אשר עשה אלוקים למשה, that Pharaoh never tried to harm him personally, and that G’d provided him with such an imposing image in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants seeing He let him perform all these miracles.

אחר שלוחיה, seeing that the Torah had never told us that Moses had sent his wife and children back to Midian after they had arrived in Egypt, the Torah had to fill us in on this if we are to understand what is written here. Some commentators believe that what is meant is that now that Moses was in a position to do this he had sent her the gifts a husband normally gives his bride. We find something similar reported of Pharaoh giving his daughter, Solomon’s wife, Gezer Chazor and Megiddo as a dowry. in Kings I 9,15. The former interpretation in the plain meaning of our verse. There would be no point is Yitro bringing Tzipporah back to her husband, when we had never heard that Moses had sent her back to her father in the first place. The last that we had heard was that Tzipporah had accompanied Moses and even circumcised his son (their son) during Moses’ temporary absence. If she had been sent to her father at that time, why did the Torah not report something important like this? The Torah has reported far less important matters more than once, such as Genesis 9,18 וחם הוא אבי כנען, “and Cham, the one who was the father of Canaan.” This information was provided by the Torah in Genesis 10,6 where it belonged. It is therefore not unusual for the Torah to provide some information at a juncture we would not have suspected it.

אחר שלוחיה. The word אחר describes something happening later, as it did in Genesis 22,13 where Avraham only found the ram which had been caught in the thicket by its horns after the binding of Yitzchok was over. Similarly, in Leviticus 15,28 the word אחר תטהר, means that after the procedure described by the Torah previously the woman in question would become ritually clean again. [the point of our author is that in all the examples quoted by him the Bible had informed the reader of the background to the present happening. Why would it not have done so here also? Ed.]

ויאמר, Yitro’s messenger said to him: “I your father-in-law, etc.” [unless Yitro had sent a messenger ahead, why would he have to introduce himself? Ed.]

התלאה אשר מצאתם בדרך, Pharaoh’s pursuit, problems of lack of water and food in the desert, all of which had been solved for them by G’d.

ויחד, a word derived from the category חדה, similar to the word חדוה in Chronicles I 16,27 עוז וחדוה, “strength and joy.” The construction follows the rule applicable to all roots of the ב,ג,ד,כ,פ,ת group of consonants (letters which sometimes take a dagesh chazak). They also lose their last root letter as a result of this. (in our verse the letter ה) More examples are the root בכה and the construction ויבך, vayevk, “he cried.” Another well known example is the root שבה, and the construction וישב, vayashav, “he returned.”

אשר הציל אתכם, a reference to Moses and his brother Aaron;

מיד מצרים ומיד פרעה, Moses and Aaron had been saved directly from possible harm by Pharaoh, whereas the people had been saved from the servitude to the Egyptians.

מכל האלוהים. None of these other deities has the power to avenge their worshipers from unjust sufferings they have endured.

כי בדבר, meaning that G’d requited for every sin committed by the Egyptians in an appropriate and fitting manner. This is the basic meaning of the insight Yitro had now gained.

ויבא אהרן וכל זקני ישראל לאכול לחם עם חתם משה, in honour of the arrival of Yitro they all came to the meal. There was no need to mention that Moses also participated as the meal was served in his tent, he being the host.

לשפוט את העם. Even if we accept the opinion that Jethro had arrived at the encampment of the Jewish people before the revelation at Mount Sinai, mundane matters had been subject of judgment all the time. Any disagreement concerning people’s property needed adjudication. While it is true that at Marah, prior to the revelation at Sinai, not only social laws but also some ritual laws had been revealed (Exodus 15,25), the opinion that Yitro arrived after the revelation at Mount Sinai is more plausible seeing that we read here of the Israelites being encamped at the Mountain of G’d (verse 5). Moreover, chapter 19 commences with the words: “In the third month after the Exodus on the first of the month the Israelites entered the desert of Sinai after having journeyed from Refidim.” It is clear from there that what happened at Refidim and the encampment at Mount Sinai occurred before what is discussed in our paragraph, but that this paragraph was inserted here in order not to interrupt the portions dealing with all the commandments which commence in chapter 21 after the revelation at Mount Sinai.

מן הבקר עד הערב, seeing he was the only judge and he had no assistants.

מדוע אתה יושב לבדך?, and as a result of your being the sole judge the entire people have to stand in line before you from morning to evening.

כי יבא אלי העם לדרוש אלוהים, only I am able to call directly upon G’d, as they are not in the habit of speaking to G’d. Hence I remain by myself.

נבל תבל, the word is similar to the word נבלה in Genesis 11,7 when G’d announced the confounding of man’s languages, using the words ונבלה שם שפתם, “and confound their speech.” Yitro is telling Moses that his words will create confusion as he has to deal with so many people simultaneously so that his listeners would also become confused by what they heard. As a result, one would shout at the other. Yitro tells Moses that he cannot accomplish what he sets out to do by the method he has chosen.

ויהי אלוקים עמך, meaning you will be able to stand the pressure. (compare verse 23)

היה אתה לעם מול האלוקים, for those rulings which require Divine revelation you will act as the people’s mediator by listening to what G’d has decided, and you will warn them accordingly. This is the meaning of the words הדבר הקשה יביאו אליך in verse 22. Any other matters the helpers, i.e. the chiefs of ten, fifty, etc. will decide by themselves. The result will be that you will be greatly relieved.

אנשי חיל, wealthy and influential people who had no reason to be afraid of any of their peers.

שנאי בצע, people who hated ill gotten gains. Bribery and robbery are often referred to as בצע. (compare Chabakuk 2,9). Compare also Genesis 37,26 where Yehudah when saying מה בצע כי נהרוג את אחינו, means: “any gain that we would derive from killing our brother would be illegitimate, illegal.” In Job 27,8 we find a similar use of the word בצע.

כל הדבר הגדול, needs to be addressed to G’d.

וצוך אלוקים, when G’d will command the answer you are to give to the judges.

ויכלת לעמוד, with the help of your assistants.

וגם כל העם הזה, the ones standing in line before you from morning to evening, יבא בשלום, will each be able to go home in short order.

ישפוטו הם, they will judge in a number of locations. The construction pu in this word is in lieu of the normal construction פו with the vowel cholem.