When our daughter was just a few years old she went through a stage where she asked us lots of questions about anything and everything. After one particular rapid-fire Q & A, I remarked that we should start calling her “Curious Eliana.”

Well, that was just too much. Eliana was incensed and insulted that I had compared her to a monkey!

I tried to reassure her that, despite whatever mischief “Curious George” got into, I meant it as a compliment; it was good to be curious.

When Yisro is first introduced he is described as, “chohen Midyan, chosen Moshe,” the High Priest of Midyan and Moshe’s father in law. (Shemos 18:1) While it is understandable why we are informed about his relationship to Moshe – in fact, throughout the chapter he is repeatedly referred to as Moshe’s father in law – it is not clear why we need to know about his status as an idolatrous priest. This is especially curious in light of the Ramban’s contention (Bereishis 11:28) that the Torah avoids mentioning avodah zarah unless it’s absolutely necessary. But far from necessary, here the reference to Yisro’s past avodah zarah worship appears gratuitous. What does this information add to the story?

Rav Simcha Zisel Broide (Sam Derech) explains this reference in light of a well known statement of Rashi a few pesukim later. Commenting on Yisro’s declaration, “Now I know that Hashem is greater than all the gods,” (18:11) Rashi explains, based on the Mechilta, that Yisro had ample basis for comparison since, “she’lo hiniach avodah zarah she’lo avdah,” he had actually worshiped every form of idolatry in the world.

While at first glance this might appear to put Yisro in a negative light, R. Simcha Zisel maintains that this amazing statement is actually a compliment. The underlying cause of Yisro’s “idol hopping” was that he was a “mevakesh emes,” a seeker of truth. When he was persuaded by the truth of a religion he would follow it and if he became more persuaded by a different religion he would then become a devotee of that new religion.

Yisro never assumed that he knew everything or that his past assumptions and decisions were the “final word” on any matter. His curiosity in other religions was predicated on a recognition that there might be truth that he has yet to discover, and therefore, even after he would start practicing a certain religion, Yisro’s was driven to probe, question, and continue searching for the truth.

Yisro’s spiritual journey took him from one avodah zarah to another until it finally took him to the idolatry of Midyan. The Torah introduces Yisro as the “chohen Midyan” to highlight that even then, despite how invested he must have been in the “truth” of the Midianite idols and despite the fact that he was the high priest, when he heard about the miracles that Hashem had performed in taking the Jewish people out of Egypt, he was willing to give up his prominent position for the truth of Judaism.

In other words, being inquisitive is a good thing and it was this middah which ultimately led “Curious Yisro” all the way to joining Moshe and the Jewish people.

This is a vital lesson for us and our children. Even though we are blessed to already be part of a community of truth, that doesn’t exempt us from being inquisitive and thinking people. This attitude will help us gain a deeper understanding of accepted principles of faith in addition to the fact that there are still plenty of “grey areas” which must be investigated. If there is a multiplicity of legitimate approaches to a certain question then we must probe and study so that we are able to make informed choices about these critical life issues.

Nobel laureate in physics, Isidore I. Rabi, recalled that when he was a child and came home from school his mother did not ask him, “Did you learn anything in school today?” Instead, she would query daily, “Did you ask a good question today?” Rabi credits this attitude – highlighting the importance of questions – with playing a major role in his accomplishments. (Thank you to Rabbi Mitchell Wholberg for first bringing this anecdote to my attention.)

Curiosity and the willingness to ask questions reflect an attitude towards learning and growth that is necessary to achieve greatness in all areas of life, including the religious.

Dedicated in honor of our beloved daughter Eliana, who just celebrated her Bas Mitzvah and who is, thankfully, still curious