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<p>The second half of Chapter 18 begins with a description of how the nation stood in line all day long waiting to be judged by Moshe. Upon viewing this scene, Yitro realizes that the situation is unbearable, and he makes the rather obvious suggestion that Moshe appoint other judges to assist with the workload. Whereupon Moshe implements Yitro's advice and Yitro departs having accomplished his objective.</p>
<p>The second half of <a href="Shemot18-13-27" data-aht="source">Chapter 18</a> begins with a description of how the nation stood in line all day long waiting to be judged by Moshe. Upon viewing this scene, Yitro realizes that the situation is unbearable, and he makes the rather obvious suggestion that Moshe appoint other judges to assist with the workload. Whereupon Moshe implements Yitro's advice and Yitro departs having accomplished his objective.</p>
<p>Interestingly, there is no other case in the Torah of anybody besides Hashem offering Moshe advice.<fn>See <a href="$">here</a> for cases where the law eluded Moshe (נתעלמה ממנו הלכה), where Moshe was at a loss for how to proceed because he had not yet received the law, or where a third party is responsible for the giving of a law. According to <a href="SifreBemidbar78" data-aht="source">Sifre Bemidbar 78</a>, our story is a case where the law eluded Moshe. See also <multilink><a href="Akeidat43" data-aht="source">Akeidat Yitzchak</a><a href="Akeidat43" data-aht="source">43</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Arama (Akeidat Yitzchak)" data-aht="parshan">About Akeidat Yitzchak</a></multilink> who compares our story to some of the other cases.</fn> Additionally, Yitro's advice seems like such an obvious and simple solution that one cannot help but wonder: How could it be that Moshe, the greatest of all men and in possession of a direct line to Hashem, needed Yitro's help to figure this out? As <multilink><a href="Abarbanel18" data-aht="source">Abarbanel</a><a href="Abarbanel18" data-aht="source">Shemot 18</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Abarbanel" data-aht="parshan">About Abarbanel</a></multilink> aptly formulates in his fifth question on this chapter:<fn>Cf. the formulation of the Akeidat Yitzchak.</fn></p>
<p>Interestingly, there is no other case in the Torah of anybody besides Hashem offering Moshe advice.<fn>See <a href="$">here</a> for cases where the law eluded Moshe (נתעלמה ממנו הלכה), where Moshe was at a loss for how to proceed because he had not yet received the law, or where a third party is responsible for the giving of a law. According to <a href="SifreBemidbar78" data-aht="source">Sifre Bemidbar 78</a>, our story is a case where the law eluded Moshe. See also <multilink><a href="Akeidat43" data-aht="source">Akeidat Yitzchak</a><a href="Akeidat43" data-aht="source">43</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Arama (Akeidat Yitzchak)" data-aht="parshan">About Akeidat Yitzchak</a></multilink> who compares our story to some of the other cases.</fn> Additionally, Yitro's advice seems like such an obvious and simple solution that one cannot help but wonder: How could it be that Moshe, the greatest of all men and in possession of a direct line to Hashem, needed Yitro's help to figure this out? As <multilink><a href="Abarbanel18" data-aht="source">Abarbanel</a><a href="Abarbanel18" data-aht="source">Shemot 18</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Abarbanel" data-aht="parshan">About Abarbanel</a></multilink> aptly formulates in his fifth question on this chapter:<fn>Cf. the formulation of the Akeidat Yitzchak.</fn></p>
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<q>Concerning Yitro's advice to Moshe regarding the appointment of the judges: For certainly Yitro’s words were good and correct, but even the greatest simpleton would understand and know that it was a foolish idea for one person to stand in judgment from the morning until the night… And how did Moshe, our teacher, and all of the Elders of Israel not realize that if he would appoint judges over the people, it would have lightened his load? And who would not know that the judges need to be "capable men, God fearing, men of truth, who hate unjust gain," that Yitro needed to teach this to Moshe, the master of all prophets and the greatest of all sages?</q>
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<q xml:lang="he" dir="rtl">השאלה הה' בעצת יתרו למשה במנוי השופטים: כי הנה דברי יתרו היו טובים ונכוחים, אבל קל שבקלים יבין וידע שהיתה עצה נבערה לעמוד אדם אחד מן הבקר עד הערב לשפוט, כי בזה נבול יבול וילאה השופט והנשפטים. ואיך משה רבינו וכל זקני ישראל לא נתנו לב לזה לדעת שאם ימנה שופטים על העם שיקל מעליו? ומי לא ידע בכל אלה שראוי שיהיו השופטים אנשי חיל, יראי א-להים, אנשי אמת, שונאי בצע, שהוצרך יתרו ללמדו לאדון הנביאים וגדול החכמים משה רבינו עד שנאמר וישמע משה לקול חותנו ויעש כל אשר אמר.</q>
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<p>In <a href="2" data-aht="subpage">Exegetical Approaches</a> we will examine a range of approaches to this question which differ in their portrayal of both Moshe and Yitro, as well as in their understanding of the relationship between the different units in our chapter.</p>
<p>In <a href="2" data-aht="subpage">Exegetical Approaches</a> we will examine a range of approaches to this question which differ in their portrayal of both Moshe and Yitro, as well as in their understanding of the relationship between the different units in our chapter.</p>
The second half of Chapter 18 begins with a description of how the nation stood in line all day long waiting to be judged by Moshe. Upon viewing this scene, Yitro realizes that the situation is unbearable, and he makes the rather obvious suggestion that Moshe appoint other judges to assist with the workload. Whereupon Moshe implements Yitro's advice and Yitro departs having accomplished his objective.
Interestingly, there is no other case in the Torah of anybody besides Hashem offering Moshe advice.1 Additionally, Yitro's advice seems like such an obvious and simple solution that one cannot help but wonder: How could it be that Moshe, the greatest of all men and in possession of a direct line to Hashem, needed Yitro's help to figure this out? As AbarbanelShemot 18About Abarbanel aptly formulates in his fifth question on this chapter:2
EN/HEע/E
השאלה הה' בעצת יתרו למשה במנוי השופטים: כי הנה דברי יתרו היו טובים ונכוחים, אבל קל שבקלים יבין וידע שהיתה עצה נבערה לעמוד אדם אחד מן הבקר עד הערב לשפוט, כי בזה נבול יבול וילאה השופט והנשפטים. ואיך משה רבינו וכל זקני ישראל לא נתנו לב לזה לדעת שאם ימנה שופטים על העם שיקל מעליו? ומי לא ידע בכל אלה שראוי שיהיו השופטים אנשי חיל, יראי א-להים, אנשי אמת, שונאי בצע, שהוצרך יתרו ללמדו לאדון הנביאים וגדול החכמים משה רבינו עד שנאמר וישמע משה לקול חותנו ויעש כל אשר אמר.
In Exegetical Approaches we will examine a range of approaches to this question which differ in their portrayal of both Moshe and Yitro, as well as in their understanding of the relationship between the different units in our chapter.
