Chronology – Shemot 18/3

Chronology – Shemot 18

Points of Dispute

These are some of the central points of dispute (נקודות המחלוקת) between the various exegetes:

• Approaches regarding chronological order or lack thereof:
  • There is achronology ("אין מוקדם ומאוחר"):
    • Literary reasons for the achronology – to preserve topical order:
      • To introduce the story – Josephus. According to this position, only the two verses of 19:1-2 are achronological, they are just one chapter removed from when they happened, and there are no dual accounts of the same story.
      • To complete the story ("להשלים העניין") – Tosafot, Akeidat Yitzchak, Abarbanel, Shadal. According to these opinions, only the final few verses are out of order, they occurred chronologically in a different book, and they are repeated in their chronological place.
      • To maintain topical continuity ("לא להפסיק העניין") – Rashbam. He says that all of Chapter 18 is out of order and belongs chronologically later in the same book, there are no dual accounts of the same story. See also Chizkuni.
    • Homiletical reasons for the achronology – to show parallels and contrasts:
      • Chapter 18 stands in contrast to the preceding chapter – Ibn Ezra (consistent with his general approach), Radak Shofetim 1:16, Tosafot, Cassuto. According to them, all of Chapter 18 belongs chronologically in a different book, and parts of the story are repeated in a second account.
      • Chapter 18 has parallels to the following chapter – Ralbag. According to him also, all of Chapter 18 belongs chronologically in a different book, and parts of the story are repeated in a second account.
  • There is chronological order:
    • Literary motivations – Ramban is consistent with his general approach that the Torah tells stories in chronological order.
    • Homiletical motivations – Pesikta DeRav Kahana posits chronological order which enables the derivation of a moral lesson from the order of the events.
• Where was the nation when Yitro arrived?

  How do we interpret "into the wilderness where he was encamped at God's mountain" ("אֶל הַמִּדְבָּר אֲשֶׁר הוּא חֹנֶה שָׁם הַר הָאֱ-לֹהִים")? Who is the "he" ("הוּא")?

  • Where is the comma – after the word "wilderness" or after "encamped" (i.e. was "he" encamped in "the wilderness" or "at God's mountain"? See also the Biur and Shadal for discussions of the alternate versions of the cantillation on the word "wilderness" and their impact on the punctuation of the sentence.
    • The entire nation was already at Mount Sinai – Josephus, Rashbam, Ibn Ezra.
    • Only part of the nation and Moshe were at Mount Sinai – Abarbanel.
    • Only Yitro stopped at Mount Sinai on his way to Rephidim (and perhaps Moshe met him there) – Ramban.
    • "God's mountain" refers not to Mount Sinai, but rather to the mountain upon which Hashem appeared and provided water in Shemot 17:6 – opinion cited by R. D"Z Hoffmann 18:5.
  • Why is it called "God's mountain"?
    • The revelation at Sinai had already occurred – Ralbag.
    • The Torah refers to places according to how they were later known – Sifre Devarim 22, Targum Onkelos Shemot 3:1, 18:5, Abarbanel.
    • Mount Sinai was known to have a Divine presence even prior to the Decalogue – Josephus.
    • Because of its magestic size – one opinion in Shadal Shemot 3:1 – see here for the meanings of ‎"א-להים"‎.¹
    • Hashem appeared there and provided water – opinion cited by R. D"Z Hoffmann 18:5.
• What does to "eat... before God" ("לִפְנֵי הָאֱ-לֹהִים") mean?

  See Yitro's Sacrifices and the term א-להים.

  • Lifnei haElohim means in front of a specific place where there was a Divine presence:
    • Moshe's personal tent (mentioned a few verses earlier in 18:7) – Ibn Kaspi 18:12, one option in Ralbag 18:12. Also see note below regarding Ibn Ezra.
    • The pillars of cloud and fire which housed God's presence – R. Bachya 18:12.²
    • The Tabernacle – R. Saadia 18:8-21, Ibn Ezra Long Commentary 18:12,³ Cassuto 18:12.
    • An altar where sacrifices were offered before the building of the Tabernacle – R. Yosef Bekhor Shor Shemot 16:34, Abarbanel 18,⁴.
    • A designated place for thanksgiving and prayer – Akeidat Yitzchak 43.
    • Mount Sinai – perhaps the second option in Ralbag 18:12.
    • The burning bush – Josephus Antiquities 3:3:1 (64).
  • "Eating before God" is an expression which has a special meaning:
    • Partaking of sacrifices – Shadal 18:12.⁵
    • Partaking of a meal in the presence of sages (in this case Moshe) which is analogous to benefitting from the Divine presence – Bavli Berakhot 64a, Rashi 18:12.⁶
    • Partaking of a covenantal meal made before God – R. D"Z Hoffmann 18:12 – see Purpose of Yitro's Visit and Yitro's Sacrifices.
• What are "the statutes of God and His laws" ("חֻקֵּי הָאֱ-לֹהִים וְאֶת תּוֹרֹתָיו")?
  • Laws given at Mount Sinai – Rashi, Rashbam, Ibn Ezra.
  • Laws given at Mara – Akeidat Yitzchak, Abarbanel.
  • Laws given on an ad hoc basis – Ramban, Shadal.
• Relationship of the appointments of judges in Shemot 18 and Devarim 1:
  • Are they the same story?
    • Shemot 18 = Devarim 1
      • Both happened in the first year – Ramban, Ibn Kaspi.
      • Both happened in the second year – Ibn Ezra, Akeidat Yitzchak, Abarbanel, Malbim.
    • Shemot 18 ≠ Devarim 1 – Shemot 18 happened in the first year and Devarim 1 in the second year – second possibility in Ibn Kaspi.
  • In Shemot 24:14, Before Moshe ascended Mount Sinai, he designated Aharon and Chur to substitute for him so that "whoever has a matter can go to them." Which of Moshe's roles were they supposed to fill?
    • To judge the people, as Yitro's advice was not implemented until the second year – Ibn Ezra, Reggio 18:24.
    • To deal with the matters that were too difficult for the previously appointed judges – R. Saadia cited in Ibn Ezra's Short Commentary, Ramban.⁷
  • What do the words "at that time" ("בעת ההיא") in Devarim 1:9 mean?
    • Before the events in the preceding story, i.e. in the first year – Ramban, Ibn Kaspi.
    • After the events in the preceding story, i.e. in the second year – Ibn Ezra, Cassuto.
• Relationship of Shemot 18 and Bemidbar 10:29-33

