people you learned about and prepare a presentation for the rest of the group explaining why this understanding of revelation is meaningful for you.
• Create a chart that compares and contrasts the various ways in which Jews understand the events at Sinai
• Find evidence in the popular culture of the world around you that a person's position affects the way in which he or she is heard and understood.  Who do we listen to?  Who do we ignore?