When the ‘mixed multitude’ comes to Mount Sinai it is clear that another major milestone is at hand, and — as we know it will emerge — another turning point has been reached. But this is set up by several major events documented by this week’s parsha (Yitro, Exodus chapters 18 through 20).

Moses’ father-in-law, Yitro (as he is called in this part of Scripture) hears a part of the story, comes to the wilderness, and brings Moshe back his wife, Zipporah, and his two sons. There he hears the “rest of the story,” recognizes YHVH himself, and offers sage advice. In that process, the mixed multitude becomes ‘echad’ as Israel. And one of the most important “downloads” from YHVH Himself follows after that stage is set:

Any reading that includes the ‘Ten Commandments’ certainly must include a look at the specifics. But in the midrash this week, Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship suggests that the ‘setup’ that precedes that historic Exposition can help us understand why what Scripture refers to as those ten “Debarim,” or Words, even ‘Sayings,’ have been so…idolized, re-formatted, marginalized, edited, twisted, and, almost unbelievably, even demonized over the intervening centuries. And, as Mark also notes, by men who failed Yitro’s metric: they seem to not only LOVE ‘unjust gain,’ certainly more than Truth, because they don’t “fear YHVH” either.

And “reducing His Name to nothingness,” or void, is just one undeniable indication.

Many of us have heard the claim that the “law is done away with” — which Mark calls one of the Biggest Lies in Human history — but there is a corollary that crops up this week, which is the claim that the “Ten Commandments” may be the only part that still matters.

Well, some of ’em, anyway…

The combined two-part reading and Sabbath midrash: