וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ כֹהֵן מִדְיָן. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: כָּבוֹד חֲכָמִים יִנְחָלוּ וּכְסִילִים מֵרִים קָלוֹן (משלי ג, לה). כָּבוֹד חֲכָמִים יִנְחָלוּ, זֶה יִתְרוֹ כְּשֶׁבָּא אֵצֶל מֹשֶׁה. מַה כָּבוֹד נָהַג בּוֹ? וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל מֹשֶׁה אֲנִי חֹתֶנְךָ יִתְרוֹ. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר: שָׁלַח לוֹ בְּיַד שָׁלִיחַ. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הַמּוֹדָעִי אוֹמֵר: אִגֶּרֶת שָׁלַח לוֹ, עֲשֵׂה בְּגִינִי. וְאִם אֵין אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה בְּגִינִי, עֲשֵׂה בְּגִין אִשְׁתֶּךָ. וְאִם לָאו, בְּגִין בָּנֶיךָ. Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard (Exod. 18:1). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: The wise shall inherit honor; but as for the fools, they carry away shame (Prov. 3:35). The wise shall inherit honor refers to Jethro at the time he came to Moses. How very great, indeed, was the honor accorded him! And He said unto Moses: “I, thy father-in-law, Jethro” (Exod. 18:6). R. Joshua held that Jethro sent a messenger to inform him (of his coming). R. Eleazar of Modi’im declared: He sent him a letter stating: “Do it (welcome me) for my sake, but if not for my sake, do it for the sake of your wife, but if not for her sake, then do it for the sake of your children.”
רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל מֹשֶׁה (שמות יח, ו). הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אָמַר לְמֹשֶׁה: אֲנִי הוּא שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם, אֲנִי הוּא שֶׁאֲנִי מְקָרֵב וְאֵינִי מְרַחֵק, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הַאֱלֹהֵי מִקָּרֹב אָנִי נְאֻם ה' וְלֹא אֱלֹהֵי מֵרָחֹק (ירמיה כג, כג). אֲנִי הוּא שֶׁקֵּרַבְתִּי לְיִתְרוֹ וְלֹא רִחַקְתִּיו. וְאַף אַתָּה, אָדָם שֶׁבָּא אֶצְלְךָ לְהִתְגַּיֵּר, קָרְבֵנוּ וְאַל תַּרְחִיקֵהוּ. מִיָּד וַיֵּצֵא מֹשֶׁה לִקְראַת חֹתְנוֹ. אָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁיָּצָא מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּ וּזְקֵנִים וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: כָּבוֹד חֲכָמִים יִנְחָלוּ. R. Eliezer maintained that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Moses, I am He who commanded the world to come into existence, and I am He who draws (people) near and does not keep (them away), as it is said: Am I a God near at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off (Jer. 23:23); I am He who brought Jethro near and did not keep him far off, and so when a man comes to you to be converted, bring him near, do not keep him far off. Thereupon Moses went out to meet his father-in-law (Exod. 18:7). Our sages say that Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and all the elders of Israel accompanied him. Hence it is said: The wise shall inherit honor.