[Avodah] The Stature of Moshe Rabbeinu

[Gershon Seif]

Moshe's greatness was his humility. Just like when he set up the mishkan, there was no way he could lift those beams on his own, and yet was told to do so - and he tried and could only accomplish that with Hashem's help, here too I think he attempted to be available to all, even though logically this was impossible. He must have figured it would be unfair to ask the people to hear the Torah a few steps removed from the source. He would do his part and Hashem would do the rest. And Hashem did! He sent Yisro and his advice!

Quote from RSRH:

  

Moshe’s stature as a lawmaker was so small, and
his

talent for organizing was so inadequate, that he had to learn the
basics

of state organization from his father-in-law. This man Moshe worked

himself to exhaustion and could not, on his own, organize such a
basic

institution, or one similar to it, so beneficial to himself, to the
people,

and to the matter at hand. This man, who needed Yisro’s counsel to

appoint judges, could not have invented statutes and laws and given

them to the people. This man was strictly the faithful instrument of

God; he told the people God’s Word — and nothing more.


------------------------------

I find this description of the abilities of Moshe Rabbeinu difficult to
reconcile with my "gut" impressions of him as a
"giant" of a man.  On the other hand, I have wondered from
time to time why Moshe himself did not institute a system similar to the
one suggested by Yisro before Yisro arrived.   


I would be interested to hear what others think about this.

 
Yitzchok Levine 

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