And his father-in-law, JETHRO, saw it happening right before his eyes.

The story goes that Moses, after the Exodus, was single-handedly acting as judge for the entire Israelite nation. Talk about pressure! Ginzberg, in Legends of the Jews, paints a vivid picture: On the very day Jethro witnessed Moses in action, a "mixed multitude" (erev rav), likely those who joined the Israelites from Egypt, came clamoring for their share of the Egyptian spoils. Moses, ever the devoted leader, was trying to handle it all himself.

But Jethro, a seasoned leader in his own right, knew this wasn't a recipe for success. He observed Moses' methods and, well, he wasn't impressed. In fact, he thought they were absurd!

Now, Jethro being the wise man he was, didn't come right out and say, "Moses, this is a disaster!" Instead, he softened the blow. The text phrases his critique delicately. He said, "The thing that thou doest is not good." A rather polite understatement, wouldn't you say? It was a far cry from the "It is bad" that he probably wanted to say.

Jethro continued, warning Moses that if he kept going at this pace, he'd wear himself, Aaron, his sons Nadab and Abihu, and even the seventy elders to a frazzle. "The people," he cautioned, "will surely unbraid thee." Can you imagine the chaos?

But Jethro didn't just point out the problem; he offered a solution. "If thou hearkenest now to my voice," he said, "thou wilt fare well, provided God approves of my plan." Here’s where the real wisdom comes in.

Jethro proposed that Moses remain "the vessel of the revelations of God," receiving and imparting God's wisdom to the people. He should explain the Torah, its interpretations, and its laws, so everyone could understand. He should instruct them in prayer, in caring for the sick, in burying the dead, in acts of friendship, and in the importance of justice – and even when not to insist on strict justice.

But when it came to judging, Jethro suggested a radical shift: delegation. Moses should select wise, God-fearing, modest individuals who hated greed, loved truth and humanity, and possessed a good reputation. These individuals should dedicate themselves to trials and to the study of Torah.

According to Jethro, if God approved this plan, then Moses, Aaron, his sons, the elders, and all the people would dwell in peace. A pretty powerful promise!

It's a lesson that resonates even today. Are we trying to do too much? Are we surrounding ourselves with the right people? Are we listening to wise counsel, even when it's delivered with a gentle "This is not good"? Perhaps it's time we all took a page from Jethro's book and learned the art of delegation, trust, and finding the right people to share the load. Because even Moses needed a little help along the way.