Parashas Yisro - Humility Includes Knowing Your True Value

In this week's parasha, Yisro, Moshe's father in law, came out to meet Moshe. He heard all about the miracles of Yetzias Mitzraim, Kriyat Yam Suf and the victory of Bnei Yisroel in the war against Amalek. This brought him to see the true Power of Hashem over all the other 'gods' [Rashi 18:11].

The following day, Moshe sat to judge Bnei Yisroel while everyone around him stood. Yisro was surprised at what he saw. He rebuked Moshe, asking why he sat by himself while others around him stood. Rashi [18:13] comments, “He sat like a king while they all stood and this surprised Yisro, because Moshe was not showing proper respect to Bnei Yisroel.”

The lashon accusing Moshe of sitting like a “King” bothered me for a couple reasons: (a) Pirkei Avos [1:4] says that a person should cling to the dirt of the feet of Talmidei Chachamim. Rabbeinu Yonah explains, “It was the way to honor Talmidei Chachamim - by standing before them while they gave shuir or to sit on the ground [by their feet] while Rebbeim sat on chairs.” (b) It says in the end of Parashas Baha'alosecha [12:3,] “And the man, Moshe, was humblest of all men.” What was Yisro's claim on Moshe? Obviously he wasn't there to disrespect Bnei Yisroel nor be treated like a king.

I think the reason why Yisro rebuked Moshe was because he had a different definition of what it meant to be humble: It says in the end of Masechta Horios that whenever a great Rabbi needed something fixed, the craftsman would visit their house instead of making the Rabbi go to him. Rav Yosef, however, didn't want to trouble the craftsman into making a special trip for him, so he went over to the craftsman - even though Rav Yosef knew he was a great Rabbi. That was Yisro's view on humility; coming out of your comfort zone and putting yourself on a similar level as others so that you don't give off that you're better than them.

Moshe on the other hand felt that a person can be humble and still know his true value. Humility comes in different forms. Moshe wrote the Torah thirteen times, which means he wrote the posuk of, “And the man, Moshe, was humblest of all man” - thirteen times! How do you think he felt while writing it? He knew it was true, but does it contradict his humility? Just because Moshe was humble, that doesn't mean he now has to sit on the floor while drawing halachic conclusions and advising angry disputes.

I realized there was a distinction of humility from the posuk (in this week's parasha,) “Moshe's father-in- law, Yisro, came along... to the desert where he was camped near the mountain of Hashem.” Rashi [18:5] says that it was a praise of Yisro because he was living amidst worldwide honor and yet his heart inspired him to go out into the desert – for the purpose of learning Torah. Yisro wasn't a regular civilian, he was a King! Besides the fact it showed how amazed he was since he came out to greet Moshe, (as opposed to Moshe going to meet the King,) but he left his 'comfort zone' and came into the desert for the sake of Torah. He didn't show that he was better than others by sending messengers to bring Moshe all the way to Midyan. So when he saw Moshe sitting like a king, he felt that was not humility. Moshe then explained to him that he was judging Bnei Yisroel and therefore halacha was that the people should stand while the Judge or Rabbi sat, to show (another form of) kavod haTorah.

Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Nisso