Voices of WRJ: Yitro

by Karen Goldberg The focus of this week's Torah portion, Yitro, is the revelation at Sinai: a defining moment in the foundation of the Jewish people. According to midrash, all of Israel was present at Mount Sinai when the Torah was given, and thousands of years later, the commandments given at Sinai still inform how we live today—teaching us to be moral and just in a world filled with immorality and violence, to be kind and compassionate while so many others are unkind and indifferent. We may ask, why was the Torah given to the Israelites at this particular point in time? And how do we as modern Reform Jews continue to stand ready to receive Torah as if we were at Sinai ourselves? How do we keep ourselves open to spiritual growth? Let's look at the beginning of the Torah portion. Yitro comes to visit his son-in-law Moses, who is struggling with the task of establishing a government for his people. Since the Exodus from Egypt, Moses has worked as magistrate, serving as intermediary between the people and God, day in and day out. “Why do you act alone, while all the people stand about you from morning until evening?” Yitro asks Moses. “The thing you are doing is not right; you will surely wear yourself out, and these people as well.” Yitro advises Moses to delegate authority to trusted judges who will seek his counsel only in the most difficult cases. Yitro is concerned not only for Moses but for the people as well. Justice must be made more accessible. Moses cannot be their exclusive mediator. Instead, Moses must learn to train a generation of religious leaders. Moses heeds Yitro's words, establishing a fair and equitable human justice system and society that is more powerful as a whole and much more a part of every person in its administration. It is this process of education and creating structures of position for people in the community that ultimately sets the stage for revelation—of a nation worthy to receive the gift of Torah. Yitro's advice is something we all can learn from. When we delegate, we become open to new ideas and inspiration. We step back from the busyness of doing all the work and give ourselves time to reflect and learn. We also give our helpers a chance to develop new skills or tackle new kinds of assignments. We show respect for the talents that others possess and we learn better ways of doing things. By meaningfully involving other people in our projects, we build trust, motivation and commitment. Effective delegation is essential for leadership development and succession. It's how we continue to grow and make our organizations stronger. It's how we build personal relationships that allow us to feel God's presence as we do our daily work in our congregations and communities, our families and households, and in our efforts to improve the world. I am reminded of my own experience with Women of Isaiah. The strength of our sisterhood is created not through a single leader but through a shared vision of many women working together. No one person is capable of doing everything. I'll admit that learning to delegate is a skill I'm still working on. It's not because I don't think anyone else can do my jobs. I just like the work I'm doing. Sometimes I'm afraid to ask for help. I don't want to look like I can't do the work and I don't want to burden others. But as Yitro teaches us, learning to delegate effectively is an important part of being a leader. Through experience, I have learned that when I share tasks with other women in my sisterhood, it's not only easier for me but in doing so I build connections and relationships with my sisters that make all of us stronger and happier. These are the women who support me, challenge and inspire me, and help me grow. When we share our sacred work, we learn from each other. We're more mindful of God's presence as we strive to do good in our world—for our sisterhood, our temple, and our community. We truly are "Stronger Together." Yitro teaches Moses that he cannot be open to revelation if he is mired down with trying to handle all the work himself. I wonder, if Yitro came to each of us in his wisdom and observed the course of our days, if he had a chance to watch how we balance the things in our lives, what he might say to us. Are we making time to be present—for our own needs and the needs of others? Or are we mired down in the tasks at hand, out of balance with our personal and spiritual needs? Perhaps he would advise us to slow down and share our burdens with others. Perhaps he would tell us to focus less on career and prestige and instead take time to enjoy things we like to do, to cultivate our own special talents and creativity, opening ourselves up anew to spirituality and revelation, to being holy and living a life of Torah. Sometimes we must let go in order to grow. When we are given leadership roles in our sisterhoods and communities, we need to be humble and learn to ask for help, to share our burdens and encourage others to step up and become part of the sacred work we hope to accomplish. By doing so, we give ourselves room to grow and we enable others to grow and develop leadership skills and creative capabilities. We help each other find balance and climb to new and greater heights. We recognize that we need each other to form a complete and healthy community, a moral and just society. And when we all work together and acknowledge the gifts that each one of us brings to the joint effort, we, like our ancestors at Sinai, become ready and worthy to receive the gifts of Torah. Karen Goldberg is a new member of the WRJ Board. She is a Women of Isaiah past president in Lafayette, CA and continues to be an active member of the WOI leadership team. She also is a member of the Temple Isaiah Board of Directors Executive Committee.