Down to the people – Yitro
On the verse, “And Moses came down to the people” (Ex. 19:14), Rashi says, “This teaches that Moses did not turn to his own affairs but came down to the people”.
One of the Chassidic teachers asks an amazing question: “What personal affairs did Moses have after all? He had no business or profession… he didn’t have a shop or office… what need would there have been for him to be distracted from leading the people?”
The answer the Chassidic teacher offered was that though Moses’ work with the people was great and devoted, he might have failed to enhance his own spiritual life.
A rabbi I know is a good illustration of this suggestion.
Now retired, he told someone, “Now I am not working any more, I can do what was never really possible before”.
“What do you mean?” came the response; “Do you mean that now you can fall asleep during other people’s sermons?”
“No,” said the rabbi; “Now I am retired from the synagogue, I can actually daven!”
Maybe Moses was so busy with the people that he had no time to daven…
