The Fifth section of the Chumash / Book of Exodus, begins with the account of how Moses’ father– in-law, Jethro (Yitro, in Hebrew) joins the Jewish people at Mt Sinai, for the giving of the Torah.

On the 11th Tishrei, 2449, the day following the giving of Torah,

On the following day (Moses’ descent from Mt Sinai) Moses sat to judge the people. (18:13)

When our spiritual lives seem to flow smoothly, we may think that we have overcome the challenges of life, and we can sit back and relax. For the proper response to this sentiment, we need only to look at Moses’ example. Whilst on Mt Sinai, Moses reached the peak of spirituality, yet, as soon as he rejoined his people, he plunged directly into his tasks of judging the cases that people brought before him.
Similarly, even when it feels as though we have reached the pinnacle of holiness, there is still tomorrow – when, like Moses, we should set our sights even higher.

With our continued prayers for our hostages held by Hamas, the recovery of those returned to us, the safety of the IDF and the well being of the whole of Israel, with Moshiach an everlasting peace.

Wishing you a successful week followed by a meaningful Shabbat.