Yisro תרל”ח

במדרש רעך ורע אביך א”ת כו’.
The Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 27:1) On the words “And Yisro heard…”; Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father. And if you do, know that you shall not enter the house of your brother.
כי אם הי’ בכחן של בנ”י להתמשך לגמרי אחר מעשה האבות הראשונים אשר כל מעשיהם היו בדביקות עליון עד שהאבות הן הן המרכבה. ובנ”י היו מוכנים לזה אחר יצ”מ וקי”ס. והי’ ניתקן כל העולם כמ”ש שמעו עמים ירגזון.
This means that if Bnei Yisrael were able to completely follow the actions of their forefathers, whose entire actions were with complete connection to HaShem, for they themselves were the “chariot of the presence of HaShem”. Now Bnei Yisrael were actually prepared for this level, after the exodus from Mitzrayim, and the splitting of the sea, and the entire world was repaired, as our sages taught: The nations heard and trembled…”
אך ע”י החטא שכ’ ברפידים שרפו ידיהם וניטל מהם אותו הדביקות. ואז אם עזבת תן דעתך כו’ שמיד ויבא עמלק.
However due to their sin in Refidim, where they had a weakening of their hands (from the Torah), this connection was removed from them. And then the pasuk continues: “If you forsake Him, then do not enter…”, this was the events of “Amalek came…”
והיו צריכין עצות איך לעמוד נגד הסתרות ע’ אומות בעוה”ז. מאחר שנפלו קצת מדביקות שלמעלה מהטבע כנ”ל.
They now needed different methods to withstand the hiddenness from the 70 nations in this world, (Bnei Yisrael were now affected by the nations of the world) because they had fallen somewhat from their original connection, of above nature. as above.
והשי”ת הזמין להם שמיעת יתרו אשר ביטל כח האומות במה שהכיר ואמר עתה ידעתי כו’. ואיתבר ואיתכפיא. והי’ תבירא לסט”א כמ”ש בזוה”ק.
(To combat this) HaShem sent Yisro: “And Yisro heard”, who with his hearing managed to nullify this power of the nations of the world. (Yisro said) “Now I know”, this was a breaking and subjugation of the negative forces, as the Zohar explains (2:68a,b) (All the nations heard about these events yet it was only Yisro that took it to heart and changed).
לכן נאמר עליו עשית חסד עם כו’ בנ”י בעלותם ממצרים כו’ ע”ש:
This is the meaning of the pasuk (Shmuel 1:15:6) You have done kindness with Bnei Yisrael when you took them from Mitzrayim. See the pesukim there.
(The Keini were descendants of Yisro).

2
ובמדרש ה’ עוזי ומעוזי כו’. פי’ לבד כי הש”י עוז לבנ”י כמ”ש עזי וזמרת יה. אך גם זאת אשר הם מתחזקים ומתאזרין בו ית’. הם ג”כ בעזר עליון.
The Midrash on the pasuk (Yirmiya 16:19) “HaShem is my strength and stronghold”. This means that besides for the strength that HaShem gives Bnei Yisrael, as it states “He is my strength and I praise Him”, there is another element and that is that the fact that they Bnei Yisrael are able to get the strength and power, is also due to the help of HaShem.
(that HaShem brings them to Him to gain that strength *)
וז”ש עוזי ומעוזי כלומר מה שאני מחזיק במעוזך גם זה מאתך.
This is the meaning of the double expression “my strength and stronghold”. To connect to Your power is also from You. (This means that even when we hold onto HaShem and get strength from Him, that ability to hold on, is also from Him!)
ולכן הש”י נתן לבנ”י התורה שנק’ עוז. שע”י דרך התורה ומצות יכול אדם להתדבק בכח עליון. לכן נק’ התורה עוז.
It is for this reason that HaShem gave Bnei Yisrael Torah which is called עוז – strength. For it is through the way of the Torah and the Mitzvos that one is able to connect to the power Above. This is why the Torah is called עוז (for it gives us the ability to connect to Him).
והנה באמת בנ”י מצד עצמם מוכנים להתדבק בבחי’ עזי וזמרת יה שהוא דביקות עליון ממש בלי עצות תורה ומצות והוא בחי’ האבות כנ”ל. ה’ עוזי.
Now Bnei Yisrael in their own right even without the Torah and Mitzvot are prepared to be completely attached to HaShem. This is the level of the Avos, the idea of “HaShem my strength”.
אמנם הש”י רצה לזכות כל העולם באמצעיות בנ”י. ולכן הי’ סיבה שיהיו בעוה”ז ושיתדבקו במעוזם ע”י התורה ומצות כנ”ל. כדי שעי”ז יתקרבו גם הרשעים (האומות).
However (the reason why it was necessary to give us the Torah) was that being that we are in this physical world, Bnei Yisrael as a whole, are able to uplift the entire world, that theywill be able to connect to HaShem. This is through מעוז – the stronghold.
וז”ש ומעוזי כו’ אליך גוים יבאו.
This is the meaning of the pasuk “…He is my stronghold, to You nations will come”. (It is because of the second level that we are able to affect the nations of the world.
וכ”כ שמן תורק שמך ע”כ עלמות כו’.
So too it says in the Midrash based on the pasuk in Shir Hashirim “The sweet fragrance of your annointments…therefore do maidens love you”
(The Midrash elaborates that before the Torah was given there was just the “fragrance”, very few mitzvot were given at all – 6 to Noach, a few to Avraham etc. Nevertheless they followed HaShem)
פי’ שע”י כח תורה ומצות שמביאין הארה גם במעשים גשמיים. עי”ז מריחים אנשי אמת שבאומות ג”כ כח הקדושה ומתגיירין:
The meaning is that through the power of the Torah and the Mitzvot, they give light to physical actions. And it is through this that people of truth are able to smell the fragrance and the power of holiness, and convert.

