Exodus 18:1 h.וישמע יתרו AND JETHRO HEARD — What was the particular report which he heard so that he came? — The division of the Red Sea and the war with Amalek (cf. (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:1:1; Zevachim 116a).
h.יתרו JETHRO — He was called by seven names: Reuel, Jether, Jethro, Hobab, Heber, Keni and Putiel. He was called Jether (from יִתֵּר “to add”) because he added (it was through him that there was added) a section to the Torah; viz., that beginning at (21 ff.) “Moreover thou shalt provide”. Jethro — so was he called because when he became a proselyte and fulfilled the divine precepts one more letter was added to his name (יתר). Hobab — because he loved (חִבֵּב) the Torah (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:1:2). — Hobab is certainly identical with Jethro, as it is said, (Judges 4:11) “of the sons of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses” and therefore it is correct to say that Hobab is one of his names. But as to Reuel there are some who say that he is not identical with Jethro, but that he was Hobab’s (Jethro’s) father, as may be seen from Numbers 10:29. Then what, according to this view, would be the meaning of (Exodus 2:18) “And they came to Reuel, their father” (from which it would appear that Reuel and Jethro are the same)? It means their grandfather, for children call their grandfather: father. This is to be found in Sifrei Bamidbar 79 (on Numbers 10:29).
h.חתן משה MOSES’ FATHER-IN-LAW — Here Jethro prided himself on his relationship to Moses: I, the father-in-law of the king. Previously, however, Moses had made whatever greatness he had hinge upon his relationship to his father-in-law, the chieftain of Midian, as it is said, (Exodus 4:18) “And he returned to Jethro, his father-in-law” (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:1:4).
h.למשה ולישראל TO MOSES AND TO ISRAEL — Moses alone is of equal in importance to all Israel (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:1:5).
h.את כל אשר עשה ALL THAT [GOD] HAD DONE for them through the falling of the Manna and through the well (cf. Rashi on Numbers 21:17) and by the defeat of Amalek.
h.כי הוציא ה׳ וגו׳ THAT THE LORD HAD BROUGHT FORTH etc. — this was greater than all other things, and is therefore singled out for mention (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:1:5).
Exodus 18:2 h.אחר שלוחיה AFTER HIS HAVING SENT HER AWAY — When God said to him in Midian, (Exodus 4:19, 20) “Go, return to Egypt … and Moses took his wife and his sons etc…. and Aaron went forth towards him and met him at the Mount of God”, he (Aaron) said to him, “Who are these?” He answered him, “This is my wife whom I married in Midian and these are my children”. He, thereupon, asked him, “Whither are you taking them?” He replied, “To Egypt”. Where-upon he said to him, “We have cause to grieve over the former ones (the Israelites already there), and you propose to add to their number!” Moses therefore said to her, “Return to your father’s house” — she took her two sons and went away (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:2).
Exodus 18:4 h.ויצלני מחרב פרעה AND HE DELIVERED ME FROM THE SWORD OF PHARAOH — When Dathan and Abiram made the disclosure regarding the matter of the Egyptian whom Moses had killed and Pharaoh wished to slay Moses, his neck became as a column of marble so that the sword was powerless against him (Shemot Rabbah 1:31; cf. Rashi on Exodus 2:15).
Exodus 18:5 h.אל המדבר INTO THE DESERT — Indeed we know that they were in the wilderness, and it appears unnecessary to state that Jethro came to Moses there. But by stressing this Scripture is speaking in praise of Jethro: that he was living amidst all the splendour that the world could provide, and nevertheless his heart prompted him to go forth into the desert, a waste place (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:5:2), to hearken to the words of the Torah.
Exodus 18:6 h.ויאמר אל משה AND HE SAID UNTO MOSES through a messenger (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:6).
h.'אני חתנך יתרו וגו I, THY FATHER-IN-LAW, JETHRO etc. — If you will not come out for my own sake, come out for the sake of your wife; and if you will not come out for your wife’s sake, come out for the sake of your two sons (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:6).
