Dig your well

Torah’s most thought-provoking characters are not always “members of the tribe.” Consider, Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, who was a priest of Midian. Important lessons come from a few verses about this celebrant of another faith.

By virtue of his priestly status, Jethro had a god or gods whom he served. Yet, his reverence for divinity was not limited. After Jethro heard what God did for the Israelites, he traveled to meet Moses. Moses told him of the miracles performed by God. Jethro then said; “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods.”

Jethro was captivated by the news of God’s miracles and yet he was compelled to travel to learn more. In a world without internet or newspapers, Jethro’s information came by word of mouth to his desert outpost. The spoken transfer of information is an unreliable mode of communication. Yet, Jethro deemed the word of caravaneers or traders or Bedouins compelling enough to explore whether another God might be worthy of his adoration. The conversational “Godcast” was compelling but was not sufficiently reliable. Accordingly, Jethro sought verification from Moses before he declared the Lord’s superior status.

Jethro harbored no prejudice preventing his acceptance of another deity’s authority. He was either open to serving multiple gods or willing to switch ecclesiastical teams, so to speak. I admire his sincerity and accepting nature.

In what ways should we be more like Jethro? He teaches us that to have respect for people with other beliefs demonstrates reverence for God. Note that Jethro’s appreciation of God does not compel him to abandon his faith and join the Hebrews. He reveres God, rescuer of the Hebrews from slavery.

How can we understand God’s relationship to people of other faiths? In my rabbinic studies we learned that God could be compared to an aquifer; a single pervasive source of water. Each religion digs its own wells in an attempt to access God’s great sustenance; a spiritual hydrology. The Jewish well remains unique to us and sustains our people.

God who brought the Hebrews through the sea is also the God of Abraham’s wells, and the God of Eden with its four rivers. God is One, our Creator and the source of all things, all peoples and all faiths. God intended for different faith traditions to access God in different ways.

Just like Jethro, we can expand our appreciation of God and God’s creation through the flow of dialogue with people of different beliefs. I am reminded of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom. This interfaith group grows relationships between Muslim and Jewish women, building bridges and fighting hatred. They demonstrate that the legatees of Jethro and the legatees of Moses should continue to meet in appreciation of each other’s faiths. Perhaps there is no more Godly endeavor than the pursuit of peace through dialogue.

Jethro and Moses showed us how to change the world, one connection at a time. If we emulate them, then how wonderful this world could be!

R’ Evan Krame