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Shavuot 2002
USY,
In an article in JTS Magazine in 1993, Eliezer Diamond writes the following
about his personal passion for Megillat Ruth.
Ruth has taught me the true nature of love and friendship. It is not
manipulation or martyrdom or all-consuming passion. It is realizing the
fullness of self through what I to others, and helping others become whole
through the gifts they give me.
We read the Book of Ruth on Shavuot, the festival on which we celebrate
God's giving us the Torah. I sometimes think that to understand the gift
of Torah, I need to understand the gift that Ruth gave Naomi and Boaz.
For me, this article represented a personal identification I could between
my own life, and the chag of Shavuot. Often getting lost in the awe-inspiring
nature of the z'man matan Torah, the relationship we can see in our own
lives to Shavuot is much more personal.
For we see in the two major relationships that Ruth develops, that of Naomi
and Boaz. With Naomi we remember that famous line of Ruth to her that, "…wherever
you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be
my people, and your God my God…Thus and more may the Lord do to me if anything
but death parts me from you" (Ruth 1: 16-17). Ruth, it appears, has no reason
to stay with Naomi, a woman with no money, no family, and is bitter at the
world, asking those in Bethlehem to call her Marah for "bitterness," rather
than her own name, meaning "pleasant." Ruth, however, helps alleviate that
sadness and that desolation Naomi felt.
Ruth's relationship with Boaz, Diamond writes in his article, is more subtle,
yet obviously of equal importance due to their eventual marriage. Boaz says
to Ruth, "I have been told of all that you did for your mother-in-law after
the death of your husband, how left your father and mother and the land
of your birth and came to a people you had not known before. May the Lord
reward your deeds. May you have a full recompense from the Lord, the God
of Israel, under whose wings you have sought refuge" (Ruth 2:11-12). Boaz,
although a wealthy man, is alone, lacking someone to share a life with,
and eventually Ruth provides him with that a different type of companionship,
marriage, than the companionship Ruth provided Naomi. Each relationship,
however, is incredibly important to the development of the story.
Diamond writes that Ruth's name probably comes from the word re'ut, meaning
"companionship" or a "female companion." Ruth, indeed, shows the pure values
of being a friend, being there for someone, for no other reason than a deep
caring and love for that other person. We too, can apply that same relationship
to Shavuot. The Torah, God's gift to the Jewish people, represents a lifelong
relationship we have with God, where we can be reminded of not only Gods
gifts to us, but of how we can strengthen that relationship, through mitzvot
and other acts of g'milut chasadim.
I hope that each of you has a meaningful Shavuot celebration. For those
who have been participating in our annual Learn-a-thon.
I hope you enjoy using this material for your Tikun Leyl Shavuot activities.
For those who did not particpate yet, please do not hesitate to use this
material this Thursday evening and throughout the chag. As always, please
don't hesitate to contact me, at my email jsrabin@erols.com
or my IM BigRabe02.
Im tivkat shalom,
Joshua Scott Rabin
USY Religious/Education Vice-President 2001-2002
Article:
"And
the two went on":
Ruth as Daughter, Wife and Friend
by Eliezer Diamond
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