Jethro's Offering and Moses Judging the People All Day

(Exodus 18:12) "And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices." Scripture expresses wonder at him: a man who used to worship, sacrifice, offer incense, and pour libations to his idol, and now he brings a burnt offering and sacrifices to God. "And Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel": and 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," and now where did he go? This teaches that he was standing and serving them. "And Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel": what does Scripture teach by "before God"? It teaches that whoever receives the face of his fellow is as one who receives the face of the Divine Presence. Rav Avin said: whoever benefits from a meal in which a Torah scholar is present is as one who benefits from the radiance of the Divine Presence, as it is said, "and Aaron came" and so on; and did they eat before God? Did they not eat before Moses? Rather, it tells you that whoever benefits from such a meal, and so on. (Exodus 18:13) "And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat" and so on: the morrow of the Day of Atonement. "And Moses sat to judge" and so on: did he judge Israel from morning until evening? Do judges not judge only until mealtime? What then does Scripture teach by "from morning until evening"? It teaches that whoever renders a true judgment, faithful to its truth, Scripture credits him as if he had become a partner with the Holy One, blessed be He, in the work of Creation. It is written here "from morning until evening," and there it says, "and there was evening and there was morning, one day" (Genesis 1:5). Rav Huna said: the dispute is during the give-and-take of argument, but at the time of the verdict all agree the judges sit and the litigants stand, as it is written, "and Moses sat to judge the people" and so on; and further, witnesses are treated like the verdict, and of them it is written, "and the two men shall stand" (Deuteronomy 19:17). Ulla said: the dispute concerns the litigants, but as for witnesses all agree they stand, as it is said, "and the two men shall stand." Rav Chisda and Rabbah bar Rav Huna were sitting in judgment all day, and their hearts grew faint. Rav Chiyya bar Rav of Difti taught them: "and the people stood over Moses from the morning until the evening"; and could it enter your mind that Moses sat and judged the whole day? When was his Torah study done? Rather, it is to tell you that any judge who judges, and so on, as above; and until when do they sit in judgment? Until mealtime. Rav Acha said: what is the verse? "Happy are you, O land, whose king is a free man, and your princes eat in due season, in strength and not in drinking" (Ecclesiastes 10:17): "in strength" of Torah, and not "in drinking" of wine. (Exodus 18:14-16) "And Moses' father-in-law saw" and so on: he saw him like a king sitting on his throne while everyone stands, "so you do to Israel, why do you sit alone?" "And Moses said to his father-in-law": they said, this matter Judah of the village of Akko asked Rabban Gamliel: what did Moses see to say, "for the people come to me to inquire of God"? He said to him, "If not, what should he say?" When he says "to inquire of God," he spoke well. "When they have a matter, it comes to me": between impure and pure. "And I judge between a man": this is the case that has no compromise. "And his fellow": this is the case that has compromise, which tells that both depart as friends, one from the other. "And I make known the statutes of God and His laws": "statutes," these are the midrashic teachings; "and the laws," these are the legal rulings; the words of Rabbi Yehoshua. Rabbi Eliezer says: "statutes," these are the forbidden unions, as it is said, "not to do any of the statutes of the abominations" (Leviticus 18:30); "and the laws," these are the legal rulings. (Exodus 18:18) "You will surely wear away, both you": Rabbi Yehuda says: they will weary you and make you droop. Rabbi Elazar says: they will wither you like a fig tree whose leaves wither, as it is said, "and as a withering leaf from the fig tree" (Isaiah 34:4). "Both you": this is Moses; "also": this is Aaron; "this people that is with you": these are the seventy of the Sanhedrin, the words of Rabbi Yehoshua. Rabbi Elazar of Modi'in says: "both you," this is Moses; "also," this is Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu; "this people that is with you," these are the seventy elders. "For the matter is too heavy for you": he said to him, look at this beam: when it is moist, two or three try to lift it and cannot stand under it; when it is dry, four or five lift it and can stand under it; this is what is written, "for the matter is too heavy for you."