Parsha Yisro
Feburary 7, 2026/20 Shevat 5786
This week’s parsha of Yisro is our first recitation of the Ten Commandments. Let’s discuss the first commandment for a moment. What type of command is “I am H’, your G-d?" Seemingly a commandment implies an action. What is the Torah asking us to do here? Additionally, why is this commandment an “I” where the remainder of the commandments reference “you” to instruct the Jewish people?
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev in his classic text of the Kedushas Levi explains this as fulfilling the verse in Psalms (16:8) – “I have placed the L-rd before me constantly.” This does not only refer to a level of priority, it means thinking of G-d at all times. He further quotes the Sages in Talmud Shabbos describing the four-letter Hebrew word of Anochi (Aleph, Nun, Chaf, Yud) – meaning “I” as an acronym for the four words meaning – “pleasant speech was written and given.” This acronym serves as a reminder to incorporate G-d into how we speak and to serve G-d for His pleasure. As such our speech which is temporary, becomes as written which is permanent. Thus G-d is before us constantly.
Now what does it mean by “pleasant speech?” Much has been written on this subject. Clearly avoiding profanity, thinking before we speak, and using our words softly and with kindness. I thought of an example that is funny but also made this idea more meaningful to me. This week includes Groundhog Day. It is very loosely based on a non-Jewish religious holiday, but set that aside for a minute. Many years ago, I spent February 2nd in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. It was freezing, rainy, and covered in mud, yet people were friendly, joking, and relatively quiet as they waiting for a couple of guys in coats and top hats to whisper a few words in “Groundhogese.” Then everyone cheered and rushed toward someplace warm. One reason for the popularity of this ritual is a movie by the same name, where the main character is doomed to repeat the same day over and over again, until he finally realizes the value of time, and filling that time with love and kindness. Pleasant speech is a service to G-d that also makes our time better, our relationships better, and ourselves better. So even if we have another six weeks of winter, let us put G-d before us and fill our hearts with warmth and kindness.
I prognosticate a Shabbat Shalom,
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Josh
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev in his classic text of the Kedushas Levi explains this as fulfilling the verse in Psalms (16:8) – “I have placed the L-rd before me constantly.” This does not only refer to a level of priority, it means thinking of G-d at all times. He further quotes the Sages in Talmud Shabbos describing the four-letter Hebrew word of Anochi (Aleph, Nun, Chaf, Yud) – meaning “I” as an acronym for the four words meaning – “pleasant speech was written and given.” This acronym serves as a reminder to incorporate G-d into how we speak and to serve G-d for His pleasure. As such our speech which is temporary, becomes as written which is permanent. Thus G-d is before us constantly.
Now what does it mean by “pleasant speech?” Much has been written on this subject. Clearly avoiding profanity, thinking before we speak, and using our words softly and with kindness. I thought of an example that is funny but also made this idea more meaningful to me. This week includes Groundhog Day. It is very loosely based on a non-Jewish religious holiday, but set that aside for a minute. Many years ago, I spent February 2nd in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. It was freezing, rainy, and covered in mud, yet people were friendly, joking, and relatively quiet as they waiting for a couple of guys in coats and top hats to whisper a few words in “Groundhogese.” Then everyone cheered and rushed toward someplace warm. One reason for the popularity of this ritual is a movie by the same name, where the main character is doomed to repeat the same day over and over again, until he finally realizes the value of time, and filling that time with love and kindness. Pleasant speech is a service to G-d that also makes our time better, our relationships better, and ourselves better. So even if we have another six weeks of winter, let us put G-d before us and fill our hearts with warmth and kindness.
I prognosticate a Shabbat Shalom,
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Josh
