Based on a text sheet by Rabbi Batsheva Appel entitled "A Verse of Torah - Beha'alotecha 5780"
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֗ה לְ֠חֹבָ֠ב בֶּן־רְעוּאֵ֣ל הַמִּדְיָנִי֮ חֹתֵ֣ן מֹשֶׁה֒ נֹסְעִ֣ים ׀ אֲנַ֗חְנוּ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֣ר יהוה אֹת֖וֹ אֶתֵּ֣ן לָכֶ֑ם לְכָ֤ה אִתָּ֙נוּ֙ וְהֵטַ֣בְנוּ לָ֔ךְ כִּֽי־יהוה דִּבֶּר־ט֖וֹב עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו לֹ֣א אֵלֵ֑ךְ כִּ֧י אִם־אֶל־אַרְצִ֛י וְאֶל־מוֹלַדְתִּ֖י אֵלֵֽךְ׃ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אַל־נָ֖א תַּעֲזֹ֣ב אֹתָ֑נוּ כִּ֣י ׀ עַל־כֵּ֣ן יָדַ֗עְתָּ חֲנֹתֵ֙נוּ֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְהָיִ֥יתָ לָּ֖נוּ לְעֵינָֽיִם׃ וְהָיָ֖ה כִּי־תֵלֵ֣ךְ עִמָּ֑נוּ וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ הַטּ֣וֹב הַה֗וּא אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֵיטִ֧יב יהוה עִמָּ֖נוּ וְהֵטַ֥בְנוּ לָֽךְ׃ וַיִּסְעוּ֙ מֵהַ֣ר יהוה דֶּ֖רֶךְ שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֑ים וַאֲר֨וֹן בְּרִית־יהוה נֹסֵ֣עַ לִפְנֵיהֶ֗ם דֶּ֚רֶךְ שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֔ים לָת֥וּר לָהֶ֖ם מְנוּחָֽה׃ וַעֲנַ֧ן יהוה עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם יוֹמָ֑ם בְּנׇסְעָ֖ם מִן־הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ {ס}
Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite (Yitro), Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which יהוה has said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will be generous with you; for יהוה has promised to be generous to Israel.” “I will not go,” he replied to him, “but will return to my native land.” He said, “Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know where we should camp in the wilderness and can be our guide. So if you come with us, we will extend to you the same bounty that יהוה grants us.” They marched from the mountain of יהוה a distance of three days. The Ark of the Covenant of יהוה traveled in front of them on that three days’ journey to seek out a resting place for them; and יהוה’s cloud kept above them by day, as they moved on from camp.
What does it mean in verse 31 that Yitro knows where the Israelites should camp in the wilderness?
(2) כי על כן ידעת FOR THOU KNOWEST OUR ENCAMPMENT IN THE WILDERNESS] — For (כי) it is fitting for you to do this, because (על כן) you have known our encampments in the wilderness and you have seen the miracles and the mighty deeds that have been wrought for us.
(1) כי על כן ידעת, while you have been with us in the desert you have become as indispensable as our eyes.
(4) והיית לנו לעינים — The verb is in the past tense and we have to understand it just as the Targum renders it: and all the mighty deeds that have been wrought for us thou hast seen with thine own eyes. Another explanation is that it is the future tense: whatever things will be hidden from our eyes, you will enlighten our eyes about it....
The Israelites had been taking direction from God, so why is Moses pleading with Yitro so much?
(1) והיית לנו לעינים, “you will act as our eyes,” to show us the way. Seeing that the Israelites had been journeying exclusively at the direction of the cloud and the cloud showed them the way, what need was there to employ the services of Yitro? The reason Moses said the words quoted was to reinforce the minds and hearts of the people whose faith in the miraculous guidance of the cloud was somewhat limited, people who preferred to rely on leaders of flesh and blood. Another meaning of the words: “you will be our eyes” was that they referred to Yitro testifying to the Gentiles what he had observed while traveling with the Jewish people. Yitro was to report all the miracles he had observed while traveling with the Jewish people. Upon hearing all this it was hoped that more Gentiles would be moved to convert to Judaism... (2) A Midrashic approach (Sifri Behaalotcha 80) the words “you will be our eyes” mean that “anything which had thus far been concealed from our eyes you will reveal to our eyes.” Still another approach: “you (Yitro) will be as dear to us are our own eyeballs.” The background to such a sentiment is the commandment in Deut. 10,19: “You shall love the proselyte.”
No matter who we are or where we have come from, we all have an important role in the community. We cannot see how dear someone is to us unless we take the time to see them. Sometimes it is hard to have “faith” in the understanding of blind faith, so maybe it is easier to believe someone who you know and trust. Moses is worried about losing Yitro as a guide for the people toward being good people and for those who may be interested in conversion. Today, we also worry when we lose sight of those who mean a lot to us or who have helped us on our path. However, we have to remember that there are things that may be at play that we (or someone else) cannot see. May we take the time to look around and see that which we do not always notice.