In the book of Ruth a
distinguished man, Elimelech, takes his family to neighboring Moav in order to
flee a famine in the land of Israel. His two sons marry Moabite woman, after
which all three of them pass away. The famine then ends and Elimelech’s wife,
Naomi, decides to return to Israel. When her daughters-in-law join her on the
trip, Naomi tells them that they should each go back to their parent’s homes and
remarry. When the daughters-in-law protest, she explains that she is too old to
have sons who could join them in levirate marriage and intimates that there is
nothing for them Israel. Ruth profusely thanks them for their kindness to
herself and the deceased and wishes them well. One daughter-in-law accepts her
advice and leaves.
The other daughter-in-law,
Ruth, insists on continuing, saying where ever you go I will go, your people
will be my people, your G-d will be my G-d, and death will not separate
us. This passage is similar to the idea,
“we will do it and we will listen,” (Exodus 24:7), which was said by the people
of Israel, when they received the Torah. Shavuos is the anniversary of the
receiving of the Torah. So to speak on this date the nation of Israel accepted
the G-d of the patriarchs as their national G-d, and in doing so all of the
people became converts. The book of Ruth is a personal story of conversion. For
this reason it is traditional to read it on Shavuos.
The book explains how
a person becomes a priest of the most high. The book like the process is not
entirely logical. Elimelech is reckoned as both noble and flawed. Rashi
describes him as the magnate of his generation who quit the country because he
did not wish to dissipate his wealth by supporting the poor. The Targum
castigates his two sons for taking foreign wives and gives this as the reason
for their deaths. In the final analysis they are reckoned as good and worth
saving.
Ruth though is a righteous
princess and Rashi compares her departure from Moav with Jacob’s departure from
Beersheba saying, “that the departure of a righteous person from a place is
conspicuous, and makes an impression. Its splendor departs; its majesty departs;
the praise of a city departs, and likewise,” (Ruth 1:7). There is an aspect in
this story of a descent for the sake of a subsequent ascent and, “time to do
for Hashem, void Your Torah,” (Psalm 119:126).
The second chapter of
the book of Ruth opens with the mention of Naomi’s relative Boaz, who is
described as a valiant champion. It takes place during the time of the grain harvest
and Ruth tells her mother-in-law that she plans to glean fallen grain and
forgotten bundles that remain in the field after it has been harvested. The
impression is that Naomi is an older woman and not in such good health, while Ruth
is forty (Ruth Rabbah 4:4). Both are destitute and Ruth is intending to support
her mother-in-law.
Ruth chances upon the
field of Boaz, who according to the Midrash is eighty. Boaz takes notice of
Ruth and gives her favorable treatment. He is impressed with her because she is
helping her mother-in-law and left her native land for a people she did not
know. Boaz then gives her a blessing, “May the Lord reward your deeds, and may
your reward be full from the Lord God of Israel, under Whose wings you have
come to take shelter”.
Ruth tells Naomi that
she was favorably received by Boaz. Naomi tells Ruth that Boaz is a relative
and gives thanks to G-d for His kindness to the living and the deceased. She
apparently believes that the two of them will marry.
When the harvest is
about to conclude, Naomi instructs Ruth to dress up and secretly go to Boaz’s
field. Boaz will sleep in the field and when he does so Ruth is to lie at his
feet. When Boaz wakes up, Ruth should say what is on her mind. Ruth does so and
says to Boaz, “Spread you wings over me for you are my redeemer”. Boaz is
pleased and accepts her petition, although there is a technical detail he must
tend to first.
Boaz then goes to the
elders of the city and invites his relative, who is first in line to inherit
Elimelech’s property, to exercise his right including the obligation for
levirate marriage with Ruth. The relative declines because marrying a Moabite
would damage his standing in the community. Boaz then exercises the right and
everybody gives him a strong blessing of approval.
The question is why
should the same action disgrace one man and honor another. The answer is that
Moabite women are generally not of high quality, but, Ruth is an exception. A
common man cannot be trusted to properly identify exceptional situations but a
giant can. In addition a simple person will not see great virtues but a tsaddik
will.
It comes out that
there was something in Ruth that saw the greatness in the family of Elimelech
even in their sinful state. Moab was known for being selfish but Ruth’s
outstanding quality was kindness, the opposite. For this reason heaven guided
her first to the nation of Israel then to the arms of Boaz.
Ruth was able to turn
darkness into light because she had an instinct for the essence of religion
based on nobility of character. These are the characteristics that are meant to
rule over the nation of Israel. For this reason they were refined into the
foundation of the house of David.
לע"נ האמא מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טז ניסן תשנ"ח
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