Rabbi Guy Matalon - The Book of Ruth - Part 8

foreign we ended up last time with a question that needs answer so Shimon in the end of class I spoke to him and he said I have an answer I asked a simple question there are two statements of the rabbis because I'll stand for three words hazal the Ghana viln abroad one statement that says there is no reward in this world and another statement that says the reward of a Mitzvah is the mitzvah and I asked is that a contradiction or not class yesterday did not really want to get into it people said no it isn't people said well I'm not playing so finally Shimon said it's so simple it's a contradiction of course it's a contradiction so let's assume it's a contradiction do you want to change your answer is that a fair statement of our conversation looks if it looks like a duck and it walks like a duck probably as a duck the only reason well it is a duck if it lays a goose egg then it's not really a duck right so it walks like a duck and talks like a dog but lays a goose egg it's not a duck but here we don't have a goose egg what like the question is there a reward in this world the question the question is what does it mean first you have to understand the first statement there is no reward for a Mitzvah in this world no reward for doing a Mitzvah in this world the next statement says the reward of the Mitzvah is immense the gun of illness explains what is the second statement mean when it says that the fact that allowed you to perform the Mitzvah that is the reward there is nothing else that is you have the Mitzvah of learning Torah the fact that that possibility exists for you and you have the ability to that is it so if you say okay so that is a reward it's not usually a reward you get for what for what you do so in a sense that an actual reward you don't get the only thing you do get is the fact that you were able to do a mitzvah then that is enough is not in this world is not in this world so the reward for a meet well the whole thing is playing with it listen but the words are trying to represent realities reflect a reality so the reality is that the fact that you were able to perform a mitzvah that is the reward which means the reward comes before you do the mitzvah which is not really a reward the opportunity that you had to do the Mitzvah that is it that's it because there is nothing else so you should look at the ability that you have to perform in Mitzvah that you did a Mitzvah you put on your it's it for example Eric right the fact that you did it that is that is everyone and everything everything no because if you steal is not a Mitzvah well that's wrong but it's not a mitzvah it's not but that's a run no no who decides what the right thing is that's not our view no we are not the arbitrators of truth no how so congratulations so I have good cat so I have good hygiene so I can serve God but that's called sometimes you have something that's called a hexer mitzvah the hector Mitzvah is that in the Mitzvah let's say is to sit in a circle correct so in order to sit in Asuka what do you have to do either build a Soca or find somebody that will let you eat a nurse right so building a circle is not a mitzvahn to itself it's a hexer Mitzvah It prepares you for being able to do the Mitzvah not every act that you might think is a Mitzvah is they say that is uh it's a Mitzvah of listening to the Sages that the leading rabbis of the world say you vote for this and then you're just listening to them and doing that without getting you because you believe in them you believe that this love says this is what you should do then that's what you should do not every accident is a mitzvah the Torah tells us what what are Mitzvahs and what are not and it's not up to us it's not arbitrary could you make anything a Mitzvah no no okay what about Good Deeds they're not listening uh walking an old lady across the street opening the door for somebody green beans is an aspect of being a good human being it could be it could be if you're doing if it's let's say getting standing up before an old person the Taurus doesn't do that the Torah says you have to be a good you have to there that is the Torah says you have to have their carrots because without their hairs there's no Torah so doing those hurts that means that that is a prerequisite yeah yeah but let's say for example let's say I would like to torture babies because it helps me feel better about myself is that a mitzvah why not but it's helping me yeah and when I feel better about myself I thank God for it yeah but just feeling better about yourself so there's some things there's some things that are not a Mitzvah even though I think it's good for me so that's the question I'm asking so I'm telling you the extent to which something is is there's a boundary of the Torah the Torah tells you feeling good about yourself why if it's if it's a derivative if it's a derivative what's the problem I'm doing the Mitzvah anyway right I have to dive in right I'm commanded to die so I dove but I enjoy davening so does that mean that I shouldn't enjoy diving like you know put needles in my feet so that I don't really enjoy it in Daven because that way if I enjoy it no it's I'm not doing it because I'm doing it because it's a mitzvah same thing to say if somebody says that gemara said somebody says I don't eat pork