Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz
When Yitro arrived in the desert to join the Jewish People, he criticized Moshe (Moses)’s handling of the court system and offered him advice on how to improve it, which Moshe accepted with God’s approval. How could Moshe Rabbeinu, the greatest prophet who ever lived, the leader who took us out of Egypt and gave us the Torah, need advice from a newcomer who clearly was not on his level?
Rabbi Chaim Mintz responds:
Who is Wise? One Who Learns from Everyone
Even the greatest people are human and cannot know everything. And at the same time, those who seem far less significant, like Yitro, can sometimes possess insights that even someone as great as Moshe could benefit from. As the saying goes, “A small match can ignite a great fire.”
Great people understand the value of seeking advice and discussing matters with others, knowing they might have overlooked something important. Like two swords sharpening each other, they welcome challenges and differing perspectives to grow wiser. As David Hamelech (King David) proclaimed (Tehillim 119:99), “Mikol melamdai hiskalti—I have gained wisdom from all my teachers.” Chazal (Our Sages) glean from this (Pirkei Avot 4:1): “Eizehu chacham? Halomeid mikol adam—Who is wise? One who learns from every person.”
In fact, the Alter of Kelm (Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv 1824-1898) explains that the Torah recounts this story specifically to highlight Moshe’s greatness—that despite being far greater and wiser than Yitro, he had the humility to consider and accept his advice.
Learning from a Young Child
We find a similar behavior in Moshe’s father, Amram. When Pharaoh decreed that all newborn boys be cast into the Nile, Amram, the leader of his generation, separated from his wife, Yocheved. Yet, when his young daughter, Miriam, pointed out the flaws in his decision, Amram recognized the wisdom in her words and remarried Yocheved, demonstrating his humility and willingness to learn—even from a young child.
Learning Even from the Wicked!
This idea was advanced even further by David Hamelech. His eagerness to gain insight extended beyond listening to friends offering helpful advice; he even paid attention to the words of his enemies. As he writes in Tehillim (92:12), “When the wicked rise up against me, my ears shall hear,” which some explain to mean that even within the scathing criticisms of his enemies, he sought to uncover any kernel of truth that could help him improve.
Emulating Their Traits
Our responsibility to learn from others extends beyond their advice; we’re expected to internalize lessons from their character as well. If we observe someone displaying a positive trait, we should be inspired to emulate it, and if we see negative traits, we should learn from them what to avoid. The Gemara (Eiruvin 100b) teaches that we can even learn proper behavior from the animals around us.
Drawing Lessons from Events Around Us
We are also expected to draw lessons from the events and circumstances around us. This is why the story of the spies is written immediately after the story of Miriam being struck with tzora’at (leprosy) for speaking lashon hara (evil speech) about Moshe, because they should have learned from Miriam’s punishment not to speak evil about the land of Israel.
Our Great Leaders Learned from Everyone – So Should We!
If even the greatest leaders, like Amram, Moshe, and David Hamelech, recognized their limitations and sought wisdom from others, we must certainly strive to do the same. We should constantly be looking to learn and grow from everyone and everything—people, events, and even nature. Gaining insight from every person and every encounter and circumstance is a hallmark of true wisdom.
In Short: Even the greatest people don’t know everything and can learn from others, and even the smallest have insight to offer.
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