Saadia's Tafsir on Shemot 18 (Parashat Yitro)

Shemot 18:1

וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ כֹהֵן מִדְיָן חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱלֹהִים לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ כִּי-הוֹצִיא יְהוָה אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם

. . . .

Then Jethro, the imām of Midian, the father-in-law of Moses, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, since God had brought the sons of Israel out of Egypt.

Shemot 18:2

וַיִּקַּח יִתְרוֹ חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֶת-צִפֹּרָה אֵשֶׁת מֹשֶׁה--אַחַר שִׁלּוּחֶיהָ

. .

And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took Zipporah, the wife of Moses, after he had sent her back to him.

Shemot 18:3

וְאֵת שְׁנֵי בָנֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר שֵׁם הָאֶחָד גֵּרְשֹׁם--כִּי אָמַר גֵּר הָיִיתִי בְּאֶרֶץ נָכְרִיָּה

. . .

And her two sons — the name of one of whom was Gershom, because he said: 'I have become a stranger in a land of strangeness' —

Shemot 18:4

וְשֵׁם הָאֶחָד אֱלִיעֶזֶר--כִּי-אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי בְּעֶזְרִי וַיַּצִּלֵנִי מֵחֶרֶב פַּרְעֹה

. . .

and the name of the other was Eliezer, because he said: 'The God of my father was in my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.'

Shemot 18:5

וַיָּבֹא יִתְרוֹ חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה וּבָנָיו וְאִשְׁתּוֹ--אֶל-מֹשֶׁה אֶל-הַמִּדְבָּר אֲשֶׁר-הוּא חֹנֶה שָׁם--הַר הָאֱלֹהִים

. . .

And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, came with his sons and his wife to him, into the wilderness — he who was encamped there — at the mountain of God.

Shemot 18:6

וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-מֹשֶׁה אֲנִי חֹתֶנְךָ יִתְרוֹ בָּא אֵלֶיךָ וְאִשְׁתְּךָ--וּשְׁנֵי בָנֶיהָ עִמָּהּ

. .

And he sent someone to say to Moses on his behalf: 'Your father-in-law Jethro has come to you, and your wife and her two sons with her.'

Shemot 18:7

וַיֵּצֵא מֹשֶׁה לִקְרַאת חֹתְנוֹ וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ וַיִּשַּׁק-לוֹ וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ אִישׁ-לְרֵעֵהוּ לְשָׁלוֹם וַיָּבֹאוּ הָאֹהֱלָה

. . .

And Moses went out to receive his father-in-law; and he bowed down, then kissed him; and each man asked after the well-being of his companion; and the two of them entered into the tent.

Shemot 18:8

וַיְסַפֵּר מֹשֶׁה לְחֹתְנוֹ אֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְהוָה לְפַרְעֹה וּלְמִצְרַיִם עַל אוֹדֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵת כָּל-הַתְּלָאָה אֲשֶׁר מְצָאָתַם בַּדֶּרֶךְ וַיַּצִּלֵם יְהוָה

. . .

And Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that God had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians on account of the sons of Israel, and all the hardship that had befallen them on the way — and how God had delivered them.

Shemot 18:9

וַיִּחַדְּ יִתְרוֹ--עַל כָּל-הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר-עָשָׂה יְהוָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הִצִּילוֹ מִיַּד מִצְרָיִם

. . .

And Jethro rejoiced over all the good that God had done for the sons of Israel, and that He had delivered them from the hand of the Egyptians.

Shemot 18:10

וַיֹּאמֶר יִתְרוֹ בָּרוּךְ יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר הִצִּיל אֶתְכֶם מִיַּד מִצְרַיִם וּמִיַּד פַּרְעֹה אֲשֶׁר הִצִּיל אֶת-הָעָם מִתַּחַת יַד-מִצְרָיִם

. . . . .

And Jethro said: 'Blessed be God, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh — who has delivered the people from under the burden of the Egyptians.'

Shemot 18:11

עַתָּה יָדַעְתִּי כִּי-גָדוֹל יְהוָה מִכָּל-הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי בַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר זָדוּ עֲלֵיהֶם

. .

'Now I know that God is greater than all objects of worship, inasmuch as He requited them with the very thing by which they had acted presumptuously against them.'

Shemot 18:12

וַיִּקַּח יִתְרוֹ חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה עֹלָה וּזְבָחִים--לֵאלֹהִים וַיָּבֹא אַהֲרֹן וְכֹל זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֶאֱכָל-לֶחֶם עִם-חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה--לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים

. . . .

And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, presented burnt-offerings and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came, and all the elders of the sons of Israel, to eat a meal with him before God.

Shemot 18:13

וַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת וַיֵּשֶׁב מֹשֶׁה לִשְׁפֹּט אֶת-הָעָם וַיַּעֲמֹד הָעָם עַל-מֹשֶׁה מִן-הַבֹּקֶר עַד-הָעָרֶב

. . .

And when it was on the morrow, Moses stood to judge the people; and the people stood before him from morning until evening.

Shemot 18:14

וַיַּרְא חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר-הוּא עֹשֶׂה לָעָם וַיֹּאמֶר מָה-הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹשֶׂה לָעָם--מַדּוּעַ אַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב לְבַדֶּךָ וְכָל-הָעָם נִצָּב עָלֶיךָ מִן-בֹּקֶר עַד-עָרֶב

. . . . . .

