This is the d’var Torah I delivered at Congregation Neveh Shalom on February 6, 2026.
If you were to treat the Torah like a road trip and whine that common road trip refrain of “Are we there yet?”, which parshah do you think would be “there”? Certainly, you could make an argument for somewhere much later in our narrative, but I think there’s a good case for Yitro. Mount Sinai, the Ten Commandments; it feels like a pretty big “there.”
But there’s another reason this parshah reminds me of a noisy car ride. Fellow parents, especially, we have our fair share of noisy car rides when everyone is talking at once. Someone’s asking for a snack. Someone else is changing the music. Someone is saying, “They touched me!” And I’m just talking about the seven minutes from our house to school.
In our family, we sometimes have to say, “Pause. Everyone, take a breath. Now let’s listen again.”
Parshat Yitro is kind of like that moment, when the whole world pauses, quiets down, and listens.
In this week’s Torah portion, the Israelites stand at Mount Sinai. There’s thunder, lightning, smoke, and a shofar blast so loud, it’s impossible not to listen. And then God gives the Aseret HaDibrot, the Ten Commandments.
But before any commandments are given, something important happens. The Torah says:“Vayichan sham Yisrael neged hahar.” “And Israel camped there, opposite the mountain.”
The rabbis noticed something interesting. It doesn’t say they camped, plural. It says Israel camped, singular. Like one heart. Like one big family.
Before God speaks, the people learn how to stand together.
That matters because listening is hard. Listening means not interrupting. Listening means paying attention even when it’s not your turn to talk. Listening means realizing that someone else’s voice matters too.
Kids, the Ten Commandments aren’t just rules. They’re about how we treat each other:
- Respect your parents.
- Don’t hurt people.
- Don’t take what isn’t yours.
- Tell the truth.
And parents, the commandments weren’t given only to adults. The entire people stood there. Every age. Every stage. Judaism has always believed that children belong at the center of the sacred moment.
So here’s our Sinai challenge for the week:
Kids:
Before you speak, try listening just a little longer. You might learn something new.
Parents:
Pause long enough to really hear your children, not just their words, but what they’re trying to say underneath.
And all of us:
Let’s practice being a community that listens, at the dinner table, in the car, at school, and right here in synagogue.
Because Torah doesn’t just come from the mountain. It happens when we quiet ourselves enough to hear one another.
Rabbi Eve Posen 