Exodus 18:7 h.ויצא משה AND MOSES WENT OUT — Great honour, indeed, did Jethro receive at that moment, for as soon as Moses went out to Jethro, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu went out, and who was it that saw these go out and would not himself go out? (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayigash 7)
h.וישתחו וישק לו AND HE PROSTRATED HIMSELF AND KISSED HIM — From the wording of this statement I do not know who prostrated himself to whom! But when it states in the next words: איש לרעהו, “a man to his fellow”, it becomes quite evident; for which of the two is called by the appellation איש, “man”? — This was Moses, as it is said, (Numbers 12:3) “And the man, Moses”. (Thus it was the man (איש) Moses, who bowed down to his fellow (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:7:2).
Exodus 18:8 h.ויספר משה לחתנו AND MOSES RELATED TO HIS FATHER-IN-LAW [ALL THAT THE LORD HAD DONE] — in order to allure his heart that he might attach him to the Torah (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:8).
h.את כל התלאה ALL THE TRAVAIL that they had experienced at the Red Sea, and that caused by Amalek (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:8).
h.התלאה — The ל and א are part of the primary form of the word and the ת is a formative letter and a part of the primary form of the noun which sometimes is omitted from it. Similar examples are תרומה and תנופה and תקומה and תנואה.
Exodus 18:9 h.ויחד יתרו AND JETHRO REJOICED — This is its literal meaning. A Midrashic comment is: his flesh became full of prickles (חדודין — his flesh crept with horror) — he felt grieved at the destruction of Egypt. That is what people say (what the common proverb says): A proselyte even though his heathen descent dates from as far back as the tenth generation, do not speak slightingly of an Aramean (any non-Jew) in his presence (Sanhedrin 94a).
h.על כל הטובה FOR ALL THE GOODNESS — the goodness in giving the Manna and the well and the Torah — and he rejoiced above all these (more especially), אשר הצילו מיד מצרים THAT HE HAD DELIVERED THEM OUT OF THE HAND OF EGYPT — Until now no slave had ever been able to escape from Egypt because that land was closely shut in on all sides, but these had gone forth six hundred thousand in number (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:11:1).
Exodus 18:10 h.אשר הציל אתכם מיד מצרים WHO HATH DELIVERED YOU OUT OF THE HAND OF EGYPT, a hard people,
h.ומיד פרעה AND OUT OF THE HAND OF PHARAOH, a hard monarch.
h.מתחת יד מצרים — Translate this as the Targum does: from beneath the authority of Egypt, taking יד as an expression of domination and authority; “the hand” spoken of here is the hand which they imposed heavily upon them — referring to the hard bondage.
Exodus 18:11 h.עתה ידעתי NOW I KNOW — I indeed knew Him formerly, but now I know Him even more (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:11:2).
h.מכל האלהים [GREATER] THAN ALL THE GODS — This tells us that he had a full knowledge of every idol in the world — that he left no idol unworshipped by him (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:11:1).
h.כי בדבר אשר זדו עליהם — Understand this as the Targum does for by that very thing with which the Egyptians thought to judge Israel were they themselves judged — they had thought to destroy them by water and they were themselves destroyed by water (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:11:2).
h.אשר זדו means in which they had shown themselves wicked. Our Rabbis, however, explained it in the same sense as the root which we find in (Genesis 25:29) “And Jacob was boiling (ויזד) pottage (נזיד) (lit., something boiled)” — in the pot wherein they had boiled, therein were they themselves boiled (Sotah 11a).
Exodus 18:12 h.עלה — Translate this according to its usual meaning: a burnt-offering, which was burnt entire and completely.
h.וזבחים AND SACRIFICES — i. e. peace-offerings.
h.ויבא אהרן וגו׳ AND AARON CAME, etc. — But where had Moses gone? Was it not he who had gone out to meet him and had been the cause of all the honour shown to him? But the explanation why he is not mentioned as having come to eat bread with Jethro is that he was standing by and waiting upon them (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:12:2).
h.לפני האלהים BEFORE GOD — From this statement that they were “before God” we may learn that one who takes part in (more lit., who has enjoyment from) a meal at which scholars sit may be regarded as though he has enjoyment from the splendour of the Shechina (Berakhot 64a; cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:12:3).