And his father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people; and he said: 'What is this thing that you are doing for the people? What is your concern that you sit alone, while all the people stand before you from morning until evening?'

Shemot 18:15

וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה לְחֹתְנוֹ כִּי-יָבֹא אֵלַי הָעָם לִדְרֹשׁ אֱלֹהִים

. .

He said to him: 'It is because the people come to me seeking the word of God.'

Shemot 18:16

כִּי-יִהְיֶה לָהֶם דָּבָר בָּא אֵלַי וְשָׁפַטְתִּי בֵּין אִישׁ וּבֵין רֵעֵהוּ וְהוֹדַעְתִּי אֶת-חֻקֵּי הָאֱלֹהִים וְאֶת-תּוֹרֹתָיו

.

'If they have a dispute, they come to me, and I judge between the man and his companion, and I make known to them the ordinances of God and His laws.'

Shemot 18:17

וַיֹּאמֶר חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵלָיו לֹא-טוֹב הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹשֶׂה

. .

His father-in-law said to him: 'What you are doing is not the best course.'

Shemot 18:18

נָבֹל תִּבֹּל--גַּם-אַתָּה גַּם-הָעָם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר עִמָּךְ כִּי-כָבֵד מִמְּךָ הַדָּבָר לֹא-תוּכַל עֲשֹׂהוּ לְבַדֶּךָ

. . .

'You will surely wear out — both you and the people who are with you — for the matter is too heavy upon you, and you cannot do it alone.'

Shemot 18:19

עַתָּה שְׁמַע בְּקֹלִי אִיעָצְךָ וִיהִי אֱלֹהִים עִמָּךְ הֱיֵה אַתָּה לָעָם מוּל הָאֱלֹהִים וְהֵבֵאתָ אַתָּה אֶת-הַדְּבָרִים אֶל-הָאֱלֹהִים

. . . .

'Now, accept from me what I counsel you, and may God be with you: be you for the people the one who faces God — bring their matters up to Him;'

Shemot 18:20

וְהִזְהַרְתָּה אֶתְהֶם אֶת-הַחֻקִּים וְאֶת-הַתּוֹרֹת וְהוֹדַעְתָּ לָהֶם אֶת-הַדֶּרֶךְ יֵלְכוּ בָהּ וְאֶת-הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשׂוּן

. .

'and warn them concerning the ordinances and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they shall walk, and the deeds that they shall do.'

Shemot 18:21

וְאַתָּה תֶחֱזֶה מִכָּל-הָעָם אַנְשֵׁי-חַיִל יִרְאֵי אֱלֹהִים אַנְשֵׁי אֱמֶת--שֹׂנְאֵי בָצַע וְשַׂמְתָּ עֲלֵהֶם שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים שָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת שָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים וְשָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרֹת

. . . .

'And you — look out from all the people for men of ability, who fear God, men of integrity who hate greed; and appoint over them heads of thousands and hundreds, and of fifties and of tens.'

Shemot 18:22

וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת-הָעָם בְּכָל-עֵת וְהָיָה כָּל-הַדָּבָר הַגָּדֹל יָבִיאוּ אֵלֶיךָ וְכָל-הַדָּבָר הַקָּטֹן יִשְׁפְּטוּ-הֵם וְהָקֵל מֵעָלֶיךָ וְנָשְׂאוּ אִתָּךְ

. . . .

'And they shall judge among the people at all times; and every great matter they shall bring up to you, while every small matter they shall judge themselves — so lighten the burden from yourself, and they shall bear it together with you.'

Shemot 18:23

אִם אֶת-הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה תַּעֲשֶׂה וְצִוְּךָ אֱלֹהִים וְיָכָלְתָּ עֲמֹד וְגַם כָּל-הָעָם הַזֶּה עַל-מְקֹמוֹ יָבֹא בְשָׁלוֹם

. . . .

'If you do this thing, and God commands you in it, you will be able to endure; and likewise all this people will reach their place in peace.'

Shemot 18:24

וַיִּשְׁמַע מֹשֶׁה לְקוֹל חֹתְנוֹ וַיַּעַשׂ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר אָמָר

.

And Moses accepted from his father-in-law, and did all that he had commanded him.

Shemot 18:25

וַיִּבְחַר מֹשֶׁה אַנְשֵׁי-חַיִל מִכָּל-יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָם רָאשִׁים עַל-הָעָם--שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים שָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת שָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים וְשָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרֹת

. . .

And Moses chose men of ability from all the house of Israel, and appointed them as heads over them — heads of thousands and hundreds, and of fifties and of tens.

Shemot 18:26

וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת-הָעָם בְּכָל-עֵת אֶת-הַדָּבָר הַקָּשֶׁה יְבִיאוּן אֶל-מֹשֶׁה וְכָל-הַדָּבָר הַקָּטֹן יִשְׁפּוּטוּ הֵם

. .

And they came to judge among the people at all times; every difficult matter they would bring up to Moses, and every small matter they would judge themselves.

Shemot 18:27

וַיְשַׁלַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת-חֹתְנוֹ וַיֵּלֶךְ לוֹ אֶל-אַרְצוֹ

.

And Moses released his father-in-law, and he went on his way to his land.