Yitro’s Ten Commandments’ (Truman Show) Moment

Years ago, my Brother and I were watching the Superbowl. At Halftime, I suggested that we visit a sick relative who was at the nearby hospital. With everyone pre-occupied with watching the bloated halftime performance of some aging music group, the streets were clear; we made it to his hospital room in record time. 

When we arrived, he wasn’t there; he was still in recovery after his life saving surgery. While waiting, the doctor came into the hospital room and told his wife the bad news; due to complications, the surgery could not be done. Essentially, they opened him up and made the medical decision not to operate. As a result, he was not cured; rather, his life expectancy would be approximately a year.

My relative finally came out of recovery and sat in the room. He told everyone that he felt “great”! He was excited that the whole ordeal was behind him. He was unaware of the truth. Everyone in the room, however, knew of that the surgery was unsuccessful. No one, however, wanted to tell him. I looked around the room full of the tight lipped individuals. The silence, however, was not a game of chicken. Rather, there was a consensus that the surgeon should break the news. For a moment, he was happy and no one wanted to spoil it.

This experience was quite like the movie The Truman Show. The movie’s concept was that it was a reality show in which only the main character, Truman, did not know it was a show. For him, he believed that it was his real life. 

In Yitro, there is one particular commandment is what we can call is a “Truman” moment. It is when it was declared: “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days will be extended on the land the Lord, your God, is giving you.” Exodus 20:12.

In Richard Elliott Friedman’s Commentary on the Torah, he notes that this is the only commandment that offers a reward. The reward, for most of them, however, would not happen. We, the (second time plus) readers, appreciate that this moment is ironic. We know that only a few adult individuals, namely Joshua and Caleb, will be the only persons present at Mt. Sinai who would enter the Promised Land, Canaan. One can reasonably speculate that neither Joshua or Caleb’s parents made it to the Promised Land. Thus, at the time of entry to the Promised Land, no one who was present at Mt. Sinai and received the Ten Commandments had a father and mother who was alive to honor! 

Thus, Yitro brings the experienced bible reader a unique moment. As awesome as the Mt. Sinai experience was for those present, we also experience something uniquely special. We know the tragedy that is to unfold upon the Children of Israel. We know that this generation would be held up in the wilderness to die off before the next generation would be allowed to entire the Promised Land. We appreciate that the commandmentis problematic.

With our knowledge, we are also forced to reconcile the meaning of honoring one’s parents. Impliedly, if Joshua and Caleb’s parents had passed prior to entering, honoring one’s parents extends beyond their lives. Honoring one’s parents extends beyond their lifetime.

In sum, in appreciating the commandment, honoring one’s parents arguably is revealed as a lifetime obligation.

Be well!!

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