<b>And Jethro rejoiced (Exod. 18:9).</b> Do not read this word as <i>vayihad</i> (“and he rejoiced”) but rather <i>vayihed</i> (“and he became a <i>yehudi</i> [a Jew]”). Why did Jethro say: <i>Blessed be the Lord</i> (Exod. 18:10)? Jethro said: I have not neglected to worship any idol in this world, but I have found no god like the God of Israel. <i>Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods</i> (ibid. 11).
Four men said four things which, had they been uttered by other men, would have been scoffed at with the comment: “How does he know about the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He?” These four were Moses, Nebuchadnezzar, Jethro, and Solomon. Moses said: <i>The Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice</i> (Deut. 32:4), but if any other man had said this, they would have said about him: “How does he know that?” It was proper, however, for Moses to make this statement, since it is written about him: <i>He made known His ways unto Moses</i> (Ps. 103:7). Thus Scripture says: <i>Show me Thy ways</i> (Exod. 33:13).
Solomon said: <i>He hath made everything beautiful in its time</i> (Eccles. 3:11). If any other man had made this statement, they would have laughed at him, saying: “Who told him what is beautiful in its time and what is not beautiful?” Solomon, however, could properly make such a remark since nothing was lacking from his table.
R. Hama the son of Hanina declared: Even ice in the (hot summer) month of Tammuz and melons in the (cool spring) month of Nisan were not lacking from Solomon’s table. Why did he say: <i>He hath made everything beautiful in its time?</i> He said <i>in its time</i> because the taste of growing things changes from season to season.
Nebuchadnezzar said: <i>And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and He doeth according to His will in the hosts of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand, nor say unto Him: What doest thou?</i> (Dan. 4:32). If anyone else had said this, they would have ridiculed him, saying: “How does this wicked one know this?” But it was fitting for him to say it, since it is written about him: <i>And wheresoever the children of men, the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven dwell, hath He given them into thy hand, and hath made thee to rule over them all</i> (ibid. 2:38). Jethro said: <i>Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods; yea, for by the things they planned to do evil</i> (they were destroyed) <i>against them</i> (Exod. 18:11). This may be compared to the man who loaded his ass, only to have the load fall upon him. This happened to the Egyptians. They intended to destroy the Israelites in the water, and they themselves were drowned in the water. Thus it is written: <i>For by the thing they planned to do evil against them</i>.