Parashat Yitro
In Parashat Yitro, we read how Yitro the father in-law of Moshe gives his son-in law advice in establishing a judicial system, where he suggested to split the nation into segments and to have judges judging every thousand, every hundred, every fifty and every ten. This was in order ease up the work load on Moshe Rabenu. A question that Rav Moshe Feinstein asks is regarding the notion that Moshe Rabenu obviously understood the concept of appointing judges. Why then didn’t he do it on his own? Why did he have to wait for Yitro to come and tell him something that was quite obvious?
Rav Moshe Feinstein answers that Moshe Rabenu did not do anything in his career unless he was commanded by G-d. Even good ideas that he had were not executed unless he had a clear Sevuy (commandment). He proves this point from Sefer Bamidbar in Parashat Matot, where Binei Gad and Binei Reuven came to Moshe and asked for permission to live on the other side of the Jordan River. Moshe Rabenu made certain stipulations and then gave them the approval. So says the Rabbi, don’t think that Moshe Rabenu was doing this on his own without consultation from G-d. The Pasuk writes in Perek 32, Pasuk 31 [listen to the audio clip for the exact quote] that Binei Gad and Binei Reuven answered Moshe and said that they shall do as G-d commands to Moshe. So you see, even there Moshe Rabenu brought the matter to Bore Olam in order to obtain the approval.
Here also, the Pasuk writes that when Yitro came to give Moshe the advice, he said that if you will follow and do this and G-d will give you a commandment on it, so then you will be able to endure. So you can see that even Yitro told Moshe Rabenu that it is a good idea to bring this to G-d to get his approval.
So Rabbi Feinstein says that at the end of the day, it wasn’t Yitro who brought this idea to fruition. It was really the will of G-d that there should be judges among the Jewish people. But since Yitro thought of the idea and since he brought it up to Moshe, even though he was not the reason why it came about, but since he brought it up and he mentioned it, so they give Yitro credit as if it was he who brought the idea of judges. But in truth it was the will of G-d that wanted this, and Moshe Rabenu was really responding not to Yitro, but he was responding to a commandment of Bore Olam to make the judges.
That teaches us 2 lessons. Number one was the loyalty that Moshe Rabenu had as a leader not to do anything unless he asked and got clear permission from Bore Olam. He didn’t make any decision for the Jewish people on his own. And number two, to show you how generous Bore Olam is, in that he gives Yitro the credit for instituting something that would have been instituted anyway by G-d himself. It’s to show you that when a person has a good idea and he voices it to you, even though maybe you would have done it anyway, even if you were planning on doing it, but he gets the credit because he took the time out to give over the advice
