Yisro, at first, thought that Hashem would only smite the Mitzrim with His attribute of justice, and Moshe explained to him that when it is a benefit for Bnei Yisrael, Hashem smites the goyim with His attribute of kindness, represented by Hashem's name Havayah.
The Hardships are for the Good
During wartime, keeping lights on in one’s home is dangerous because it attracts enemy fire. Those who want light in their homes must place a dark curtain over their windows. When one goes to a store to buy a curtain, the storeowner would ask two questions. He would ask the wattage of the lightbulb in the room and the distance between the light and the window. With this information, the store owner knew the degree of thickness needed to conceal the light in the room.
Rebbe Sholom Shatzer zt'l used the above to teach an important lesson to his son-in-law, the Voidislover Rav zt'l, "When it is dark, that means there is light behind the darkness. The thicker the darkness, the greater the light." We must remember that even when things appear dark and bad, it is always for the good of the Jewish nation. The greater the darkness, the greater the light that will eventually be revealed.
When you see a caterer preparing five kilos of chrein, you know he is preparing for a bar mitzvah. When you see him preparing twenty kilos of chrein, you know he is preparing for a chasunah. And when you see a caterer preparing a hundred kilos of chrein, you know he is preparing for a rebbi's chasunah – a large, happy chasunah. The nimshal is that when there is a lot of chrein, which represents hardship, that is a sign that a great chasunah is approaching. Very good times are coming. Something good is cooking.
This is implied in the pasuk (18:8) משה ויספר ...לחתנו כל את התלאה אשר מצאתם בדרך ויצלם ה', "Moshe related to his father-in-law...all the hardships that had befallen them on the way, and that Hashem [Havayah] had saved them."
Moshe explained to Yisro that all the tzaros that befell them were actually Hashem's compassion.
Yisro knew the truth that good comes from hardships from his own experiences. The Midrash tells that Yisro was the leading priest in Midyan. When he recognized Hashem, he told the people of Midyan, "I am old. I can no longer be a priest. Find someone else." The people in Midyan suspected that he didn't believe in their avodah zarah anymore, and they placed him in cherem. This is why Yisro's daughters struggled daily to get water for their sheep. They had to come early, and the other shepherds would chase them away.
It seemed to be a sad situation for Yisro, but he gained from it. Moshe saved his daughters from the other shepherds and gave water to their sheep. When they returned to Yisro, Yisro asked, "Why did you leave that man? Call him; perhaps he will marry one of you." And he married Yisro's daughter Tziporah. So, Yisro's problem resulted in a great favor for him. It was how he met Moshe Rabbeinu. He discovered from his own experiences that when we think something is terrible, it is all for the good.
