What Report Did Jethro Hear and Come

(Exodus 18:1) "And Jethro heard." What report did he hear that he came? Rabbi Yehoshua says: He heard of the war with Amalek and came, for it is written right beside it. Rabbi Elazar of Modi'in says: He heard of the giving of the Torah and came, for when the Torah was given, all the kings of the earth trembled in their palaces, as it is said, "and in His palace all say, Glory" (Psalms 29:9). At that hour all the nations of the world gathered and came to Balaam and said to him, "Perhaps the Omnipresent will do to us as He did to the generation of the Flood, as it is said, 'The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood' (Psalms 29:10)." He said to them, "Fools of the world! The Holy One, blessed be He, already swore to Noah that He will not bring a flood upon the world, as it is said, 'For this is like the waters of Noah to Me' (Isaiah 54:9)." They said, "Perhaps He will not bring a flood of water, but He will bring a flood of fire." He said, "He will bring neither a flood of water nor a flood of fire; rather, He is giving Torah to His people, as it is said, 'The LORD will give strength to His people' (Psalms 29:11)." When they all heard this from his mouth, they fled, each to his place. Rabbi Elazar of Modi'in says: He heard of the splitting of the Sea of Reeds and came, for when the sea split for Israel, they heard from one end of the world to the other, as it is said, "And it came to pass when all the kings of the Amorites heard" (Joshua 5:1). So too Rahab said to Joshua's messengers, "For we have heard how the LORD dried up... and we heard, and our hearts melted, and no spirit remained" (Joshua 2:10-11). They said: Rahab the harlot was ten years old when Israel left Egypt, and throughout the forty years Israel was in the wilderness she practiced harlotry. At the end of fifty years she converted and said before the Holy One, blessed be He, "Master of the world, with three things I sinned before You; with three things forgive me: with the cord, the window, and the wall." This is what Scripture says, "For fragrance Your oils are good" (Song of Songs 1:3). Rabbi Yannai said: To the first ones You gave the fragrance of commandments; to Adam You gave seven commandments, to Noah the prohibition of a limb torn from a living animal, a fragrance of commandments You gave them; but as for us, when we came to Sinai, You poured it out to us like a man emptying from the mouth of a jar. "Oil poured out is Your name" (Song of Songs 1:3); Rabbi Berekhiah said: just as oil gives light, so the Torah gives light. "Therefore the maidens love You" (Song of Songs 1:3): this world and the world to come.