The concept of “ein mukdam umehuar baTorah” (Torah narratives are not necessarily in chronological order) is nowhere more glaringly apparent than in Parshat Yitro. In this parsha the two main narrative elements appear in reverse order. The parsha opens with Yitro arriving and criticizing the manner in which Moshe in handling the legal caseload. This is followed by Matan Torah, the receiving of the law on Sinai. Clearly Matan Torah had to precede the adjudication process, as it was on Sinai that Moshe first received the law by which to adjudicate in the first place.

Moshe’s father-in-law Yitro has apparently been acting in loco parentis to Moshe’s children who, along with his daughter – Moshe’s wife – Tzipporah have been all but abandoned by their father and spouse. After sending them back to Midian, Moshe seems to have forgotten about them entirely. Not a postcard, not a phone call, not an email, not even a message via Pony Express.

  וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ כֹהֵן מִדְיָן, חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה, אֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱלֹהִים לְמֹשֶׁה, וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ:  כִּי-הוֹצִיא יְהוָה אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִמִּצְרָיִם.

Indeed Yitro first hears about all the God has done for Moshe and Israel his people… (Shemot/Exodus 18:1).

It is unclear whether “his people” refers to God’s people or to Moshe’s people. But the news that reaches Yitro is somewhat stale at this point. The Exodus is by now history, and much has transpired since then.

Indeed, so estranged has Moshe become from his family that, upon arriving at Moshe’s tent with Tzipporah and grandsons in tow, Yitro, sarcastically says;

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֲנִ֛י חֹתֶנְךָ֥ יִתְר֖וֹ בָּ֣א אֵלֶ֑יךָ וְאִ֨שְׁתְּךָ֔ וּשְׁנֵ֥י בָנֶ֖יהָ עִמָּֽהּ׃

And he told Moshe, I am your father-in-law Yitro come to you, and your wife and her two sons with her (18:6)

The subsequent verse seems out of place here both in time and tenor.

וַיֵּצֵ֨א מֹשֶׁ֜ה לִקְרַ֣את חֹֽתְנ֗וֹ וַיִּשְׁתַּ֙חוּ֙ וַיִּשַּׁק־ל֔וֹ וַיִּשְׁאֲל֥וּ........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)