Machshavot HaLev - Yeshivat Lev HaTorah

108
Yitro
Listen to Your Neighbor
David Roumani
It’s written in Mishlei (27:10) that “better a neighbor who is near than a far off brother.”
The Me’am Lo’ez uses this quote to help emphasize the important role of Yitro in the
foundation of Bnei Israel. In Parashat Yitro, we are witness to a few major events that
help Bnei Israel become a nation. Three months after being taken out of Egypt, the
Jews arrive at Har Sinai. As Moshe sits with his people day to night, teaching them the
laws and commandments and adjudicating their disputes, Yitro wonders why Moshe
is doing this. Moshe explains that the people came to him to seek Hashem (18:15).
He further explains that he would judge between a man and his fellow, and explain to
them the laws of Hashem (18:16).
Yitro, a Midianite priest, then did something worth looking into. He told Moshe to
make a few changes in dealing with the people. He suggests that Moshe appoint God
fearing people as judges to deal with the minor issues between man and his fellow, and
the judges would come to Moshe regarding the more major issues that they couldn’t
resolve. Appointing judges would lessen the burden on Moshe, letting other members
of the nation learn how to judge and make decisions (18:21).
Here we have Yitro, a mere friend of the nation, telling the leader of Bnei Israel how to
run ‘his’ nation. Being the father-in-law of Moshe, among other reasons, tells us that he
had no ulterior motives. He simply cared about the nation. But why did it take Yitro, an
‘outsider’, to suggest that Moshe wouldn’t be able to handle a position as judge over the
entire people? It should have been immediately apparent to Moshe, Aharon, and the
elders of Israel to appoint many judges over a certain number of people.