This week’s Torah portion is about the Revelation at Mt. Sinai. God is about to declaim the Ten Commandments from atop the mountain, before all of the people. It is huge, dramatic, and incredibly important. It is a central moment in the Bible, in which God begins to instruct the Children of Israel in how to worship God and how to relate to one another.

Why then does the reading begin with the brief chapter before the Ten Commandments? Nothing in it has anything to do with God’s Revelation. It is a private moment between Moses and his father-in-law, Jethro. Even stranger, the entire Torah portion is named for Jethro (Yitro in Hebrew) who is not a member of the nascent Jewish community.

The rabbis who divided the Torah into weekly readings were very careful. Clearly, they thought it significant to introduce the communal event at Mt. Sinai with a private discussion between a Midianite priest and the leader of the Israelite people. Two men, each who bore enormous responsibility for others. One younger, just beginning to lead a nation, and the other older, anxious to share his experience and expertise.

It is a beautiful moment, in which Jethro went out of his way to be supportive of Moses himself and the new religion that was about to bloom. He blessed and thanked God for rescuing the Children of Israel from Egypt. He wholeheartedly participated in a ritual of praise to Moses’ God.

The Torah relates that Jethro went to see Moses because he had heard about the events of the Exodus from Egypt. During their meeting, Moses told him what happened, but we know that Jethro already knew. Why repeat the story?

I think the need to hear something twice is very human. Sometimes news simply doesn’t sink in. Sometimes we need to hear from another perspective. Some things are so far-fetched that we need independent verification before we’re willing to believe.

And sometimes we need to sit face-to-face with someone whom we trust and listen to their story. Only then can we begin to comprehend sweeping, historic events that touch thousands and millions.

This week, after we just observed Holocaust Remembrance Day, I am reminded of the importance of listening to the voices of the few Holocaust survivors who remain. Their individual stories help us understand the massive forces that turned Europe upside down, help us try to wrap our minds around the horrors of the Shoah, help us remember that “never again” is more than a slogan.

May we be blessed to continue to listen carefully to their stories.