Who Is a Jew? Yitro’s Conversion and the Inner Meaning of True Jewish Identity

In the Torah portion of Yitro, we read about Yitro arriving at the Israelite camp in the wilderness. According to the Sages, Yitro came in order to convert. However, in the Targum Yonatan ben Uziel, an additional layer is revealed: Yitro feared that he might not be accepted into the Jewish people.

On the verse, “And he said to Moshe: I, your father-in-law Yitro, am coming to you, and your wife and her two sons are with her”, Yonatan ben Uziel explains (translated into English): “I, your father-in-law Yitro, am coming to you to convert. And if you will not accept me on my own merit, accept me for the sake of your wife and her two sons who are with her.”

Where Was Yitro Until Now?

Why was Yitro afraid that Moshe might refuse to accept him? And if there was such a concern, how would his family connection help? Was Yitro suggesting favoritism — conversion by “connections”? Or was he appealing for humanitarian consideration under the banner of “family reunification”?

To understand this, we must go deeper.

A Long Search for Truth

Midrashic sources tell us that Yitro was a genuine seeker of truth. He explored every form of idolatry in the world and ultimately became disillusioned with all of them. This occurred many years earlier. When Moshe first arrived in Midian and saved Yitro’s daughters from the shepherds, Yitro had already been excommunicated along with his family for abandoning his priesthood and rejecting idolatry.

Add to this the fact that Yitro lived for years in close proximity to Moshe, the man of God, observing his character and greatness. As a sincere seeker, Yitro surely discussed beliefs and ideas with him. Why, then, did he delay conversion until now?

Conversion Is Not Merely Formal

It is possible that precisely because of his deep wisdom, Yitro understood that conversion is not merely a formal halachic process. Even when performed correctly, Jewish identity is not complete without the appropriate inner spiritual state.

An expression of this idea appears in the Zohar, which teaches that the Erev Rav — those who converted and left Egypt together with Israel, did not enter the Clouds of Glory that surrounded the Israelites in the wilderness.

To attain the fullness of Jewish spiritual stature, one must acquire the Jewish inner character and merit the inner point that binds the soul to the Creator with an irreversible bond.

Can a Convert Attain the “Jewish Spark”?

The concept of the “Jewish spark” is taught not only in Chassidic literature, but also in halachic sources. Rambam rules that the deepest, unconscious will of every Jew is to do God’s will. When a Jew resists, it is only because he is coerced by his evil inclination, desires, or distorted beliefs. Once these obstacles are removed, even through coercion, the person acts in accordance with his true inner will (see Hilchot Gerushin, chapter 2).

This inner point reveals itself dramatically at moments of crisis or spiritual awakening, such as the cry of “Shema Yisrael”, and even among Jews who are otherwise far removed from observance. Shock, fear, or intense emotion strips away the outer layers and exposes the lofty soul rooted beneath the Throne of Glory.

The Soul of the Convert

The sacred texts teach that converts who truly merit it are also endowed with a lofty soul, bound to the Creator with an unbreakable connection. It seems that this was Yitro’s deepest aspiration. Recognizing the greatness of the Jewish soul, he wished to convert in a way that would allow him to attain this level.

Yitro understood that such spiritual elevation could not be achieved alone. This explains why he hesitated until now. He had already accepted the truth of Jewish belief on a philosophical level, but only when his faith deepened and his soul yearned to enter fully into the embrace of this exalted nation was he able to overcome the immense challenges of attaining the inner essence of Jewish identity.

“If Not for Me — Then for Them”

Yitro knew that for this, he required Moshe’s spiritual guidance. He feared that Moshe might judge him unworthy of such elevation. That is why he said, as explained by Yonatan ben Uziel: “If you will not accept me on my own merit, accept me for the sake of your wife and her two sons.”

This was not a request for favoritism due to family ties. Rather, Yitro was pointing to evidence of his inner potential: his daughter was worthy to become the wife of Moshe, and Moshe’s sons were her children (which is why Yitro refers to them as “her sons”). This, he implied, demonstrated that he possessed the spiritual foundation necessary for a deep, authentic bond with the heights of Judaism, and that he was worthy of assistance in achieving it.

This essay is adapted from the teachings of Rabbi Menachem Jacobson, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivat “Meor Yitzchak,” and is published in memory of Menachem ben Yissachar and Rachel bat Menashe Sharabi, of blessed memory.