A great secret is concealed and revealed in the white fire between “וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ” and “אֶל־אַרְצוֹ” (Exodus 18:1-27). Yitro is חוֹנֵן, father in law, in this world, but in the world above both חוֹנֵן, father-in-law, and חַנַן, bridegroom. Bridegroom but also Concealed of Concealed and Beginning of All—for each of these words are with truth. And for indeed all of these are one, and the Father-in-Law whose timeless excess, יִתְרוֹ, overflows into the path of the righteous, is spoken thirteen times, five and eight, for behind the revealing concealments there is nothing but One בְּאַהֲבָה, with love. One who glimpses can discern a mystery of Eternity and Place. Understand this.

How did Yitro come to Moshe Rabbeinu in the wilderness, where he encamped on the mountain of God (Shemot 18:5), before Moshe came to the wilderness of Sinai (Shemot 19:1)? For he did not, and this is our hint. Rather, it is that He came to the Orchard of Holy Apples, which is called wilderness before Her union, and after Her union She is called the mountain of God, הַמָּקוֹם, for then She is faithfully His Bride. But some say it is Moshe who is the bridegroom of Shekhinah, who is alluded to below as הָאִשָּׁה הַכֻּשִׁית, the Cushite woman, for the union above cannot exist without the flow of prophecy which is found in Moshe’s place among the Sons.

For indeed this is the great mystery alluded to throughout—after the vessels were shattered by the Nothingness which exceeds creation, the Father-in-Law came to understanding that only with interruption could formation and action remain and be made whole. For without interruption, there is nought but Nothingness, no will but Will, and the naysayers above emerge in Victory. To bring about His people was the overflow successively reduced and concealed. And this great mystery teaches us about the enclothing of the flow.

“I am your father-in-law Yitro, coming to you, and your wife and her two sons are with me” (Shemot 18:6). This is the ascending descent of Beginning unto Eternity, so that the Bridegroom may soon be united with His Bride. For we know that union has yet to be, because Her two sons are Hers and not His. Who are the two sons? They are both the name of one, כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, the assembly of Yisrael. Gershom, a stranger in a foreign land, for the Kingdom was still filled by the redness of the Land of Edom. And Eliezer, divine help, for we must remember that the Lamp of Adamantine Darkness from which all redness flows exists but as a helper of Torah.

“Moshe went out to meet his father-in-law, he bowed low and kissed him, and a man asked his neighbour for peace” (Shemot 18:7). For we know that peace comes only to the goodly tent of Yaakov when the flow from above is first aroused from below with awe and lovingkindness. What did Moshe recount to his father-in-law? Read not what the Holy One, Blessed be He did to the narrow place “עַל אוֹדֹת,” on account of Yisrael, for this is only kind word. Rather, read “אֵיד עַל,” on account of the final disaster of Yisrael—for Moshe Rabbeinu feared that the excess from above would make-shatter yet again and that the assembly of Yisrael could not persist. And yet knew that neither can it persist without His light, and this was the source of their תְּלָאָה, their weariness and distress on the journey into the Land of Edom—for it was not yet an Orchard of Holy Apples.

“And Yitro rejoiced because of all the good that HaShem did for Yisrael, that He delivered them from the hand of the narrow place” (Shemot 18:9). This is difficult. Understand not that He did and delivered, but rather that He will have done and delivered, for this is the language of prophecy which Moshe speaks with the One who speaks face-to-face, and knows neither before nor after. And read not וַיִּחַדְּ, and he rejoiced, though He was jubilant, but rather וַיֵּחֱד, and he united. For the Father-in-Law saw the weariness and distress of Yisrael, and it was made known to Him by the Torah of HaShem, at this very moment, how to unite the Bridegroom and His Bride. Why at this very moment? Because only when the flow reached Moshe did it come unto the path of prophecy, which protects the Vessel that receives all, even as She is united with Her Bridegroom in Righteousness.

“Aharon and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread besides Moshe’s father-in-law, to the face of God” (Shemot 18:12). And we know these as the prophets of Splendour and the prophets who are not prophets, to say the wise ones. What is the bread? It is the dew that drips down from the forehead of the Ancient of Days and unto the Just King, from which come the souls of all prophets. And of “now I know that great is HaShem” (Shemot 18:11), we will not speak, for it is too great a secret to explain except by vague allusions, for it pertains to the mystery of Cain and Abel.

“Now it was on the morrow that Moshe sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moshe from morning to evening. Moshe’s father-in-law saw all that he had to do for the people” (Shemot 18:13-14). Understand that the Moon and her Sun had now united above and formed, and that thence there was a morrow wherein to do, to act. And in that morrow did the Father-in-Law see that Eternity wished for the judgment overflowing from itself to sit as sovereign over the assembly of Yisrael.

