Yitro: Creating levels

This week's parsha is one that most people dream of writing about. It's got the Ten Commandments, the ten holiest instructions on how to be good people, Good Jews and is the beginning of knowing who we are and how to go about fulfilling that. Yet before we receive this benediction, we find Moses running out to greet his father-in-law, Yitro (Jethro in English), and hearing some well timed information that will certainly come in handy to Moses.

Moses had been spending all of his time sitting outside and waiting for the people to approach him, so he could judge their disputes, and give ruling on their problems. Yitro quickly recognized how time consuming and mundane this could be and suggested his son-in-law use his time more efficiently. Instead of listening to every argument, he should teach his men the laws and rules, making them into people who hate injustice, like truth, and know where they should walk (Shemot 18:20-21). This is a system of both incorporating others into the process of adjudication and ensuring that Moses has more time to communicate with God and deal with other issues as they arise. The explanation of these new men comes in verse 18:21, ושמת עליהם שרי אלפים שרי מאות שרי חמישים ושרי עשרת, translated to and you shall place on [the people] ministers of thousands, minsters of hundreds, minsters of fifties and ministers of tens.

This process of ruling in levels is very sensible to anyone who has ever worked in an organization or the army. There is always another higher-up to whom we must report. As we go up the chain of command, the person to whom we report becomes increasingly more responsible for both greater numbers of people and a more diverse work load (usually). Along the chain, there are people whom we feel may not belong in their positions or may not have the experience or knowledge to successfully serve it, but we must still determine the most effective way of working with them. Regardless, the process is the same as it has been from the Torah.

Moses was cautious to use this system. He was the initial one in whom God trusted, how could he then trust the men to understand the issues and judge them effectively. That is one of the scariest things about teaching someone to do your job. They may very well be more talented than you are, or find an analysis that you personally didn't pick up in. Yet this is also the place where the most joy may arise. As we allow ourselves to truly be a teacher and pass on our own knowledge to others, we find the pride and beauty in another discovering what we have not. We recognize that although we may be superior to the individual in rank, their opinions and descriptions often do hold significant value.

This Shabbat, may we recognize that is system of rank and order may irk us or cause us frustration in our daily lives. Yet may we also recognize that the system acts as a balance for us and still allows us to get our voices heard. By engaging the system, we can often find the answers which we seek. When those answers do not appear, that is the time to seek out Moses, and sometimes even the head honcho, God. God's presence is everywhere, informing our decisions, but sometimes the more pure interaction with God is necessary for a proper conclusion. כן יהי רצון, may it be God's will