Yitro- Transforming The Darkness of The World Into Light ✨

In this week's Torah portion- Yitro discusses the major moment for which the universe was created - the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. 

The Zohar asks why the name of the Torah portion of which the Torah was given is called Yitro. After all, Yitro was a priest of idolatry. And not any priest. He was an expert on all forms of idolatry. If so, why is Yitro the Parsha in which the Torah is given?

The Zohar explains. The intention of the world's creation is for God to be known in the world. Not just in the higher worlds but everywhere, especially in the lower dimension of reality. Within the finite human existence, the contradictions of life, the challenges, the ups and the downs. Idolatry fragments G-d and denies his omnipotent existence as the creator of all, which is within all-Ain od Milvado (there is nothing besides for HIM).

Yitro was a very wise man who caught the truth. When he discovered the truth in the One G-d, he decided to leave his folly ways of idolatry and said, "Now I know that there is a G-d."

The Zohar says that G-d was waiting for this response to be uttered and felt by the human race. Yitro embodied the realization and transformation of darkness into light, which is the whole purpose of existence. The Torah's light, God's truth, is the blueprint of existence. It is not only not in contracts with the world. It is the purpose of the creation of the universe- a lowly dimension that recognizes the unity of God within all.

We are living in trying times where a lot of the "lowly" deniers of God and Israel sprout out like weeds. There is widespread antisemitism on the streets and social media, and we tend to feel unsafe because of this.

Yet we should keep in mind that just like the Torah was given once Yitro, the former idolator, came out of his darkness, so too we are experiencing a lot of lowly idolators, who with no doubt will be transformed to recognize the unity of Hashem in the world.

We know that there was only one giving of the Torah, yet the prophet Isaiah says, "A new Torah will come from." This in no way means the New Testament. It means the deepest realizations, intentions, and understandings of the Torah in the time of the Geula- redemption.

Each person will connect to the Torah on their own, within their unique soul powers and soul root. We are certainly on the cusp of this, and all of our darkness is coming up to the surface as it is ready to alchemize and allow the soulful light of goodness, rightness, and love in the world.

Shabbat Shalom 💛

Rabbi Amichai Cohen