The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha yesterday [as we were at a beautiful simcha last night, I was unable to see the shiur live]. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
When Yisro comes to visit Moshe in the beginning of the Parsha, the Torah states in 18:7 וַיֵּצֵ֨א משֶׁ֜ה לִקְרַ֣את חֹֽתְנ֗וֹ. Rashi explains that this was a great honor for Yisro, because not only did Moshe come out to greet him, but so did Aharon, Nadav & Avihu. And because Moshe & Aharon went out, everyone came as well.
Later in the same pasuk it states וַיִּשְׁתַּ֨חוּ֙ וַיִּשַּׁק־ל֔וֹ וַיִּשְׁאֲל֥וּ אִֽישׁ־לְרֵעֵ֖הוּ לְשָׁל֑וֹם. Rashi asks - who bowed down to who? It must be that Moshe bowed because it uses the term אִֽישׁ and Moshe is referred to in Bamidbar 12:3 -וְהָאִ֥ישׁ משֶׁ֖ה עָנָ֣יו using that term.
The Nesivos asks - why did Rashi use this Gezera Shava to learn that this was Moshe? In Shemos 2:21 the Torah states וַיּ֥וֹאֶל משֶׁ֖ה לָשֶׁ֣בֶת אֶת־הָאִ֑ישׁ and there, Yisro was the אִֽישׁ? R' Frand also quotes the Chasam Sofer who asks why Rashi quoted from Beha'alosecha and not from Shemos 32:1 where the Torah recounts that the Jews stated כִּי־זֶ֣ה | משֶׁ֣ה הָאִ֗ישׁ.
Rabbi Frand quoted the Sefer Arzei HaParsha who cited the Sefer Shir Ma'on (written by the grandson of the Chasam Sofer) who explains that the reference to Moshe in Beha'alosecha is not an invented Gezera Shava. Its an explanation of who Moshe was -וְהָאִ֥ישׁ משֶׁ֖ה עָנָ֣יו - Moshe was the most humble person on Earth and this explains who bowed down to who.
R' Frand said a second vort related to the fact that the Parsha is named Yisro, which Rashi states is due to Yisro's addition of a Parsha to the Torah - וְאַתָּ֣ה תֶֽחֱזֶ֣ה מִכָּל־הָ֠עָ֠ם אַנְשֵׁי־חַ֜יִל. In so doing, Yisro advises Moshe about setting up a court system in which there are a series of judges to assist Moshe with the work load. But Yisro also says to Moshe as a prelude in Shemos 18:20 וְהִזְהַרְתָּ֣ה אֶתְהֶ֔ם אֶת־הַֽחֻקִּ֖ים וְאֶת־הַתּוֹרֹ֑ת וְהֽוֹדַעְתָּ֣ לָהֶ֗ם אֶת־הַדֶּ֨רֶךְ֙ יֵ֣לְכוּ בָ֔הּ וְאֶת־הַמַּֽעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַֽעֲשֽׂוּן. Why did Yisro need to tell Moshe that he should teach these things - he is already doing that?
R' Frand cited R' Bukspan who quoted the Chofetz Chaim which based on the Gemara explains that each of these terms has a special meaning. And the last term אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַֽעֲשֽׂוּן - means to act Lifnim Meshuras HaDin - act above the letter of the law. There is an opinion in the Gemara that Yerushalayim was destroyed because people did not act Lifnim Meshuras HaDin - they were quick to run to court instead of trying to make a Peshara - a compromise.
R' Frand remarked that the United States is a litigious society and that this seems to have rubbed off on the Jews of this country as well as people will run to Beis Din instead of trying to work things out.
Yisro's final advice to Moshe was that people should try to work things out and compromise as this will reduce the number of cases that are heard and that if people practiced Lifnim Meshuras HaDin it would cut down on the number of cases.
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