by Rabbi Avi Billet
Before things begin to go sour with the complaints and offensive ways of the Jewish people in the wilderness, Moshe invites his father in law to join the Nation of Israel, and “to be our eyes.” (10:31) The simple understanding is that Moshe is asking Chovav/Yitro to be a guide for the Jewish people.
Rabbenu Bachaye asks the almost obvious question: If the people are traveling based on the clouds (9:17-23), what need do they have for Yitro to be a guide?
He gives four answers, the last two coming from the Midrash:
- Moshe wanted to give encouragement to those who were of lesser faith, who were more comfortable following a human being than a cloud.
- “To be eyes for us” (an alternative translation) means to serve as a witness for the nations of what you’ve seen with your own eyes, such as the signs and great wonders. This would allow the nations to learn the lesson that Korach experienced, and be inspired to join the Jewish people.
- “You’ll be our eyes” in that anything our eyes miss (or perhaps don’t understand), you will enlighten for us.
- (loose translation) “You will be as beloved to us as the apple of our eyes” as the Torah says (Devarim 10:19) “You shall love the convert.”
For the most part, these answers put Moshe’s request in a very different light. With the exception of the first approach, Moshe is not asking Yitro to be a guide for the people. In all the explanations, he is asking Yitro to serve as some kind of inspiration for whoever sees him at the shared helm of the Israelite nation.
One might think that the first answer is quite problematic. Why accede to the of-little- faith-folk just because they need to see a figure head in front of them? Wouldn’t Moshe be good enough? And even if he doesn’t technically know the way, he seems to have found Mt. Sinai with God’s direction. Perhaps it would be good for the people not to second-guess his leadership! So why would Moshe yield to this idea, particularly since it seems to be his own initiative, and not coming from the people themselves?
Maybe it was a premonition. The faith of the people changed very quickly after this exchange. Maybe Moshe knew that the people would start doing the wrong thing, might make poor choices, might slowly challenge his leadership. Maybe he was aware and was trying to nip the problem in the bud. In hindsight, of course, we don’t know what Yitro chose to do. Knowing the rest of the story, the first interpretation could suggest either that Yitro left, or that Moshe’s idea did not last long. Any inspiration was quickly lost to those of little faith.
The other interpretations have a much more positive outlook of the role Yitro could have served for the mutual benefit of himself, the nation of Israel, and the nations they would encounter. Once again, not knowing what he chose to do, our hindsight could indicate either that the thought was nice, but he didn’t show up, or that Moshe’s thought didn’t pan out for other reasons.
The take-home lesson is that for any logistical arrangement, it is always a good idea to have a “Plan B.” There is evidence (see Rashi, Chizkuni) that Moshe was already aware that he was not going to enter the land (predating the spies incident and the hitting-the-rock incident). As Yehoshua had not yet been appointed successor, maybe Moshe was trying to give leadership to a man he trusted, who knew the terrain. Maybe he felt that there was a disconnect between himself and the people. Maybe he felt that a person of Yitro’s stature could best demonstrate a positive image of this nation that might otherwise soon strike fear in the hearts of the nations of Canaan.
From his own people, and even from God’s vantage-point, Moshe’s plan had too many holes in it. Would the people be happy with extended travel? Did they like the format of travel? Were they content with the leadership? Could they offer a face to the world that would be appealing, for other nations to embrace?
Moshe seems to have revered his father in law, so he invites him to be the solution to all the problems.
But even Plan B doesn’t work, and there is no Plan C. And the proof is how quickly things sour, when Yitro’s role is not realized the way we anticipate, and the people quickly lose faith in Moshe’s leadership in the coming chapters.
Too much of life is lost to poor planning and lack of contingency foresight. With the right systems and groups in place, we can hopefully fulfill the dictum of Tamid 32a – “Who is wise? One who anticipates what is coming.”
If only we could be blessed to be so insightful. If only we could plan for every possible outcome, and always be on top, no matter what curve ball life throws our way!
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