Exodus 18:13 h.ויהי ממחרת AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE MORROW — This was really the day after the Day of Atonement: so have we learnt in Siphré (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:13:1). Since the Day of Atonement is not mentioned anywhere in this section that deals with the Giving of the Law what is the force of ממחרת? i. e. in relation to what particular day in the history of the Law-giving is the term ממחרת, “on the morrow”, used? It means the morrow after he (Moses) descended from the Mount Sinai, and you must admit that it is impossible to say that this was any other day but the morrow after the Day of Atonement because, before the giving of the Torah, one could not say, (v. 16) “and I do make them know the statutes [of God and His laws]” (which are part of the Torah), and from the day when the Torah was given until the Day of Atonement Moses did not sit down to judge the people, since immediately after the Torah was given he ascended the mountain and descended only on the seventeenth of Tammuz when he broke the tablets in pieces. On the next day he again ascended the mountain early in the morning and stayed there eighty days, descending on the Day of Atonement (cf. Tanchuma כי תשא, Rashi on 33:11, Deuteronomy 9:18 and 10:1). Consequently this section is not written (placed) in its chronological order, for this paragraph commencing with ויהי ממחרת and ending with “Moses let his father-in-law go and he (Jethro) went his way into his own land” was not said before the second year after the Exodus. For even according to the view of one who says that Jethro came to Moses before the giving of the Torah (Avodah Zarah 24a) his dismissal into his own land did not take place until the second year, for it is stated here (v. 27) “Moses let his father-in-law go”, and we find in the account of Israel’s journey through the wilderness beneath their banners (which according to Numbers 10:11 began in the second year) that Moses said to him, (Numbers 10:29, 31) “We are journeying etc…. Forsake us not, I pray thee”. Now if this incident happened before the giving of the Torah (including Jethro’s departure) where do we find it related that he returned after he had let him go and he had taken departure? And if you object that there (in the section in Numbers which Rashi has quoted as evidence that Jethro’s departure took place in the second year) it does not mention Jethro at all but Hobab, and that the latter was not Jethro but the son of Jethro, then I reply that Hobab is identical with Jethro and not his son, because it is written, (Judges 4:11) “of the sons of Hobab, the father-in-law of Moses”.
h.וישב משה וגו׳ ויעמד העם MOSES SAT … AND THE PEOPLE STOOD He was sitting like a king and they all stood, and the thing was distasteful to Jethro in that he made light of the respect due to Israel. He therefore reproved him for this, as it is said (v. 14) “Why sittest thou only” — and they all stand! (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:14)
h.מן הבקר עד הערב FROM MORNING UNTO EVENING — Is it really possible to say so — that Moses sat the whole day long? But the explanation is that any judge who gives a rightful decision as truth demands it, even though he spends but one hour on it, Scripture accounts it to him as though he had occupied himself with the Torah the whole day long, and as though he became co-partner with the Holy One, blessed be He, in the work of the Creation of which it is stated, “It was evening and it was morning” (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:13; Shabbat 10a).
Exodus 18:15 h.כי יבא — This is the same as כי בא because the people comes”, the imperfect tense expressing continuous action.
h.לדרש אלהים TO ENQUIRE OF GOD — Understand this as the Targum does: למתבע אלפן, to seek instruction from the mouth of the Almighty.
Exodus 18:16 h.כי יהיה להם דבר בא WHEN THEY HAVE A MATTER THEY COME (lit., “he comes”) — “He”, viz., who has the matter comes to me.
Exodus 18:17 h.ויאמר חתן משה AND MOSES’ FATHER-IN-LAW SAID — By way of honour Scripture describes him as the father-in-law of the king.
