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Torah Attitude: Shavuous: The Story of Ruth and the giving of the Torah

Summary

The main lesson we learn from the Book of Ruth is that the righteous will be rewarded for doing acts of lovingkindness. We read the Book of Ruth on Shavuous since this Book mainly deals with lovingkindness, just as the Torah mainly contains lessons of lovingkindness. The Torah entails 248 positive commandments and 365 negative commandments that do not seem to fit under one headline of "laws of lovingkindness". Under normal circumstances a convert seeking to become a member of the Jewish nation will be discouraged to do so. Hillel said to the potential convert, "What you dislike do not do to somebody else. This is the essence of the whole Torah. The rest are explanations. Go and learn it." If we analyze the words of Hillel, we find that he really expressed in negative terms the Torah's commandment: "And you shall love your fellow being as yourself." What both Hillel and Rabbi Akiva teach us is, that even our relationship with G'd shall be based on this fundamental rule. Rabbi Lopian points out that the seven weeks leading up to the day when we receive the Torah, are weeks where we have to prepare ourselves to be ready to accept the Torah. "Where there is no flour [sustenance] there is no Torah." G'd rewarded Ruth to become the mother of the royal dynasty of King David. The future king of the Jewish people, the Mashiach, will also be a worthy descendant of this great woman.

Book of Ruth

On the Festival of Shavuous we read the Book of Ruth. Our sages wonder what the purpose of this Book is. We know that our Holy Scriptures do not just relate stories from the past, and that every story provides lessons for all generations. As the Midrash Rabbah (Ruth 2:15) points out, the main lesson we learn from the Book of Ruth is how the righteous are rewarded for doing acts of lovingkindness.

The Torah and lovingkindness

Our sages (Midrash Lekach Tov) further explain why we read the Book of Ruth on Shavuous, the day the Torah was given. For just as this Book mainly deals with lovingkindness, so does the Torah mainly contain lessons of lovingkindness. This seems puzzling. The Torah relates to all aspects of life, and does not deal just with acts of lovingkindness. We may be able to shed some light on this with another statement of our sages. The Talmud (Sotah 14a) says, "The Torah begins with acts of lovingkindness and finishes with acts of lovingkindness. In the beginning of the Torah it says, (Bereishis 3:21) 'And G'd made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and He dressed them.' At the end of the Torah it says, (Devarim 34:6) 'And He [G'd] buried him [Moses].'" The whole Torah is enveloped between these two acts of dressing the naked and burying the dead. This comes to teach that the essence of the Torah is that mankind shall emulate G'd's acts of lovingkindness.

Walk after G'd

We actually find an explicit commandment to this effect. In Parashas Re'eh it says (Devarim 13:5) "After Hashem your G'd you shall walk". The Talmud (Ibid) questions how is it possible for a human being to walk behind G'd? Says the Talmud, this verse instructs us to emulate the character traits of G'd. "Just as G'd dresses the naked so shall you dress the naked. Just as G'd visits the sick [when He came to Abraham after his circumcision, see Bereishis 18:1] so shall you visit the sick. Just as G'd comforts the mourners [when He visited Isaac after Abraham had just passed away, see Bereishis 25:11] so shall you comfort the mourners. Just as G'd buries the dead, so shall you bury the dead."

More than lovingkindness

However, this is not sufficient. All the examples of the Talmud relate to episodes where G'd conducted Himself with lovingkindness. But the Torah contains a lot more than episodes of G'd's lovingkindness. The Torah entails 248 positive commandments and 365 negative commandments which do not fit under one headline as "laws of lovingkindness".

Discourage converts

We may be able to clarify this with a famous story in the Talmud (Shabbos 31a). The Talmud relates how a gentile requested to become a convert on the condition that he could learn all of the Torah while standing on one leg. This strange request was first put to the great sage, Shammai, who followed the common procedure of discouraging someone who wants to convert. Only if the potential convert persists and shows sincere interest in entering into the covenant of G'd do we slowly allow this to happen. (Incidentally, the Talmud (Yevamos 47b) teaches this conduct based on Ruth's mother-in-law, Naomi, trying to discourage Ruth from converting to Judaism.)