because I don't like it says that's not what you should say you should say I don't eat pork because God said don't leave the park that's why I'm not eating it that's a big difference okay so he says it's a function Lover In The End the fact that you converted to Judaism your reward is being able to perform more and more mitzvahs that's what the girl said okay getting back to our story he invites her to eat with him correct right look at verse 14. so let's do 13 because we didn't do 13. so somebody read 13 please solution of the Paradox that you were trying to solve as a matter of fact the reward for Mitzvah is not in this world even in the reward for the midnight is the Mitzvah itself that you did that is your reward so it's like I I'm wearing citizens so that's my reward the reward is that God gave you the ability to wear it yeah think about think about the following it really it's really a big big we have to be very grateful to a college borrow home how many Jews are there in the world how many how many 12 13 million how many actually have been able to see the beauty of Judaism very few compared to the 13 is growing but that's a gift the fact that Hashem brought you closer to him and is providing you an ability an opportunity to learn more about what it means to be a Jew and what what it means to be a bentara to learn Tara to be part of the Torah to have a relationship with God that is priceless yeah right it's better than MasterCard there's lots of people who you talk to them about Torah they look at you like what are you talking about they don't get it it's not so simple people have to understand there's a lot of people who are looking for meaning in all the wrong places you had a blessing that the cottage bar who brought you here that's set up just imagine all the things had to line up for you to come to Yeshiva for me it was a big obstacle to go and I got to work for a job and then in the whole War situation came is one thing led to another I I see it in my life you know where I was and where I you know used to be in where I am today and where you know you see the how sort of Hashem is saying do I have a plan for you and you pay attention to it and you see it and you are able to have a better understanding of what's going on and I end up being speechless because I want to thank Hashem I just don't have the words to thank him and I'm appreciative and honored that he gave me the opportunity to be connected to the Torah but it's not so simple not everybody has this opportunity and it really is something that you know it's a relationship between God God Is A Part in it some people just don't get it to tell a guy who you know is hanging out having a good time partying you tell them you know learn Rashi and Hamish like this is nonsense Rashi but it's amazing that gemara says that if you actually open and learn Rashi it protects you from here and this crazy thing is it works people Leave the World Behind them and come to Egypt doesn't make any sense it shouldn't by any means think about it what I got here a series of very very unlikely great yeah and you don't know where else you're gonna go who knows um and and it's only you know 40 50 60 years from now that you'll understand why it needed to be all these pieces that's what he says to Ruth you converted you came under the confession the wings of the of the divine presence and God will reward you that's the blessing verse 13 she responds to his Blessing Aaron then she said may I continue to find favor in your eyes my Lord because you have comforted me and because you have spoken to the heart of your maidservant though I am not even as worthy as one of your maidservants right I'm not even one of your maidservants and you're treating me so nicely right you made me feel so good you you comforted me because she was very worried that she's not going to be accepted right she's a mobile converted people are going to make fun of her and get out of here she said no and here all of a sudden Boaz is treating her like she's one of his servants even better but she's not going to say that she's very sort of she's I'm not even one of your servants and you're treating me so nicely and I would love to be your servant that's just it so he says there in verse 14. said to her come over here and had some left over okay so boys as they're talking it's lunch time right it's lunch time so what happens Boaz sits down in one table with his workers the mob and reminds us that the rule is that if you are a worker you're being paid by the hour then it used to be that right the blessing after the meal you only make the first two brothers because you got to get back to work but if the owner is sitting down with you you say the whole and here Boaz is going to sit with them so they all say the whole and so he invites her to sit he sits at the head of the table and then the workers and he invites her to sit next to him right at the head of the table and what does she do she doesn't sit there no it doesn't we already rated she sat alongside thee the Harvesters he invites her sit over here she says no no you know sit she he's the you know the big owner of the field sitting he's like on a higher head of the table in there listen she's sitting over there now what else is going on he gives her a full loaf of bread why is he giving her a full loaf of bread can you