שמות, פרק י״ח, פסוק כ״ז

The parting between the leader of the Israelites and his father-in-law marks the conclusion of their historic meeting in the desert. Moses did not simply send him away; rather, he provided an escort of honor, showing the same deep respect upon his departure as he did when he first arrived in the camp [אבן עזרא, העמק דבר, חזקוני, קאסוטו]. The older man traveled back to his homeland for his own personal benefit, needing to settle his affairs and properties [העמק דבר].

Leaving the camp just moments before the monumental giving of the Torah raises natural questions about his motives. One perspective suggests that the reasons were spiritual and social. The Israelites had been refined through the intense suffering and slavery in Egypt, a painful process that prepared them to receive the Torah. Because he had lived safely in his own land and bypassed this hardship, he was not spiritually equipped to stand at Mount Sinai. Additionally, sitting among the mixed multitude of people did not suit his high status, leaving him without a proper place during the revelation [שפתי כהן]. Conversely, his departure can be viewed as an active mission rather than a missed opportunity. He returned home specifically to convert his extended family [רש״י, גור אריה]. This journey proved highly successful, as his descendants eventually joined the nation and dedicated themselves to studying Torah [מזרחי, שפתי חכמים]. Alternatively, his return may have simply been due to his advanced age and a desire to live out his final days in his hometown [ספורנו].

The exact timing of this departure is also a matter of thoughtful debate. The primary approach among some commentators is that events unfolded exactly as recorded, with him leaving just before the Torah was given [מלבי״ם]. However, it is difficult to imagine that a man who arrived with a sincere heart to know God would willingly forfeit the chance to witness the revelation at Mount Sinai. Therefore, another approach suggests the parting actually took place in the second year after leaving Egypt, just as the Israelites prepared to journey to the Land of Israel. The story is recorded here to cleanly conclude his narrative and the broader Exodus events before shifting focus entirely to the giving of the Torah and its laws [ביאור יש״ר, חזקוני]. A harmonizing view proposes that he visited the camp twice: he left initially to bring his family into the faith, returned with them in the second year, and only then departed for his homeland permanently [ברכת אשר על התורה, גור אריה].

Ultimately, this departure brings a sense of closure to the early desert encounters. Even though he returned to his homeland, he traveled alone. His children and family remained behind in the camp, ultimately entering the Promised Land and permanently binding their fate to the Israelites [ספורנו, העמק דבר].