Yithro's reaction to Israel's escape from Egypt is at once liberating and terrifying as it allows us to acknowledge our inner struggle and forces us to confront our dark side...
The Torah describes his reaction: vayichad Yithro - literally the word derives from the root chedva - happiness or joy, and as Rashi explains, he experienced tremendous joy on behalf of the Israelite nation. Whether due to his personal connection to Israel as Moshe's father in law, or because he deeply understood the hardships of slavery, or as a witness to God's power that was demonstrated by the redemption He orchestrated, Yithro was so gladdened that he couldn't but offer praise to God.
But wait... Having thus explained, Rashi then goes on to draw upon a midrash that plays on the word vayichad, which also contains the root chad - sharp or pointed, suggesting that Yithro's skin became prickly in reaction to a feeling of profound pain, felt even physically, as he meditated on the destruction of Egypt, towards which he obviously felt a degree of sympathy.
Now this needs some explanation: Rashi's literal explanation is quite satisfactory in that it leads in perfectly to the continuation of the narrative. Reading further, Yithro generously praises God and shows his appreciation of how God carefully manipulated events to give the Egyptians exactly what they deserved...
The midrashic explanation on the other hand, doesn't fit at all with the rest of Yithro's speech, nor does it seem to be needed in that there is nothing apparently lacking in the literal rendition.
And so it seems that Rashi brings the midrash, not as an alternative reading, but to complement the literal meaning so that the portrait of Yithro that is painted for us is one in which his outward expression is one of great happiness, yet if you look deeply into his features you will see the unmistakable wince of pain that betrays the anguish within. The Torah chose a word that inherently captures the storm of emotions, a word that communicates the extremities of joy and suffering in one breath.
From this Rabbi Y. Kamenetsky derives a maxim that states, in poor translation from Yiddish, "man is, after all, a contradiction". On a basic level this is simply a recognition that within the inner world of an individual coexist many conflicting, in fact often completely contradictory interests and desires.
What is perhaps most significant though is that there is nothing in the narrative to suggest that Yithro's expression of praise is anything less than sincere - indeed the Torah records for eternity the very words of his blessing. Despite his inner turmoil, he was nonetheless able to offer praise to God and inspiration to the nation of Israel.
So the Torah, by drawing attention to Yithro's internal struggle, then recording his sincere praise, seems to be giving us the license, if not the imperative, to accept and embrace the conflict within.
By narrating Yithro's heartfelt praise of God, against the backdrop of his ambivalence, the Torah liberates us from the discomfort that we might otherwise have in admitting that we ourselves are often torn apart in the face of the Will of God, and our own often contradictory desires.
Read as such, this single word becomes almost a warning: do not belittle your mental struggle; do not pretend that you feel no pain when you are asked to put your own will aside and accept the Divine Command.
Of course this is no liberation: how pleasant it is to pretend that our desires actually coincide with God's plan, how delightful it is to tell stories of "divine providence" that show how we can live happily ever after with fairytale simplicity...
And it is against this delusion fuelled, blissful state that the Torah comes with the terrifying imperative to confront your deepest desires and fears, to face down your dark side with the brutal light of honesty.
If there is any comfort to be had here, it is that Yithro's blessings and advice were given the Divine gushpanka - seal of approval - despite, or perhaps even because of his inner struggle...
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