What did all the nations do when they heard the Giving of the Torah? How did Bilaam cool everyone down? How was Yitro different from everyone else, and how is it possible that a gentile who only said a word of wisdom merits having a Torah portion named after him? Insights into Parshat Yitro from the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days)

"The Zohar says that Yitro was the head of all the avodah zarahs (idolatry). Anyone who came to him, he would tell them exactly where to go, to which idolatry, and that 'there you must be healed.' So the whole world knew that Yitro was the final address; he was the 'Pope' over all the Popes. Now, Yitro says that everything is a lie. Yitro declares and says, 'You are greater than all the gods'—it is all a lie, all the idolatries. They are truly deceiving you; it is all sorcery, it is segulahs (spiritual charms), it is demons. It is a fact that everyone needs to change this. What was good for the father is no longer good for the son. What was good for the son is not good for the grandson. The very fact that it is only such a 'segulah' [proves its falsehood]. So when Yitro came, who was a high priest over all the desires, then 'the Holy One, Blessed be He, was established and ruled over everything in the whole world; they heard the fame of His might.' Then everyone ran to Bilaam. What was the mistake? A person hears a derasha (sermon), hears a certain word, so to whom does he go? He goes to a wicked person! He heard a good sermon, a good insight, so he goes to the wicked person and asks, 'Tell me, I heard a good insight, what do you say about this insight?' He tells him, 'That's not an insight, it's nothing, it's just made up, just Breslov, this person doesn't know what he's talking about.' So the whole world ran to Bilaam, and Bilaam nullified the Giving of the Torah [in their eyes]. But Yitro ran to Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our Teacher)! This was the wisdom of Yitro—to go and ask Moshe Rabbeinu! Not to ask Bilaam what he says about Moshe Rabbeinu. They went to Bilaam to ask what he says about Moshe Rabbeinu, 'What is your opinion on the Ten Commandments?' So he already said—what did they say, is there going to be a flood? He said there won't be a flood. A flood of fire? Not a flood of fire, for Hashem is not bringing a flood upon the whole world; this [sound] is going over the whole world. Regarding this speech [of the Torah], you have nothing to fear! But after everyone saw that Yitro converted, nevertheless, the Zohar says, 'And everyone was looking at Yitro, who was wise in the ways of all the good things of the world, for who has seen one who reached the Holy One, Blessed be He, [saying] You are greater than all the gods of their service...' The whole world abandoned the idolatries; at that moment, there was one second where everyone abandoned the idolatries. Afterward, slowly, people 'cooled off.' 'For the Name of the Holy One, Blessed be He, was honored on all sides.'

Therefore, we write Parshat Yitro (the Torah portion of Yitro) because there is a difficulty: What is this Parshat Yitro? Some gentile came and told Moshe, 'Appoint officers of fifties, appoint officers of tens, officers of thousands.' What is the great wisdom here? Everyone knows this wisdom! Moshe wanted to exert himself a bit. He [Yitro] says to him, 'Don't exert yourself.' Fine. For this, we need to name the portion after him? If a Jew comes and tells someone, 'You are overexerting yourself, go to sleep, go rest a bit,' will we then name a portion in the Torah after him? Regarding this, the Zohar says no—we make Parshat Yitro because the whole world converted. And therefore we make Parshat Yitro. This is the insight of the Zohar as to why we make Parshat Yitro. And his name is written in the Torah because in his merit, the whole world converted. Afterward, people cooled off, and they all need to come to Moshe Rabbeinu. If a person hasn't heard a shiur (Torah lesson), then he cools off slowly; he needs to come to another lesson and another lesson!! If a person is not in a state of hislahavus (spiritual fire), then slowly he cools off! People incite him, so of course he cools off!