Hillel's advice

However, this gentleman was more sincere than he first appeared. He did not give up just because one rabbi did not accept him. He persevered and went to see Hillel, the other great sage at the time. Hillel sensed his sincerity and accepted him despite his strange condition. He said to this potential convert, "What you dislike do not do to somebody else. This is the essence of the whole Torah. The rest are explanations. Go and learn it."

Love your fellow

Rashi explains the meaning of this puzzling instruction. Just as when a human being gives instructions to others, it will disturb him if they do not follow them, in the same way any member of the Jewish nation must accept the instructions of G'd and not transgress them.

Most fundamental Torah rule

If we analyze Hillel's words a little closer, we find that he really expressed in negative terms the Torah's commandment: (Vayikra 19:18) "And you shall love your fellow being as yourself." On this verse Rashi quotes the famous words of Rabbi Akiva who said: "This is a most fundamental rule of the Torah." Most commandments that deal with inter-personal relationships are based on this concept. We are obligated to respect other people and protect their possessions. We have to be careful not to harm anyone, and to deal with all people honestly. These are all based on dealing with others the way we would like them to deal with us. But Hillel and Rabbi Akiva teach that even our relationship with G'd shall be based on this fundamental rule.

Shavuous means "weeks"

With this insight, we can better appreciate the following words of Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian. Rabbi Lopian asks why the Festival of Shavuous, the day we received the Torah at Mount Sinai, is not named after this great event? Even more strange, the literal translation of the word "Shavuous" means "weeks". What does that have to do with the Festival? Rabbi Lopian points out that throughout the seven weeks leading up to this day, when we receive the Torah anew, we are expected to prepare ourselves to be ready to accept the Torah. In the last chapter of Pirkei Avos we are taught 48 requirements we need in order to be able to acquire Torah. These 48 requirements include many areas of refining our character and by doing so emulating the ways of G'd.

No flour, no Torah

The Maharal (Drush al haTorah) explains that these 48 requirements correspond to the days from Passover to Shavuous. On each of these days we count the counting of the Omer (Sefiras Haomer). It is called so because the first day of our counting is the day when we brought the Omer offering in the Temple. This day, when we bring an offering of flour, explains the Maharal, alludes to what the Mishnah says in Pirkei Avos (3:21) "If there is no flour [sustenance] there is no Torah." This offering was made of flour from the new harvest. The Torah teaches us that in order to accept the Torah, the Jewish people must first of all make sure that the students of Torah are provided for and be sustained. We start the counting on that day and continue to count for another 48 days. This alludes to the 48 requirements for the acquisition of Torah. Only when we have fully utilized these seven weeks are we ready to celebrate the day of the giving of the Torah. And on this day we bring yet another offering made of flour. This, says the Maharal, alludes to the continuation of the above Mishnah, "if there is no Torah there is no flour." This teaches us that only when we study and observe the Torah do we truly deserve our sustenance. We now understand that we are only ready to celebrate the giving of the Torah on Shavuous after weeks of preparation. This is why this Yom Tov is called Shavuous, "Festival of the Weeks."

Mother of the royal dynasty

Ruth, a Moabite princess, came from an extremely immoral society of idol worshippers, and made her personal acceptance of the Torah. She rose to great spiritual heights and will always stand as an example of how we can elevate ourselves if we are only sincere. With her selfless acts of lovingkindness, she gave up the splendor of royalty to dedicate herself to attend to the needs of her ailing mother-in-law, a shining example for everyone to emulate. That is why we read her story on the day that we all accept the Torah. G'd rewarded her to become the mother of the royal dynasty of King David. As such, the future king of the Jewish people, Mashiach, may he come soon, will be a worthy descendant of this great woman.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

Shalom. Michael Deverett

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