Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 18:19/רמב"ן על שמות י״ח:י״ט

אוִיהִי אֱלֹהִים עִמָּךְ בְּעֵצָה זוֹ, אָמַר לוֹ צֵא הִמָּלֵךְ בַּגְּבוּרָה. לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על שמות י"ח:י"ט). ור"א פֵּרֵשׁ שְׁמַע בְּקוֹלִי וְהָיָה ה' בְּעֶזְרְךָ לְהַצְלִיחֲךָ בַּעֲצָתִי. אֲבָל לְמַטָּה (שמות י"ח:כ"ג) אָמַר אִם אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה תַּעֲשֶׂה וְצִוְּךָ אֱלֹהִים, שֶׁפֵּרוּשׁוֹ אִם תַּעֲשֶׂה אֶת הַדָּבָר וְצִוְּךָ אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ אָז תּוּכַל לַעֲמֹד, שֶׁתִּמָּלֵךְ בַּגְּבוּרָה, וְאֵין סָפֵק שֶׁעָשָׂה כֵן:

1AND G-D BE WITH THEE. “I.e., in this counsel. Jethro said to Moses, ‘Go and consult with the Almighty.’” Thus Rashi’s language. And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote: “‘Listen to me, and G-d will help you to succeed as I have counselled you.’ Further, however, Jethro said, ‘If thou shalt do this thing, and G-d command thee so,⁹⁶ which means ‘if you will do this thing — i.e., that you will consult with the Almighty — and He will command you to do it, then you will be able to endure.’ And there is no doubt that Moses did so” [i.e., he first consulted with G-d and received His sanction and then proceeded to make this arrangement].

בהֱיֵה אַתָּה לָעָם מוּל הָאֱלֹהִים נֶגֶד הָאֱלֹהִים, וְיֹאמַר הֱיֵה אַתָּה בַּעֲבוּרָם עוֹמֵד נֶגֶד הָאֱלֹהִים לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֵלָיו, כְּטַעַם "יוֹם צָעַקְתִּי בַלַּיְלָה נֶגְדֶּךָ" (תהלים פח ב):

2BE THOU FOR THE PEOPLE ‘MUL’ G-D. That is, “‘before’ G-d.” Jethro told Moses, “Be thou their intercessor before G-d, to pray to Him.” This is like the verse, I call by day; I cry in the night before Thee.⁹⁷

גוְהֵבֵאתָ אַתָּה אֶת הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁיְּבַקְשׁוּ, אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים, הוֹדָה לוֹ עַל הַדָּבָר הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁאָמַר כִּי יָבֹא אֵלַי הָעָם לִדְרֹשׁ אֱלֹהִים. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁהָיָה גַּם בָּזֶה עֵצָה מִמֶּנּוּ, יֹאמַר הֱיֵה אַתָּה לָעָם מוּל הָאֱלֹהִים לָשֶׁבֶת בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד מְזֻמָּן לְפָנָיו לִדְרֹשׁ אוֹתוֹ, וְלֹא יִהְיֶה זֶה בִּמְקוֹם הַמִּשְׁפָּט:

3AND BRING THOU THE CAUSES — namely, which they will ask — UNTO G-D. Jethro conceded the first matter that Moses had said, i.e., Because the people come unto me to inquire of G-d.⁹⁸ It is possible that in this too there was counselling on his part. Jethro would thus be saying: “Be thou for the people before G-d, to sit in the Tent of Meeting before Him, ready to inquire of Him [on the matters they bring to you]. And this should not be at the place where you sit in judgment [to adjudicate their disputes].”