Or HaChaim on Numbers 10:32/אור החיים על במדבר י׳:ל״ב

1 והיה כי תלך עמנו, "It will be when you come with us, etc." Why did the Torah repeat the word והיה before coming to the principal message in the verse? Besides, the entire verse seems superfluous as it contains essentially what Moses had offered Yitro already in verse 29? We will try and explain the verse both according to the view of Rabbi Eliezer Hamadoi and the view of Rabbi Joshua. According to the view of Rabbi Eliezer we must look at the word והיה as being simply a continuation of Moses' offer in verse 29 as follows: "Seeing that you have already become "our eyes," you will continue to be so when you decide to remain with us. You will most certainly not be viewed as a proselyte whose new-found enlightenment can hardly be expected to illuminate at a time when the sun of enlightenment shines all around, etc." According to the view of Rabbi Joshua, Moses merely urged Yitro to retain the stature he had acquired while on visit with the Jewish people.

2According to Rabbi Eliezer the words והיה הטוב ההוא אשר ייטיב השם "the good G'd will perform with the Jewish people, etc." mean that Moses urged Yitro not to leave and to return at a later date seeing that Moses was interested that Yitro should share in the land at the time Israel would reach the land of Canaan. If he were present at that time it would be easy to grant him some of the most fertile land of that region. This could not be guaranteed if he would not be present at the time of the distribution. Actually, Yitro was persuaded by Moses argument and agreed to remain. When he found out later that the Israelites' entry into the Holy land had been postponed for 40 years, he decided to sit out this waiting period in his own country rather than in the desert. He used the interval to convert his countrymen and eventually returned to join the Jewish people and took them up on their offer. According to Rabbi Joshua our verse is also meant to tell Yitro not to view himself as inferior because he was "only" a proselyte. This is why Moses assured him that he would receive a full share of all the good G'd had in store for the Jewish people when the time came. Not only that, but he would receive of the most fertile soil that the land of Canaan had to offer.