This post is dedicated in memory of Shlomo ben Aryeh Zalman. May it be an aliyah for his neshama
-By Elisheva Maline
Yisro happens to be one of two non-Jews to have a Parsha named after him (the other was the evil king of Midyan, Balak but that's another story). This merit of Yisro's didn't come from being an awesome father-in-law to Moshe. He was a truth seeker and whether one is Jewish or not, Torah Judaism has nothing but the highest respect for those who leave no stone unturned.
Let's take a peek into Yisro's background. Before Yisro ran away from Egypt to become high priest in Midyan, he was one of Pharaoh's top advisers. However, when Pharaoh starting turning up the heat on Bnei Yisrael's bondage, Yisro abandoned ship. His actions spoke louder than words. Perhaps this is why he merited becoming Moshe's father-in-law.
Yet why did he have a Parsha named for him? According to Rabbe Nachman of Breslov, Moshe's father-in-law was famous for coming from a place of total spiritual obscurity to a stark revelation of Hashem. Like Goldilocks trying her luck on the varying porridge temperatures in the bears' cottage, Yisro tried every religion the times had to offer. Nothing felt quite right though. Then, he heard about the miracles, "about all the things that Hashem had done for Moshe and the Jews, that He had taken Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt" (Exodus 18:1). Yisro rushed out of Midyan to greet his son-in-law and his brand new nation; what was all the fuss about? Who was this people that G-d felt such strong love for? The fact that Yisro went out to see shows us the crucial step one needs to take in order for growth to happen. He didn't just listen to the rumors, he went to verify them. When Yisro greeted Moshe in the desert, Moshe related the story of Exodus. The Midyanite priest was blown away. in the desert wasteland, thousands of years ago, a man came face to face with truth. "Judaism is the way to go."
Since he was already a Ben Aliyah, someone who strove for growth all the days of his life, one could almost say that Yisro was destined to convert. When he did reach a conclusion, his timing was also spot on. He had met up with Moshe immediately prior to the Sinai Event.
Look for Truth and don't stop until you find it. You will arrive at a Sinai moment that will completely alter your view on life. Don't worry about the timing, G-d's got it covered.
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