Shavuot 2023 / A Festival of ‘Weeks’ שָׁבוּעוֹת 5783
Is Ruth someone who allows herself to be used . . . 3:30 today — is it Ruth or is it ruthless?
The festival of Shavu’ot is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan. Shavu’ot commemorates the anniversary of the day Gd gave the Torah (or Matan Torah) to the People of Israel assembled at Mount Sinai. That being said, the association between the giving of the Torah (Matan Torah) and Shavuot is never made explicit in the Biblical text. And yes, the holiday is one of the Shalosh Regalim or the three Biblical pilgrimage festivals and marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer (i.e. a time of anticipation of the sheaves brought in from the Harvest).
The Book of Ruth is read on this Holiday of Shavu’ot. And no, Ruth is not a convert to Judaism especially in the way we know it today.
Ruth does join the Judean people of Bethlehem by virtue of her willingness to play a (pivotal) role in the redemption of her late husband’s line. And yet, it is a highly controversial move that Judaism has struggled with and perhaps even struggles with to this very day.
That being said, the plot of Ruth does help us to understand how and why she is used in and on this particular holiday. Shavu’ot (i.e. is the receiving of the Torah — not just the giving) can be understood as if it were our own experience — and this is something that we will explore in our class gathering this afternoon —
there is an issue on our part to accept responsibility in new (and unforeseen) circumstances and then to act in completely new and unchartered territories.
Stay tuned.
