The Book of Ruth

 

Why is The Book of Ruth read on Shavuot? 

from the ME'AM LOEZ 

The Megillah of Ruth is read in shul [synagogue] on the festival of Shavuot, "the time of the giving of our Torah". 

What connection is there between Ruth and Matan Torah [the giving of the Law]? One answer is that the account of Ruth's marriage to Boaz testifies to the authenticity of the Oral Law rendered to Moshe Rabbanu at Sinai. 

The legitimacy of David and of the Mashiach depends on the halachic distinction "a Moabite, not a Moabitess," which is an oral tradition not recorded in the scripture. 

Our Sages declare that the book of Ruth is read on Shavuot to teach that the Torah is given only through affliction and poverty. "The Torah said before G-d: If the rich study me, they will grow haughty. But when the poor study me, they know they are hungry and lowly, and will not grow haughty." 

Ruth personifies the teaching that the Torah is perpetuated only by those who made do with little, suffer, and accept death for its sake. She joined the Jewish people and made do with barely, the bread of poverty; enduring wandering, want, and loneliness; and she cleaved to the Torah even if she would have to die for it, declaring, "Where you die, I will die" Therefore, she merited to have Solomon as her descendant, who made the Torah accessible to others through his wisdom. 

This too, we learn from Ruth: One should not study Torah in order to achieve honor and glory, although these will come. She cleaved to the bitter, destitute Naomi, and in the end attained honor and glory in this world and in the next. 

From Elimelech, on the other hand, we learn that one should not leave the land of Israel. Yet one may do so in order to study Torah. 

"How great is the illumination provided by the Torah!" exclaim our Sages. Gentiles abandon their vanities and convert in order to cleave to it; how much more so, then, we must exalt it and toil to possess it! Just as our forefathers accepted the Torah and entered a covenant with G-od through the ritual immersion, so too, did Ruth at her conversion. From the time she joined Israel "at the beginning of the barely harvest" [on Pesach, where the first-grain [the omer] of barely is offered] until the end of the barely harvest on Shavuot, she was purified and elevated during seven weeks from the Exodus on Pesach until Matan Torah on Shavuot. 

We learn as well not to look down on the convert. Rabbi Akiva was descended from converts, and according to the Midrash was worthy of having Torah given through him, had he not been preceded by Moshe Rabbanu. 

Thus the Midrash recounts that when Moshe ascended on high and saw Rabbi Akiva, he said to G-od, "You have such a one, yet You give the Torah through me!" 

Ruth's great grandson, David, is likened to Moshe Rabbanu. Whatever Moshe did, David did also. Moshe saved Israel from the Egyptian bondage, David, from the suppression by the nations. Moshe split the sea, David, the rivers. Moshe Rabbanu gave Israel the Five Books of the Torah, David, the five books of Psalms. 

Ruth was forty years old when she embraced the Torah, and perhaps it was her example that inspired Rabbi Akiva to begin learning Torah at the same age. Hence adults who receive no Torah education in childhood can draw courage to educate and immerse themselves in Torah. 

From Ruth's divinely chosen husband-the wealthy aristocratic Boaz, of whom it is written, "Boaz ate and drank, and his heart was glad [with Torah study], we learn that the rich, too, must occupy themselves with Torah learning. 

The story of Boaz and Ruth teaches that righteous women are equal to righteous men. Although women are not obligated to engage in Torah study, they can attain high spiritual levels, as did the beautiful Ruth, who, by carefully observing the laws of gleaning and scrupulously practicing modesty, merited to become the mother of royalty. 

The book of Ruth is read during the harvest season to remind us that Torah study is a prerequisite for prosperity. When "It came to pass in the days of the judging of the judges," which our sages explain as reflecting a weakening of Torah study, "there was a famine in the land." 

It also reminds us of the obligation of giving to the poor from the harvest, in accordance with the laws of peah, leket and shikechah [Leviticus 19:9-10]. Charity is particularly necessary and advisable at the completion of the days of Counting the Omer, a time of din, strict judgement, for it then protects the giver from the Attribute of Justice. Through charity and Torah study, Israel will merit the speedy coming of Ruth's descendant, the Mashiach.

[This post originally appeared on Pasuk Post]