It all revolves around Yitro, Moses' father-in-law.

The verse we're looking at is “Yitro…heard” (Exodus 18:1), which is the start of the portion where Yitro comes to visit Moses in the desert. But the Rabbis, in their ingenious way, connect this to a verse from Ecclesiastes: “Cast your bread upon the water, for after many days you will find it” (Ecclesiastes 11:1).

Now, the immediate question is, who in their right mind throws bread into the water? That seems… counterproductive. The Rabbis of the Midrash aren't suggesting literal bread-tossing. Instead, they use this verse as an allegory, a symbolic representation of Yitro's earlier act of kindness towards Moses. Remember when Moses fled Egypt after killing the Egyptian taskmaster? He ended up in Midian, exhausted and alone. As we read in Exodus 2:20, Yitro, then a priest of Midian, saw Moses’ plight and said, “Call him and let him eat bread.” He offered Moses hospitality, a safe haven, and sustenance.

"Cast your bread upon the water," the Midrash says, "this is Moses."

Why Moses? Because Moses himself was drawn from the water! Remember his mother, Yocheved, placing him in a basket in the Nile to save him from Pharaoh’s decree? (Exodus 2:10). So, in a way, Moses is the "bread" cast upon the water.

And what was the reward for Yitro’s act of kindness? “For after many days you will find it.” The Midrash connects this to Exodus 18:12: “Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.” Aaron, the High Priest, the elders of Israel, leaders of the entire nation, all sharing a meal with Yitro! That's quite a return on investment, isn't it? : Yitro offered a simple act of hospitality, and years later, he was honored by the entire leadership of Israel. His initial kindness came back to him in a profound and unexpected way.

So, what's the takeaway?

Sometimes, the good we do seems small, insignificant even. We might not see the immediate impact, or even know if it made a difference at all. But this story from Shemot Rabbah reminds us that acts of kindness, like bread cast upon the water, can have far-reaching consequences. They can ripple through time and touch lives in ways we can’t even imagine. It encourages us to act with generosity and compassion, trusting that our efforts, however small, can ultimately bear fruit.