Join Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship for a two-part study of parsha Yitro (Exodus/Shemot chapters 18 through 20). Among other things, this one famously includes the ‘marriage covenant at Sinai,’ and thus the first ‘download’ of the ‘Ten Debarim,’ sayings, words, or…commandments.

But it begins with the story of Moshe’s father-in-law, Yitro, (or ‘Jethro,’ in the usual English rendering) who turns out to have some pretty good advice to impart.

The Erev Shabbat overview lays out the story:

Early in this story, Yitro tells his son-in-law that he is literally overburdening himself — now we’d say heading to “burnout,” and this is “lo tov,” NOT good. Interesting, though, this phrase is only used one other place in the Torah, Genesis 2:18, where it is ‘lo tov’ that Adam should be alone. And here is Moses surrounded by people, yet managing to ACT like he has to do it all alone!

Somehow, there’s a very important message in there for us as well.

“Yitro: What is ‘Lo Tov’ today?”

The combined two-part teaching is here: