Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro (Yitro in Hebrew), has heard of the miracle at the Sea of Reeds, and he decides it is time to reunite Moses with his wife and sons. When Jethro arrives, he observes Moses sitting outside the Tent of Meeting from morning until night, adjudicating disputes among the Israelites. The people stand around, also from morning until night, awaiting their turn. Jethro immediately realizes this is a bigger job than any one person can handle.
Jethro loses no time in sharing his observations with Moses and giving some helpful advice. He tells Moses to choose capable leaders among the tribes and set them up as judges to serve the people. These judges will be able to handle easier cases, and what they cannot handle, they can send along to Moses to deal with. Moses agrees that this is better both for him and for the people, who will be able to get their cases heard more quickly.
It might seem at first that this system is needlessly bureaucratic and unwieldy. But the reality is that governing a large and diverse population (remember, the Torah tells us the refugees from Egyptian slavery are a ‘mixed multitude’, not a homogenous population) requires a large workforce to address needs and issues. Far from being unnecessary or wasteful, it was what was needed in order to ensure that everyone’s issues are heard and needs are met.
-Rabbi Bonnie Margulis
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