How about trying it this way?

Why not try it this way? said Yitro when he saw his son in law working himself to an early grave.

Later events (the next 3 books of the bible) proved that Yitro did not speak nearly as strongly as he should have. True, Moshe took his father in law's advice and created an impressively detailed judicial system, which made his daily life simpler and easier, but that took care of only one aspect of dealing with his people.

What Yitro should have said was "Run, my son. Run while you still can. These people will never be anything but a bunch of complainers who will make your life bitter and make you old before your time. Run."

Of course, Moshe, being Moshe, would not dream of abandoning his charges in the middle of the desert. First of all, he apparently loved them very much, as demonstrated by the many times he appealed to G-d on their behalf. Second, he was under direct orders from a much higher authority than Yitro. One does not abandon one's job when one has been given said job by G-d Himself. At least we should hope not. And third, luckily for all involved, he had no idea just how difficult the Israelites will prove to be. They gave him a few samples before: the incidents of the sea, the water (twice!) and the food. But he probably assumed these were legitimate complaints (of course people will be upset when there's no water or food, it's only natural) and they will behave as planned from now on. After all, they were headed for grand things, weren't they?

Oy, the naivete of the poor man. They sure set him straight in no time, didn't they? Yet he still loved them, took care of them, fought for them and, even in his last days, worried about their welfare. Well, he was Moshe, the one and only.

Still, I can't help wondering what would have happened if Yitro had added another "why not try it this way" to his original advice. Luckily he did not.

Sometimes it's not so good to try to do things differently. Sometimes it's a great idea. Like in the case of this week's parasha. And in the case of the following recipe, which I found online and which strikes me as genius. Thank you Ruthy Keinan for this recipe.


Ptitim with lentils

(Ptitim - is the Israeli name for what is called "Israeli couscous". It's a type of tiny pebbles of baked pasta that are very quick to cook and adapt itself to almost anything. You can use it as pasta or as you would use rice. You can find it in many stores. They are usually served alone as a side dish. Here they are combined with lentils for a vegetarian main course. And you can easily mix in some cooked meat or chicken and make it carnivore-friendly.)

1 Lb lentils, cooked in water for 20-30 minutes, until tender, then drained.
2 onions, chopped
2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 carrots, cubed (small cubes)
5 cups broth (vegetables or chicken)
1 Lb. Ptitim (Israeli couscous)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs spice mix (you can use any mixture of spices you want, for example: paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, coriander, curry. Mix small amounts of these together and then measure out 1 Tbs of the mixture. Or use one of those ready made mixtures for chicken or steak or meatballs or whatever.)
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

Saute onions in oil until slightly golden. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Add carrots and cook for a few minutes until slightly soft.
Add broth and bring to a boil.
Add cooked lentils and return to a boil.
Add ptitim, salt, pepper and spice mix. Return to a boil.
Cook, covered, over low heat, for 7 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in parsley. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

serves 6-8



Every once in a while, it's good to step back and get a different perspective on what we do. Sometimes it will make our lives more comfortable. Sometimes it will reinforce our faith in our own genius. Sometimes it will show us how to better follow the path we've been assigned.