Where should justice be carried out?

One of the insights the Ramban shares on this parsha is that Yitro advised Moshe that the "Place of Meeting," the Ohel Mo'ed, should not be the place where justice is carried out. The former is a place where one comes to meet God, to meet Hashem, to seek guidance, to make requests, the latter, a place of adjudication. Ever so often the two become intertwined; our sages teach in the Talmud that when a beit knesset, place of prayer, becomes one of dispute, it rips apart the House of Worship, tearing it asunder, sending it up in flames. How many conflicts do we know that began in the beit knesset? Ever too many!

Another thought, perhaps, on the parsha is a question that struck me in reading the interchange between Yitro and Moshe. Yitro, Moshe's father-in-law, says that he will counsel his son-in-law about how to improve his justice system, its order, its functionality, a constitutional revolution plain and simple. But after having prefaced his intent by stating that he will advise Moshe, he makes a strange statement: "Now listen to me. I will give you counsel, and God will be with you!"

The statement I am referring to is the spiritual guidance: "and God will be with you!" The Rishonim, early commentators - I was happy to see - also grappled with that statement. Yitro may have been a convert, a prince, an expert on all contemporary religions to be found in his era. He may have likewise been a wiseman in his own right, as well as a counselor to Pharaoh, the greatest ruler of the time. But, to have the hubris to enter Moshe's tent, the leader who was no less than a king, and who spoke "face to face" to God Himself, and say, "I will tell you how to bring God's presence in your midst," seems to be nothing shy of the greatest arrogance. 

Rashi reinterprets the words of Yitro, stating that Yitro was advising Moshe to seek God's counsel. The Ibn Ezra states that it was a blessing. The Ramban seems to take the Ibn Ezra's approach, but then asks, as does Ibn Ezra, "Why, then, did Yitro later advise Moshe to seek God's approbation?" According to the Ramban, this would seem to be the explanation. In the beginning, when Yitro says that he will advise Moshe, he defines the word "dvarim" differently than Rashi. Rashi says that people bring Moshe their dvarim, literally things; Rashi defines the word as disputes, the Ramban, though as requests. And thus, it would seem that people would seek God's blessing when it comes to requests, heartfelt prayers and the like, but when it comes to disputes, before changing the constitutional structure, then Yitro advises Moshe to seek God's approval, upon which the Ramban states that Yitro was advising Moshe to not let parties bring disputes to "God's home," the tent of meeting, but rather, to the court of law.