The holiday of Shavuot is when we celebrate the receiving of our Torah. We read the 10 Commandments, the foundation of our ethical behavior. It is both specific directives for Jewish living coupled with universal truths regarding all humanity’s moral behavior. We also read Megillat Ruth which is a celebration of acts of “g’miliut chesed”, loving-kindness; community responsibility and embracing the stranger!! A model community if you will, actually living the 10 Commandments!
Why did our rabbis choose the Book of Ruth for Shavuot? It is a tale of two widows finding their way back to the Land of Israel, where they discover, how the Israelite community, and the tribe of Judah, treats its poor, widows, and orphans. Our Biblical tradition demands that we care for the most vulnerable, because we too were once vulnerable, when we were slaves in Egypt. Ruth, the Moabite, embraces her mother-in-law Naomi, as they return to the Land of Israel, destitute from Bethlehem. Ruth will be cared for by Boaz; and together the chain of “Redemptive Love” is set in motion.
What is “redemptive love”? It is a love that heals and restores individuals and B’nai Yisrael, the people of Israel. In the case of Ruth and Boaz , it is even bigger. But where does this chain begin? We find it in the last lines of the Book of Ruth:
“Naomi took the child and held it to her bosom. She became its foster mother, and the women neighbors gave him a name, saying, “A son is born to Naomi!” They named him Obed; he was the father of Jesse, father of David. This is the line of Perez: Perez begot Hezron, Hezron begot Ram, Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, Nahshon begot Salmon, Salmon begot Boaz, Boaz begot Obed, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David”. (The Book of Ruth, 4, 16:22)
Who is Perez and why is he critical in the chain? We go back to the stories of Bereshit/ Genesis. Our forefather Jacob and his 12 sons. Judah is Jacob’s fourth son. Perez is the son of Judah and Tamar, born out of deception but also initiating process of Teshuvah. Judah had not taken responsibility for Tamar, his daughter-in-law in her widowhood, continuing the line of her dead husband. Judah leaves Tamar in limbo and only when she deceives him, he fathers her twins: Perez and Zarach. She deceived him by dressing as a harlot, and when he finds out he curses her, only to realize that she was right : צדקה ממני “Tzadka Mimeni” (Gensis,10,19) . Here, the word “tzadka” is not only, she was right, it is also, she did justice, she righted a wrong. This realization by Judah, this accepting of his responsibility to his dead sons, will move him toward orchestrating the reconciliation of Joseph and his brothers. Judah took the leadership, convinced Jacob to release Benjamin, so the brothers could all return to Egypt, free Shimon (whom Joseph was holding as captive) and thus open Joseph’s heart to restore the family.
That lineage of restoring justice, mending broken families, embracing the other (Tamar the “harlot” and Ruth the Moabite) is how redemptive love heals us. In both cases, marginalized, rejected women will change the course of history! In Ruth’s case, she spreads love and hope to Naomi and with Boaz. Her affirmation of faith, when there is nothing to believe in; Boaz’s commitment to sharing the abundance of his field s to the poor and needy, without humiliation; their union will produce the Messiah, whom according to our tradition is descendent of David.
Little and big acts of faith in God, in one another, in the deepest values of care and respect for one another. Shavuot is called the holiday of “matan torah, “ God gives us the Torah after Seven weeks of counting the Omer, connecting Passover and Shavuot. They are weeks of uncertainty because as we wait of the success of the wheat harvest, inclement weather can destroy our crops. We need bread to exist, we need a sustained faith to get us through the rough and uncertain times. We need acts of redemptive love to heal us and renew us during our most vulnerable times.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rabbi Naamah Kelman served as Dean of Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, until her retirement. She remains active in promoting Feminism, Jewish Pluralism, and Co-existence in a Shared Society.
Why did our rabbis choose the Book of Ruth for Shavuot? It is a tale of two widows finding their way back to the Land of Israel, where they discover, how the Israelite community, and the tribe of Judah, treats its poor, widows, and orphans. Our Biblical tradition demands that we care for the most vulnerable, because we too were once vulnerable, when we were slaves in Egypt. Ruth, the Moabite, embraces her mother-in-law Naomi, as they return to the Land of Israel, destitute from Bethlehem. Ruth will be cared for by Boaz; and together the chain of “Redemptive Love” is set in motion.
What is “redemptive love”? It is a love that heals and restores individuals and B’nai Yisrael, the people of Israel. In the case of Ruth and Boaz , it is even bigger. But where does this chain begin? We find it in the last lines of the Book of Ruth:
“Naomi took the child and held it to her bosom. She became its foster mother, and the women neighbors gave him a name, saying, “A son is born to Naomi!” They named him Obed; he was the father of Jesse, father of David. This is the line of Perez: Perez begot Hezron, Hezron begot Ram, Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, Nahshon begot Salmon, Salmon begot Boaz, Boaz begot Obed, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David”. (The Book of Ruth, 4, 16:22)
Who is Perez and why is he critical in the chain? We go back to the stories of Bereshit/ Genesis. Our forefather Jacob and his 12 sons. Judah is Jacob’s fourth son. Perez is the son of Judah and Tamar, born out of deception but also initiating process of Teshuvah. Judah had not taken responsibility for Tamar, his daughter-in-law in her widowhood, continuing the line of her dead husband. Judah leaves Tamar in limbo and only when she deceives him, he fathers her twins: Perez and Zarach. She deceived him by dressing as a harlot, and when he finds out he curses her, only to realize that she was right : צדקה ממני “Tzadka Mimeni” (Gensis,10,19) . Here, the word “tzadka” is not only, she was right, it is also, she did justice, she righted a wrong. This realization by Judah, this accepting of his responsibility to his dead sons, will move him toward orchestrating the reconciliation of Joseph and his brothers. Judah took the leadership, convinced Jacob to release Benjamin, so the brothers could all return to Egypt, free Shimon (whom Joseph was holding as captive) and thus open Joseph’s heart to restore the family.
That lineage of restoring justice, mending broken families, embracing the other (Tamar the “harlot” and Ruth the Moabite) is how redemptive love heals us. In both cases, marginalized, rejected women will change the course of history! In Ruth’s case, she spreads love and hope to Naomi and with Boaz. Her affirmation of faith, when there is nothing to believe in; Boaz’s commitment to sharing the abundance of his field s to the poor and needy, without humiliation; their union will produce the Messiah, whom according to our tradition is descendent of David.
Little and big acts of faith in God, in one another, in the deepest values of care and respect for one another. Shavuot is called the holiday of “matan torah, “ God gives us the Torah after Seven weeks of counting the Omer, connecting Passover and Shavuot. They are weeks of uncertainty because as we wait of the success of the wheat harvest, inclement weather can destroy our crops. We need bread to exist, we need a sustained faith to get us through the rough and uncertain times. We need acts of redemptive love to heal us and renew us during our most vulnerable times.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rabbi Naamah Kelman served as Dean of Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, until her retirement. She remains active in promoting Feminism, Jewish Pluralism, and Co-existence in a Shared Society.