Shavuot for June 3, 2006
This week's parasha study is in appreciation of Mark Benjamin and Benjamin's Park Memorial for their educational support of Kolel during the year.
Acts of lovingkindness bring Torah into the world.
Study with Baruch Sienna
This week we examine the scroll of Ruth, read on Shavuot.
What to talk about this week? We have several texts to choose from. This year's themes have generally been taken from the Haftarah and how it relates to the Torah portion of the week. This week is Shavuot, and on first day (Friday), in addition to the special Torah reading (Ex. 19:1-20:23), the haftarah is taken from the beginning of the book of Ezekiel (1:1-28; 3:12). Shabbat is second day Shavuot, and for the Haftarah a portion from Habakkuk is read (3:1-19 Ashkenazim; 2:20; 3:1-19; this time it is the Sephardim who read one extra verse!). But in Israel, and liberal congregations that only celebrate Shavuot for one day, the regular Shabbat portion (Naso) is read, with its haftarah of Samson taken from the book of Judges. We will talk about Samson next week. Liberal communities and orthodox communities will be out of sync for about a month, until the next 'double portion' when the two calendars can be harmonized.
Instead of any of these haftaraot, I've chosen to look at the short but lovely story of Ruth, also read on Shavuot. This is one of the five megillot which are read on various holidays. There are three connections between Ruth and Shavuot. First, the story takes place during the wheat harvest. Second, Ruth is the great grandmother of King David, who according to tradition was born and died on Shavuot. Finally, Shavuot is the festival of receiving the Torah. It was on Shavuot the Jewish people entered a covenant with God by accepting the Torah. Ruth, too, entered into that covenant when she joined the Jewish people; she is consequently considered to be the prototype of the righteous convert.
The scroll of Ruth, one of the five Megillot (scrolls) tells the familiar story of Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi. Ruth was from Moab and went gleaning in the field of Boaz. Boaz was a relative of Naomi's late husband, and was thereby eligible to 'redeem' the land by marrying Ruth. Everyone 'lives happily ever after.' The story concludes with a genealogy of King David.
In the pastoral scenes and human drama of the book of Ruth, one senses the hand of the Divine working behind the scenes. The story proceeds without explicit divine interference, yet, everything works out in the end. The seemingly random act of choosing Boaz' field sets into motion a series of events that end with the birth of David, the illustrious king of Israel. (The text echoes the fortuitous 'luck' of the servant looking for a bride for Isaac when he 'chances' upon Rebecca at the well.)
The story tells of the power of family loyalty and human kindness. Is that why the book of Ruth was written? To tell the origins of King David was one reason, to be sure. Is the story warning against the dangers of leaving the land of Israel and intermarriage with the Moabites, or conversely, challenging the Torah's prohibition against marrying Moabites and praising sincere conversion? R. Ze'era asks the same question: The Scroll of Ruth tells us nothing of the laws of cleanness or uncleanness, of what is prohibited or what is permitted. Why then was it written? To teach you how great is the reward of those who do deeds of kindness. (Midrash Ruth Rabbah 2:14)
Chesed is not 'random acts of kindness.' To be sure, it means treating others with kindness, but it captures the sense of 'covenantal loyalty', loving acts arising out of an enduring bond of loyalty. Chesed is the backbone of the story of Ruth and Naomi. The word chesed appears three times in the short book of Ruth. Naomi's daughters-in-law treat Naomi with chesed, and her wish for them is that God similarly will treat them with chesed (Ruth 1:8). Ruth's loyalty to Naomi is an act of chesed. Ruth's choice of field confirms for Naomi God's chesed. "Adonai who has not failed in God's kindness..." This is almost an exact parallel of that servant in Genesis (Gen. 24:14). Boaz is able to show chesed to both Ruth and Naomi, and by extension to even Naomi's late husband. Ruth's loyalty to Boaz (quite a bit older) is also seen (by Boaz) as an act of chesed. (3:10) According to the midrash, Boaz showed kindness not only to Ruth and Naomi, but also to their dead. He made sure that the remains of Elimelech and the two sons were properly buried.
Chesed is the only mitzvah that we can do for the dead. Indeed, the mitzvah of 'halvayat hameit' taking care of the deceased is also called 'chesed shel emet - True acts of lovingkindness.'
"Of all the benevolent acts that a person can perform for another, caring for the dead is considered to be the only truly selfless act, since there is no possibility of the dead repaying the deed. So important is this mitzvah that, in the case of people who die with no one to care for them, even the High Priest, who is prohibited from coming into contact with a corpse, must see to their burial. Traditionally, a Jewish burial society called a Chevra Kadisha - “Holy Society” - would be formed in each community to meet this obligation on behalf of the community and see to it that everyopne is cared for when they pass away. In death, everyone becomes equal, and all, rich or poor, are prepared for burial in exactly the same way."
Taken from our Torah2Go series: Chesed shel Emet
Chesed is also the backbone of Torah. In the Babylonian Talmud, Rabbi Simlai teaches that the Torah begins with chesed and ends with chesed. The Torah starts with an act of kindness: God clothed Adam and Eve. And the Torah ends with an act of kindness: God buries Moses (Sotah 14a). Perhaps this is why we read Ruth on Shavuot. To teach us that acts of lovingkindness bring Torah into the world.
Shabbat Shalom & Hag Sameach,
BDS