“Then Moshe’s father-in-law said to him: Not good is this matter, as you do it! You will become worn out, yes, worn out—both you and this people that are with you, for this matter is too glorious for you; you cannot do it alone” (Shemot 18:18). For it does not behoove one of the Sons to rule alone over the Place, lest glory overtake and nullify Her. Were this permitted, the assembly of Yisrael would become like messengers, knowing no will nor desire, and the glory that is due to Him would become unto Him as Nothingness. This is the nature and secret of concealment—without it, all becomes Nothingness and in Nothingness there can be no glory for there is indeed אֵין עוֹד מִלְּבַדּוֹ, nought but His loneliness. From enclothing is the persistence of the four corners of the world, upon which sits the Throne of Glory.

“I will advise you and God will be with you. Be, yourself, for the people in front of God. And you, you will bring the thing to God. […] You should enlighten them with the ordinances and the teachings, you should make known to them the way they should go in her, and the deeds that they should do” (Shemot 18:19-20). This is the work of every prophet of Eternity and Splendour, for they bring words of rejoicing and lament to God’s ear, and as it resounds is made known to prophets the meaning of both teachings, written and oral, and even the meaning of that which seems senseless, and this is the glorious and eternal light through which the world is renewed. And this endless brilliance is called being with God, for to walk in Her ways is to know Peace.

“You are to have a choosing-vision from all the people—men of worth, fearers of God, men of truth, haters of profit” (Shemot 18:21). These are the receivers of prophecy who are not prophets, whose prophecy is founded not in splendour or eternity but in righteousness and compassion. These are those whom Moshe Rabbeinu spoke when he said: “And who bestows all HaShem’s people prophets? For HaShem placed His spirit upon them” (Bamidbar 11:29). For indeed, though not all are prophets, He has placed His spirit upon all of His creations, and the flow of prophecy is upon all of us. For all that exists exists, and one who does not dwell among the sons of Splendour or Eternity is not so cut off from the Source.

“Chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens, so that they may render judgment for the people at all times” (Shemot 18:21-22). Who is the chief of thousand? This is King David, of whom it is said (1 Shmuel 18:7): “Shaul has slain his thousand; David, his tens of thousands!” He is called as man of worth, for he beheld Him with the awe of love. And he is chief of thousands, for there are none like him among scholars, teaching awe and love of the Most High to thousands, אֲלָפִים, of learners, אֹלְפִים, with each one of his psalms. Who is the chief of hundreds? This is King Shaul, who is called a fearer of God for he beheld Him with the awe of fear, and from fear was transformed the divine flow within him into an evil spirit. This is the prophecy upon which sit goodly priests, of whom it is said that they consecrated the tower of the hundred (Nechemiah 3:1). Who is the chief of fifties? This is the one who has glimpsed at the fifty gates of understanding, who are called men of truth for truth is the son of understanding. Who is the chief of tens? These are all those among whom the Bride abides. Those who unite as ten for Torah or prayer, those who give a tenth to charity, those who receive the stranger and the poor as family whose merits are tenfold, and indeed all those who dwell in the joy of mitzvot through which are arranged the ten gates.

All of these have their share in “rendering judgment for the people in all times,” (Shemot 18:22) for even when prophets of splendour and eternity depart, the world could not exist for even a moment without the flow of prophecy. And so it is written: “If you do this matter and God commands you, you will be able to stand, and also this people will come to its place in peace” (Shemot 18:23). For the world to stand, and for the assembly of Yisrael to come to the place which is the Shekhinah of God.

And is what is meant by “and lighten it from upon you, and let them bear it with you,” (Shemot 18:22) for these bear judgment when it is lifted from upon prophets and prophets bear judgment when it is lifted from upon them, that the flow from above may never cease for even a moment. When is prophecy lifted from upon these? When hearts are hardened, for it is written that “the hard matters they will bring before Moshe,” (Shemot 18:26) and these matters also called “great” (Shemot 18:22), for repairing a hardened heart is too great a matter for those who are not prophets of prophecy.

“Moshe sent his father-in-law off, and he went to himself to his land” (Shemot 18:27). Moshe was able to send off the overflow descended unto him without shattering. And so He is no longer called Yitro, יִתְרוֹ, his excess, and was now called Father-in-Law in truth for one cannot be truly called a father-in-law before the union of bride and groom. Not before thus could the assembly of Yisrael receive the Torah, for indeed before then there was no palace below in which for Torah to abide. Not so after this. By this dew from above which enters the world as prophecy are repaired and released the sparks of holiness trapped in the reddened land known as Edom, which is now called His land by marriage to the Bride of the land. And this is why it is said “he went to himself,” for when the sparks are released, they ascend and rejoin Him, and the land becomes known as the Orchard of Holy Apples, for it abides in Torah. Learn and understand this, for it is a great teaching for our times.