eat a full loaf of bread if I gave it to you she has extra because he knows that she's going to take it home to see to feed her mother-in-law know me so he gives her and he because he says and you can eat from the bread gives her a whole one and she dips it in the vinegar right and she sits and then he gives her dessert right what does he give her in the end what part's great it's like you know like a fried parched you know you put on the supposed to tastes sweet it's like and he gives her a little bit he says here and she eats a little and she saves that also then she gets up and what does she continue to do just read his young men saying let her glean even among the shoes do not embarrass her you going and even deliberately pull out some for her from the hips and leave them for her to glean don't review her okay so he's saying listen guys I want you guys as we say in slang in America hook her up six but I don't want her to know that you're doing it correct correct just leave stuff behind right so he's really saying pretend that you're forgetting because you can't command somebody to forget right it's always you if you have a friend that wants to tell you I'm saying I got something to tell you say what I said I forget about it I said I can't because what do you mean just forget about it you have to tell in order me to forget you have to tell me what it is and then I have to forget but if you don't tell me I can't forget it they get mad so much forget about it forget about it forget about it they're from Brooklyn you speak like that don't you you let it fly forget about it all right which is a lot that's a lot okay so does that mean that he over did it or was that that's the amount that he had intended no they did what he and get it's a big field it's a huge field that's what I'm saying he's got he's got people going around so how much could she collect I mean she's not going to be able to carry like two tons do you know what I mean so next keep going she took out and right so she gave her the food that she had for lunch she said here's I have left and she seems like she has this huge amount of grain that is not the typical amount that somebody who goes out to collect would bring in one night day most people won't bring that much so where did you lean today today May the one that took such generous notice so she told her mother-in-law whom she had worked by and said the name of the man but my works today yeah so their malvin says she was she was in one she was wondering like how did you collect all of this how is this how did that work and you have food like you have you know you went out it's not like you can stop at the uh you know In-N-Out Burger the kosher one though and bring some bagels I know In and Out Burger doesn't have Bagels but you get I love mixed metaphors so she comes home with food and this is not like a takeout place you know back then and she has a lot and she's like where did you get all this where did she get all this and she says You must have done something for a person right that fed you because people who usually glean from the field are not fed so what's going on what happened she doesn't think that her daughter did something inappropriately I don't want you to think of that that's not what's going on she's just wondering what happened and it's clearly to her that whoever did this is a man of great I said the man who does acts of loving kindness that is doing things to help her there's a greater benezra on the verse that she came home with of grain and Vanessa says that one time a person asked them what does this mean and I said there's no real your question is like it's not a real question what do you mean that wasn't me and I he says and he he realized that the guy wants to say like all these things so he says I kept silent and I let him speak and he says this and this and this and he records like oh he gave me this answer like I didn't even bother replying to him but he writes down all the things that it means it's a very interesting like a little comment okay so here we go verse 19 continue she's dulled her mother-in-law what did you glean today her Mother-in-law asked her where did you work I know boy I wanted to keep it going to be the one took such generous notice of you be blessed good so she told her mother-in-law whom she worked by and said the name of the man by whom I worked today is Boaz so she told her mother-in-law the whole story and then she said because of the khasid that I did for you and because I converted I found favor in his eyes that's the mobim therefore he said to me and he helped me and she says and then man is called Buzz response boss okay keep going Naomi said to her daughter-in-law you must be here of Hashem we're not failing in his kindness to the living or to the Dead the man is closely related to us the only dead said to her he is one of our redeeming Kinsmen okay what does it mean that he provides for the living and the dead what is he talking about what then are we talking about here how is he providing for the dead because the brother has to marry so that the wife has a chance to continue the line of the person that died so anybody who gives the wife a chance is helping the dead husband's lying to continue okay anybody else should be dead with all the food well Raji says because he feeds and takes care of those who