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Welcome to our six week study of preparation for the awesome feast of Shavuot.

The Hebrew word, Shavuot , comes from the word shavua which means ‘weeks' and denotes the seven week period from Pesach/Passover to the pinnacle moment of Israel's history, the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Because we count off fifty days – seven weeks and one day – from the end of Pesach, as Hashem commanded in the Torah, later Greek translations of scripture called the Feast of Shavuot, Pentecost , from the root word for five in the Greek language. (ex., the Pentagon in Washington , DC is a five sided building). However, Shavuot was a festival long before the Greek word Pentecost was ever applied to it.

Why do we study the scroll of Ruth in preparation for Shavuot? Why is this book read in synagogue on Shavuot? What is the connection between Ruth and Matan Torah, the giving of the Torah?

Ruth is the gentile convert to Judaism, par excellence. Though born in Moab, she chose to embrace Israel's G-d, His Torah and His people with all of her heart and soul and is therefore, the shining example for all generations of what it means to be a Jew by choice, a person who though not obligated, chooses out of love for Hashem, to embrace and live according to His revealed ways in the Torah.

In reality, Ruth is just as much the shining example for all generations of those born Jewish, for in

a real sense, every Jew who lives by the Torah is a ‘Jew by choice'. Free will is Hashem's great gift to us and simply being born Jewish, as precious a blessing as that is, is not enough. The Torah is clear that we must each choose to follow Him and to walk in obedience and it is that personal choice that defines and demonstrates the heart commitment of a child of Sinai, a descendant of the congregation of Israel that declared at Sinai, ‘We will do and we will hear. ' (Exod. 19:8)

Ruth demonstrates to us that the Torah is perpetuated by those who are willing to suffer for it.

She left father and mother, sisters, brothers and friends to go to a foreign land with her mother-

in-law. She joined Israel at the ‘ beginning of the barley harvest' (1:22) which was Passover when the first grain of barley is offered; she was purified and elevated by suffering, just as the children of Israel were purified and elevated during the seven weeks from the departure from Egypt (Passover) until the Matan Torah on Shavuot.

The book of Ruth ends by recording the lineage of King David, her illustrious descendant.

David, the founder of the dynasty of Judean kings and ancestor of the long-awaited Messiah, David, king of Israel, ranks with the patriarchs for just as Hashem is called “G-d of Abraham,

G-d of Isaac, and G-d of Jacob” in Exodus 3:6 , He is also called ‘the G-d of David' in

2 Kings 20:5. Just as Moses gave Israel the five books of the Torah, David gave Israel the five books of Psalms, including the greatest expression in all of scripture of the glories of the Torah, Psalm 119.

The book of Ruth is extremely important to establish the legitimacy of David.

The Torah states in Deut. 23:4 “A Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of the L-rd.”

Because of this verse, in the time of King Saul, Doeg, the Edomite, tried to disqualify David from the kingship by proclaiming him unfit based on his descent from Ruth. Doeg's challenge touched

off a heated controversy and history records that a sage named Amasa, son of Yitra, declared

that he had learned from Samuel that the prohibition above applied only to the men of Moab,

for it was they who fought against Israel, not the women. An inquiry was then dispatched to the aged Samuel who confirmed Amasa's statement that in fact, this was the truth faithfully transmitted by Moses and preserved as a tenet of the Oral Torah.

Therefore we learn that the controversy over the very legitimacy of David, as well as that of the messiah, was settled by a tenet of the Oral Torah, taught by Moses to the children of Israel . Let no one therefore discredit the Oral Torah for by doing so, one discredits the very basis for the expectation of Messiah, son of David. 

It is recorded historically that it was this very controversy over David's legitimacy that prompted Samuel to write the scroll of Ruth so that generations to come would know that David was indeed validated to be king over the congregation of Hashem.

The story of Ruth is recounted in lengthy detail to teach us how magnificently Hashem rewards those who practice chesed , loving-kindness. Although the reward may at times seem delayed,

the Holy One of Israel can be depended on to reward in full measure. Thus Naomi said to Ruth: ‘May the L-rd deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the deceased and me.' (1:8) We note that even Orpah who turned back had a certain reward to her credit. She accompanied Naomi and Ruth towards Israel for a distance described as ‘forty paces' and her descendant, Goliath, was later spared for forty days before being slain by Ruth's desendant, David.

From the scroll of Ruth we also learn the long range impact of our deeds. The wealthy Elimelech, though descended from the eminent Nahshon, son of Aminadav, left Israel during a time of famine to avoid giving his money to the destitute poor. In the end he lost everything and left his wife destitute. His sons married Moabite girls and and the boys died childless at an early age. Yet

Ruth, the sincere convert, gave birth to descendants who would sit on the throne of Israel .

The scroll of Ruth also teaches us that Hashem arranges circumstances to implement His designs, without interfering with man's free will. Elimelech left Israel and his sons married Moabite girls. Through it, Hashem arranged for the seed of David to be brought back from Moab by Ruth. Similarly, Hashem arranged for Judah 's tryst with Tamar to produce Peretz. Earlier still, Jacob had traveled to Laban who tried to thwart him in every way and tricked him into marrying Leah in addition to Rachel for Hashem had ordained that both Leah and Rachel would be mothers of the twelve tribes.

Because these three episodes are all part of the same plan, they are all mentioned in the blessing which the elders bestowed upon Boaz and Ruth at the time of their marriage: May Hashem make the woman coming into your house of Israel like Rachel and like Leah…and may your house be like the house of Peretz whom Tamar bore to Judah, from the seed that the L-rd will give you from this young woman. ( 4:11, 12)

(Note: Why Peretz? Samuel wrote in the fourth chapter of Ruth, ‘And these are the generations Peretz…' Thus he exalted David by tracing his lineage all the way back to Judah's son, Peretz, whose name means ‘breaker', signifying that he is the father of the future kings of Judah who would have to ‘break through' opposition and challenges in order to fulfill their royal mandate. Isn't it amazing how every detail is significant!)

In closing, two great lessons for us emerge from the study of Ruth, lessons which are fundamental to Torah principles.

The first is the vital importance of studying Torah in order to live by it. The second is that we should grasp the inestimable value which Hashem places on acts of kindness and by realizing it, devote ourselves to developing the habit of showing kindness to others. As we do, we emulate

our Father who shows loving kindness to all in every generation. 'You are to be holy, even as I am holy.'  Lev. 11:44-45

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