The Kotzker Rebbe, zl, once interpreted this pasuk satirically. We see from here that Moshe first followed Hashem’s command, fulfilling everything that was asked of him. It is only afterwards that the people assembled before him. Regrettably, today we assemble before some of our “spiritual” leaders before they have proven their devotion to Torah and mitzvos. Being a spiritual leader carries with it specific and demanding criteria, the most significant of which is adherence to Torah and mitzvos. Tragically, some of us are not that demanding of our spiritual leaders. Perhaps, we feel that if we limit our expectations of them, they will likewise not be very demanding of us.
