The One Who Truly Waits the Table Is God

"And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God" (Exodus 18:12). Here Scripture expresses astonishment at him: A man who used to stand and sacrifice and burn incense to idols every day now brings a burnt offering and sacrifices to God! "And Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread." Where did Moses go? Did he not at first go out to meet him, as it is said, "And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law" (verse 7)? Rather, this teaches that Moses stood and served them. This matter Rabbi Tzadok expounded. When Rabban Gamaliel stood and served, they said: Is it right that we recline while Gamaliel, the son of Rabbi, stands and serves us? Rabbi Yehoshua said to them: We find one greater than Rabban Gamaliel who stood and served. They said to him: Who is this? He said to them: Abraham, as it is said, "and he stood over them" (Genesis 18:8) - and they were not even decent men but men who worshipped idols and provoked the Omnipresent; how much more so should Rabban Gamaliel stand and serve men who are worthy and occupied with Torah! Rabbi Tzadok said to them: We find one greater than Abraham and than Rabban Gamaliel who stands and serves. They said to him: Who is this? He said to them: the God of heaven, blessed be He, who gives to each and every one his needs and to every body its sufficiency, as it is said, "who gives bread to all flesh" (Psalms 136:25), and it says, "who gives to the beast its food" (Psalms 147:9) - and not to decent men but to men who worship idols and provoke Him; how much more so should Rabban Gamaliel stand and serve men who are worthy and occupied with Torah! "Before God" - [this teaches that whoever receives the face of the sages is as if he receives the face of the Divine Presence].