Exodus 18:18 h.נבל תבל — Explain this as the Targum does: thou will certainly become weary. Its meaning expresses the idea of withering, old French flestre, just as. (Jeremiah 8:13) “and the leaf is withered (נבל)”; (Isaiah 34:4) “as withereth (כנבל) the leaf from off the vine” — the meaning being that it becomes shrivelled through the heat and through the frost, and so its strength diminishes and it becomes, as it were, weary, and falls from off the vine (מגפן).
h.גם אתה THOU ALSO — The word גם “also” was added in order to include Aaron and Hur and the seventy elders (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:17).
h.כי כבד ממך FOR [THIS THING] IS TOO HEAVY FOR THEE — its weight is far more than thy strength can bear.
Exodus 18:19 h.איעצך ויהי אלהים עמך I WILL GIVE THEE COUNSEL BUT LET GOD BE WITH THEE in considering this counsel. This is really what he said to him: Go and consult with the Almighty as regards the counsel I give you (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:19).
h.היה אתה לעם מול האלהים BE THOU FOR THE PEOPLE TO GOD-WARD — be thou the agent and intermediary between them and the Omnipresent, and be thou the one who enquires of Him regarding the judgments.
h.את הדברים [AND THOU SHALT BRING] THE MATTERS — i. e. the matters of their strife.
Exodus 18:21 h.ואתה תחזה MOREOVER THOU SHALT PROVIDE through the Holy Spirit that is upon thee (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:21:1),
h.אנשי חיל MEN OF ABILITY (but חיל may mean “wealth” and in this sense the words would mean) — rich men who will not need to flatter or to show favour (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:21:1).
h.אנשי אמת MEN OF TRUTH — These are people commanding confidence (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:21:1); who are deserving that one should rely upon their words — appoint these as judges because on account of this their words will be listened to.
h.שנאי בצע HATING LUCRE — men who hate (pay no regard to) their property when it is to be made the matter of a law-suit (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:21:1), in accordance with what we say: Any judge from whom one has to wring the money he owes only by means of a law-suit is no fitting judge (Bava Batra 58b).
h.שרי אלפים OFFICERS OF THOUSANDS — there were six hundred such officers for the six hundred thousand men of Israel.
h.שרי מאות OFFICERS OF HUNDREDS — there were six thousand of them.
h.שרי חמשים OFFICERS OF FIFTIES — twelve thousand.
h.שרי עשרת OFFICERS OF TENS — sixty thousand (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:21:2, Sanhedrin 18a).
Exodus 18:22 h.ושפטו — Onkelos translates this by וידונון AND LET THEM JUDGE (not “and they judged”, as in v. 26) — the word expresses a command.
h.והקל מעליך lit., AND TO LIGHTEN the burden FROM OFF YOU — this thing will serve to lighten it from off you. והקל — the grammatical form is similar to (Exodus 8:11) ”and to harden (והכבד) his heart”; (2 Kings 3:24) “and to smite (והכות) Moab” — both of which words are infinitives expressing present time.
Exodus 18:23 h.וצוך אלהים ויכלת עמד This implies: Consult the Almighty; if He commands thee to do this, thou wilt be able to stand, and if He prevents thee thou wilt be unable to stand (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:23).
h.וגם כל העם הזה AND ALL THIS PEOPLE ALSO — Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and the seventy elders who are now associated with you (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:23).
Exodus 18:26 h.ושפטו — Onkelos translates by ודינין ית עמא “and they were judging the people” (cf. Rashi on v. 22).
h.יביאון — Onkelos translates this by מיתין (participle) “they were bringing” (or “they always brought”).
h.יִשְׁפּוּטוּ הֵם — This is the same as יִשְׁפְּטוּ; similar is (Ruth 2:8) לֹא תַעֲבוּרִי which is the same as לֹא תַעַבְרִי. Its translation in the Targum is דינין אינון “they were judging”. The above verses (i. e. the verbs in v. 22) express the command and consequently they are translated by וידונון and ייתון and ידונון, “and let them judge”, and “let them bring”, and “let them judge”; but these verses express the doing of what was commanded (they state that the command was actually carried out).
Exodus 18:27 h.וילך לו אל ארצו AND HE WENT HIS WAY INTO HIS OWN LAND, for the purpose of making proselytes of the members of his family (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 18:24:2)