[Avodah] The Most Painful Rebuke Offered by Moshe Rabbenu & Suffering for Torah

[Meir Rabi]

Of all the subtle messages of rebuke that Moshe Rabbenu delivered to BNY in
the opening Pessukim of this week's Sedra I believe the most disparaging is
in Passuk 14. This verse is peculiar because it actually records the support
and enthusiasm of BNY for the new court hierarchical system that was being
introduced. Yet Chazal see right through the sweet glitzy words of the
smooth talk.

Where else do we find that the Torah records the endorsement of BNY
regarding any Mitzvah?

Rashi observes this as a personally depressing moment for Moshe Rabbenu. The
people did not want Moshe R as their judge. He would be too honest to be a
"good" judge. They wanted judges who would favour them, judges who could be
bribed. They liked the idea of having a system of courts because it suited
them by offering access to judges who would be amenable to seeing things
their way.


There is within this Rashi another remarkable observation: why does Moshe
Rabbenu consider that BNY should have refused to have anyone other than
himself be their teacher? There are great people who are not necessarily
good or efficient teachers.

But Moshe Rabbenu has a completely different perspective about teaching and
learning Torah. He argues that BNY should have insisted that they learn from
him because he SUFFERED for Torah. Anyone have any ideas about why this is
so?