Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 18:12/רמב"ן על שמות י״ח:י״ב
אוַיִּקַּח יִתְרוֹ חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה עֹלָה וּזְבָחִים לֵאלֹהִים הָיָה כָּל זֶה טֶרֶם בּוֹאָם אֶל הַר סִינַי. גַּם יִתָּכֵן לְפָרֵשׁ שֶׁסִּדֵּר הַכָּתוּב כָּל עִנְיַן יִתְרוֹ, אֲבָל הָיָה זֶה אַחַר שֶׁעָמַד עִמָּהֶם יָמִים רַבִּים, וְנִתְגַּיֵּר בְּמִילָה וּטְבִילָה וְהַרְצָאַת דָּמִים כַּמִּשְׁפָּט:
1AND JETHRO, MOSES’ FATHER-IN-LAW, TOOK A BURNT-OFFERING AND SACRIFICES FOR G-D. All this took place before they came to Mount Sinai.78, where Ramban develops at length his explanation that Jethro, having arrived at the mount of G-d, sent a messenger to Moses in Rephidim, informing him of his arrival. Moses thereupon went out to meet him and brought him to Rephidim, where this feast took place. It was thus before Israel’s arrival at Mount Sinai that all this took place. It is also possible to explain that Scripture arranged the entire narrative of Jethro [in one section] even though this particular event occurred after he had stayed with the Israelites a long time and, in the meantime, became converted through circumcision, immersion, and the sprinkling of the blood of a sacrifice, according to the law.79, i.e., of the Passover-offering (above, 12:48). Immersion is mentioned further (19:10), and so is the bringing of a sacrifice (24:5). At the time of the Sanctuary, immersion and a sacrifice were required of a female proselyte. Nowadays, immersion alone is the prerequisite to her entrance into the covenant. See Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchoth Isueri Biah, Chapter 13, for further eludication of these principles. See also Ramban further, 19:10.
בוַיָּבֹא אַהֲרֹן וְכֹל זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֶאֱכָל לֶחֶם עִמּוֹ בְּיוֹם חֲתֻנָּתוֹ כִּי חֲתַן דָּמִים הוּא:
2AND AARON CAME, AND ALL THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL, TO EAT BREAD. That is, with Jethro in the day of his espousals,80 [i.e., in the day of his entrance into the covenant with G-d], for he was then as a newly-circumcised child.