At this point in the Exodus narrative we find Moses taking on the monumental task of judging the people of Israel. Sitting from morning to evening, Moses attended to the disputes and conflicts among the Israelites, seeking to impart justice according to divine will. His dedication to this task, while admirable, also showed the limitations of a single individual in the face of the complexities of governing and administering justice for an entire nation.
There is a change of course when his father-in-law, Jethro, gives him some excellent advice. This key moment will mark the beginning of a more structured judicial system, laying the foundations for the future legislation found in the giving of the Torah.
In Jewish thought it is understood that:
“The Torah considers any judge who judges with absolute truthfulness, even for a single hour, as if he had become God’s partner in the work of Creation.”
Talmud, Shabbat 10a
It is interesting that the Creator did not wish to judge each individual ‘personally’, but rather it was His will that men learn the ways of His justice and then be able to judge themselves.
Just as man was created in the image and likeness of the Creator, who is Judge and Sovereign of all Creation, so too must man learn how to execute justice in an impartial and responsible manner.
