פירוש על במדבר 10:31

אל נא תעזב LEAVE [US] NOT, I PRAY THEE — The word נא is an expression of entreaty. Here it means: I beg of you, not to leave usin order that people should not say, “Jethro did not become a proselyte out of pure love for the Jewish faith. He believed that the proselytes, too, would have a portion in the Land; now, however, that he saw that they will have no portion in it he has deserted them and gone his own way (Sifrei Bamidbar 80).

אל נא תעזוב אותנו. At least allow your children to go with us,

אל נא תעזב אותנו, "please do not abandon us, etc." According to Rabbi Eliezer Hamodai we must understand this verse as Moses asking Yitro not even to leave the Jewish people's camp temporarily. He alluded to this with the word נא. Regarding Yitro's argument that a light is quite superfluous during the time the sun shines, Moses did not accept that argument. He pointed out that Yitro's contribution to the Jewish people had already demonstrated that his presence was invaluable to them, i.e. ידעת חנותנו במדבר, i.e. when he told Moses to select heads of tens, etc. to help him judge the people he had proven that he had analysed the Israelites' problems in the desert correctly. Moses had demonstrated at that time that he accepted Yitro's advice thereby proving that Yitro's "light" could shine even while the moon or the sun were shining, i.e. while they enjoyed the Presence of the שכינה in their midst (Exodus 18,13-27).