are living and takes care of the needs of the dead that's what she says the Malibu planes the following the Naomi first gives him a bracha because he provided for them food in an honorable way he's doing it in a way that is very honorable they're not embarrassed they're not right he provided food for them he provided the grains that they could sell they could whatever it is and he's doing it in an honorable way so that's for the living the Dead is you were having to the Malibu the malbum said Naomi understood that he is also going to do a cassette with the dead people by marrying Ruth he's going to do to the soul of The Departed and he says he's going to do it because he is going to redeem us that's what the Malibu understands so like you said very good very good next vamanos let's keep going and Ruth The Mao bite said what's more he even said to me stay close to my workers and so they have finished all my Harvest they only said to her daughter-in-law of Ruth it's fine my daughter that you go out with this young woman so that you will not be annoyed in another field okay so verse 21 does verse 21 follow from verse 20 20 know me says what he is Our Redeemer right and what does Ruth say S no he also told me not that that the guys are not going to bother me they go together look again when he says I read the English again of 21. and Ruth and Mel bite said what's more he even said to me stay close to my workers until they have finished all my Harvest yeah stay close to my workers because they're going to finish the Harvest fines glean after them when you go but what did Naomi end with my daughter no we're 20. don't go to 22. what's 20. 20 ends with she says wow he's done as a great guy he's doing this and he's part of our rede he's going to be the Redeemer she says yeah he's so great that he even said to his to for me to stick around with his workers the mobim says like Ruth didn't understand what Ruth what Naomi was talking about that's Naomi's like going where now I guess Naomi says aha took care of you he's probably going to be to redeem us you're gonna marry and she is continuing as if like she didn't understand what that meant she's like not only that he also told me to stick around with my workers with his workers then says the Ruth didn't understand what Naomi was saying she didn't understand what yibu means that a marriage she just knows that he's a relative and she said yeah he's such a great relative that he even won he told me not to worry I could just come and glean from his field stick around with the workers but Naomi is already saying no no I don't want you around the boys I don't want you around the boys you stick around with the girls because I want Boaz to marry you he's not gonna so he explains she said he told me to stick with the boys and he really said that right and for her moabite culture there is no that the girls and the boys hang out together that's what the mountain says she didn't when when Boz told her stick with the workers he meant to go with the boys and the girls would stick with the girls but she said I'll just go with the guys it's not an issue because she's a mobite but here she didn't think about this so Naomi is the one that explains it this is not now you stay only with the girls not with the boys she says no you go not with his sons why and don't go any other field why don't you go to any other field so that somebody is not going to suspect you of hanky-panky we don't want any any suspicions stick with the girls same field there's lots of work to be done okay so what do we see should we go to work come back go to work come back good girl that's the kind of girl you want to marry okay so given chapter three Naomi her mother-in-law said to her my daughter I must seek security Now Boaz our relative with whose maidens you have been we'll be winnowing barley tonight on the threshing floor therefore bathe and anoint yourself Don your Conjuring and go down to the threshing floor but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking and when he lies down know the place where he lies and go over uncover his feet and lie down he will tell you what you are to do she replied all that you say to me I will do since 74 place does that sound like a Torah thing to do she just tells them this is what I want you to do get dressed go there at night and do what he tells you to do lay next to him and do what he tells you to do but he didn't request that correct so why why be so aggressive with it why because if he doesn't like that doesn't like what is she doing taking off his covering his feet maybe he wants his feet to be covered what does that mean covering his feet yeah what is that what is going on here if you he's kicking back what does that mean yeah he's going to sleep and all of a sudden okay this is yeah there's a lot of strange things in here okay good I always want to end the class with a cliffhanger the point I'm going to tell you is that if you read the verses something is very disturbing happening because we cannot think that according to the Torah we're allowed to send a young woman to be alone with another man she's not married to at night and dressed and undressed and removed clothing and not remove clothing that certainly is not allowed according to the Torah and what is going on here that's what we're going to talk about tomorrow foreign