3
במדרש עלית למרום שבית שבי.
The Midrash on the pasuk (Tehillim 68:19) “You went up on High, and took a captive”. (This refers to Moshe ascending to Heaven and bringing down the Torah.
כי עיקר שכינה בתחתונים. נמצא מה שהתעכבה התורה למעלה. הי’ נק’ שבי.
This is because the primary dwelling of HaShem is below, and therefore the Torah being held in Heaven was actually a captive in Heaven! And therefore it is called a captive.
ועתה חזר מרע”ה והחזיר התורה לתחתונים. כמו שהי’ מוכן להיות מתחילת הבריאה.
Yet now Moshe had returned and brought the Torah down to those below, as was originally planned at the beginning of creation.
והנה התורה מוכן לבנ”י כאשר הם מתוקנים. כי התורה היא דרך אמת והנהגה אמיתית. לכן כשבנ”י עומדין במדריגת האמת. הם מוכנים ממילא לתורה.
Now the Torah is there for Bnei Yisrael when they are repaired properly. For the Torah is the path of truth, and the true direction. Therefore when Bnei Yisrael are holding at the stage of truth, then they are automatically prepared to receive the Torah.
וז”ש בלקיחה ניתנה לו. אף שהיא מתנה. מ”מ כך נברא העולם. שע”י תיקון המעשים שיש לתחתונים דבקות בשורשן. ממילא התורה ניתן להם במתנה.
This is the meaning of “It was given to him (Moshe) through taking”. Now, even though the Torah is a gift, however the world was created in such a way that it is only through the repairing of the actions of mankind, that they have a connection to their source. Therefore it is considered a gift.
(By aligning themselves up properly we are automatically gifted the Torah)
לכן ע”י תשובה זוכין לתורה. וז”ש עלית למרום שהוא בחי’ תשובה. ולכן ניתנה תורה בשבת כמ”ש במ”א:
Therefore it is through teshuva that we merit to receive the Torah.
This is the meaning of “You went onHigh” which is the idea of teshuva.
It is also the reason why the Torah was given on Shabbos, as we have written elsewhere (see Korach תרל”ה).

4
זכור את יום השבת לקדשו.
Remember the Shabbos day, to sanctify it
שע”י הזכירה ניתוסף קדושה לשבת.
This teaches us that through remembering the Shabbos it adds more holiness
פי’ שורש השבת מאוד נעלה. אבל כפי מה שזוכרין בנ”י ושומרין עצמם כל ימי השבוע מכל טומאה ודבר רע כדי שיהיו מוכנים לקבל השבת בטהרה. עי”ז יכולין להמשיך שורש הקדושה ליום השבת שבעוה”ז ממש.
The explanation is as follows: The source of Shabbos is very elevated. However in as much as Bnei Yisrael “remember” the Shabbos day, and guard themselves in the days of the week from any impurity and negativity, so that they well be able to receive the Shabbos with more purity, this draws down the holiness of Shabbos literally into this world.
ואיתא כבדהו בכסות נקי’. כי שורש נשמה יתירה שיש לכל איש ישראל בשבת צריך גוף קדוש וטהור שהוא הכסות והמלבוש לרוח הנשמה שבקרבו.
Our sages taught that we honor the Shabbos through wearing clean clothing. This means that the source of the extra soul that every one of Yisrael receives on Shabbos, requires a holy and pure body, which is the cover and clothing for the spirit of the soul that is within him.
ובאמת זה תלוי בימי המעשה כמ”ש ש”י תעבוד ועשית כל מלאכתך המוטל עליך. ואז ויום השביעי כו’ אעפ”כ כשבא שבת ואדם משתוקק לקבלו בטהרה. אז ברגע א’ כאילו מלאכתך עשוי’ כמ”ש רש”י:
In truth this is really dependent on the days of the week. As the pasuk says: Six days you shall work and do all your work (one needs to feel as if all of one’s work is really complete). (i.e.) Everything that is your responsibility. Then on the Seventh day…(it is a Shabbos for HaShem), that whatever happens when Shabbos comes, one must yearn to receive it with purity. By doing so, in that one moment it is as if “All your work is complete”.
(It is through preparing oneself from all the unholiness of the days of the week, and the yearning to receive Shabbos properly that one truly “completes” all one’s work).