  Are Yitro and Chovav the same person? How many times did Yitro come? Did Yitro ultimately remain with the Children of Israel or not?

  • Yitro = Chovav:
    • Yitro came twice:
      • Yitro came in the first year and left in the second year (Shemot 18 = Bemidbar 10), but then returned again (as his descendants are with the Israelites in Shofetim 1) – R"E HaModai in Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Yitro Amalek 2 according to Ramban,⁸ Akeidat Yitzchak.⁹
      • Yitro came in the first year (Shemot 18), departed before the Decalogue, returned in the second year (Bemidbar 10), and then remained with the Children of Israel – Ramban, Peirush HaRosh.
      • Yitro came in the first year (Shemot 18) and again in the second year (Bemidbar 10) and returned to Midyan on both occasions. According to this possibility, Yitro came to visit in the first year as soon as the Children of Israel set up camp at Mount Sinai, as Midyan was in close proximity (see Shemot 3:1). He then came again in the second year to bid farewell upon hearing that the nation was about to leave the region and begin their journey to the land of Israel.
    • Yitro came only once (Shemot 18 = Bemidbar 10) and did not remain with the nation:
      • Yitro came and left only in the second year – Ibn Ezra, Cassuto.
      • Yitro came in the first year and left in the second year – Rashi, Abarbanel, and Shadal.
  • Yitro ≠ Chovav (and Shemot 18 ≠ Bemidbar 10), each came only once, and Yitro came and left in the first year – presumably Josephus, Biur Bemidbar 10:29, Hoil Moshe Bemidbar 10:29.

The following table collates the various positions on the points above:

	Where were the people?	Eating before God	Which laws?	Appointment – Devarim 1	When did Yitro leave?
Ramban, Ibn Kaspi	Rephidim	Moshe's tent	Ad hoc	1st year	1st year
Josephus	Mt. Sinai	Burning bush			1st year
Rashbam	Mt. Sinai		Mt. Sinai
Ibn Ezra	Mt. Sinai	Tabernacle	Mt. Sinai	2nd year	2nd year
Rashi		Moshe	Mt. Sinai		2nd year
Akeidat Yitzchak – Abarbanel	Mt. Sinai	Altar	Mara	2nd year	2nd year
Shadal		Sacrifices	Ad hoc		2nd year

¹ Josephus 2:12:1 (265) also claims that Mount Sinai was the heighest mountain in the region. Cf. Pesikta Rabbati 7:3 that the Torah was given on Mount Sinai because of its diminutive stature and humility.

² R. Bachya is thus able to maintain that the story took place before the Tabernacle was built. See R. Bachya 18:1 where he prefers Ramban's approach that the story is in its chronological place.

³ Ibn Ezra understands lifnei haElohim as meaning before God's presence in the Tabernacle, but adds that the meal was held in Moshe's personal tent which was located in front of the Tabernacle (see Bemidbar 3:38).

⁴ Abarbanel identifies this altar as the one Moshe built at the culmination of the battle with Amalek in 17:15, an option also mentioned by Sforno.

⁵ Cf. Chizkuni 18:12 who interprets "before God" as "from what was sacrificed before God" (as if there was an extra letter מ).

⁶ This approach would also account for the absence of Moshe in the verse. It may be understanding Elohim as a person who represents God – see elh. Cf. the version in the Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Yitro Amalek 1 which speaks of greeting one's friend. If this event took place on Yom HaKippurim, as may be the position of Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael and Rashi – see Chronology, the backdrop for the Rabbinic suggestion may be the Divine rays of glory which shone on Moshe's face after his descent from Mount Sinai.

⁷ Abarbanel also interprets similarly that Aharon and Chur were assigned to deal only with the difficult cases. However, since according to him permanent judges had not yet been appointed, he explains that the responsibility for judging the simple matters (in place of Moshe) was given to the seventy elders.

⁸ Ramban Shemot 18:1 cites the Mekhilta as asking rhetorically: "יכול שהלך ולא חזר". All other extant versions and manuscripts, though, read only "יכול שהלך ולא עשה". This leaves open the possibility that Yitro himself never returned but rather remained in Midyan to spread belief in God, and that only his descendants joined the Children of Israel.

⁹ See Akeidat Yitzchak Bemidbar 72.