Shavuot: Chag Matan Torah? (Pt II) Rabbi Shai Finkelstein

We will try to find the link between through. So it says the following should which which means that you should not oppress the g by the way I would say a g might be a convert might be a foreigner might be a stranger might might be many things in the Torah but let's just take it as a convert because you you knew the soul or the spirit of the psychulture psychological condition of the because you yourself were converts in obviously there it's not converts converts we are talking about obviously strangers okay said something very interesting this verse basically reestablished reestablished the idea of uh in our judicial system the value and the principle of what of shiv equality and and kindness listen to that this is like in the 21st century we need to listen to that it's interesting the test for something like that will be how the Jewish state by the way he was not the don't even think that was not but he also like everyone else he thought about there was going to be a Jewish state that theoretical whatever it called whatever state we will have he says that the study case or the test for this state is how this state will approach strangers. He says that they should enjoy all the privileges that the law gives to every citizen and from a a behavior of what? of love and kindness. based on that value or that principle. You have many other laws such as that are presented here only in general um descriptions which means all the all the laws that refers to how you treat strangers. How do you treat people who are not like you? That's basically will define who we are as a state. Now we all know where John Farh was Germany from uh 1800 to 1880 if I'm not mistaken and um he obviously was uh influenced by what was going on there in Germany Ber in that time there is emancipation there are they're talking about equal rights and talking about all of that and is obviously influenced by that and in a way if they can do it we definitely need to what to lead it Is there a little bit of a disconnect between uh ideals and reality? I would assume. But also sometimes you need to ask yourself a question. What's what would be the situation when those strangers do not want you to be here. Okay, that's obviously takes you to a little bit of a of a different discussion. Okay, so now he continues um He says this value of how you treat strangers is also good for us as a nation. Why? Because it will basically imbue and perpetuate the idea that we ourselves also just what? strangers in a land that belongs to someone else to Hashem and therefore we will not exaggerate with our um uh I will say a desire to have more and more property and more and more property obviously will create more and more a gap in society and then the abuse of the people who don't have it and then he says By implementing that value, we will basically focus on what? On the important things, the spiritual things, the moral things. Because if I want to define you as human, as a human being, I need to know that you are moral, not that you are wealthy. Wealthy might add, but it will not define you. Beautiful. Not sure how realistic it is but beautiful. Okay. Also this shoe obviously is in memory of Mel and Sylvia David by their families. So yeah. So okay. Yes. Was interested in the difference in one says the other one says one version is one thing one thing the other version. The second one I can understand more. What does that mean? What does it mean to love to do kindness or love that it itself kindness or love of kindness? Okay, so the Torah continues on with this idea of loving the convert and everything and says that Hashem himself, one of the characteristics of Hashem himself is what? that he does the judgment or the justice for the orphan and the and the widow and he loves G to give him what now that sounds like mean I love the I gave them okay so take a look in a second says which means what it's an important thing don't dismiss That's what prayed before he left will give me food to eat and close to what to wear. Okay, right? You should love the converts of the strangers. Why? Because you were strangers as well. In a way, by the way, you know, the Jewish people, the Israel always was on that uh we'll call it the the spectrum of its mitim and we always need to remember what how we were treated in mitim and therefore we shouldn't do it where in the land of Israel and then in the land of Israel we are always warned what to do not to follow the we always have this this timeline that we have is between and Always remember what you did there and whatever what was done to you there do not do when you are in control. Look one of the most difficult things for us for amo today is not poverty and not suffering but rather power strength and wealth. Think about it most of the time as am as a nation what did we struggle with? What did we struggle with? What did we struggle with? Persecutions. Pogs. They all hate us. They all want to kill us, right? We are the Mskanim. We have no land. We have no place. We have no nowhere to go. Okay. 1948. We have a place to go. They still hate us. Oh, they still hate us. And because we are poor and we are we don't have anything. We can't protect ourselves. Okay. 67 comes along. Oh, we are boem pretty powerful, right? And we have no one to blame. And not only that, we have no one to blame. We almost doubled our territory. And now we have strangers. And what do you do? What do you do when you have the power and you can't blame anyone else besides yourself? Oh, that's a problem. It's easier in a way to be near someone who has the power and that's part of our struggle. We don't really have too many examples of how to behave when we have the power. Give me examples from Tanakh. David. Okay. Nice one. Okay. So, David had the power. No. Schlommo had the power, right? Beautiful. What did he do with his power? Very good. He what? Very good. He had to support a thousand women, right? But but besides that, build the beta mikdash. Wonderful. Right. Uh silver, gold was nothing in his time. Wonderful. Okay. What else combined made peace with a lot of people made peace with a lot of people. Many people were inspired by Judaism. A lot of people don't say they had to pay so many taxes and works so much. If you want to know what people think about someone, especially a king, don't ask them while he's alive. Okay? Because they will be dead. Ask them after he is dead and they are alive. Right? And we know with what do they say to Right? And this is right. Basically they all basically had enough on this guy. Just imagine in order to support his empire you had to what to work very hard and pay a lot of taxes. So the idea is when you have the power does not mean necessarily that you know what how to use it correctly. And so many people has lack of understanding about the difference between power and influence which are two totally different things. But the ideal is that you should have the power and you should have influence not only just to abuse power. Most kings just abuse power. Should know that. Yeah, that's true. Okay, that's true. Okay, so here we have what? That Hashem himself, the mighty God, one of his praises is what? That he's g he loves the converts or the strangers. Okay. And that's basically was uh something that was repeated in the Torah many many times. So that's the expectation, right? This is the what I will call the Torah expectation from us as a nation to love the convert to be masim to the stranger all of that. Wonderful. Take a take a look at root root per we spoke a little bit about last last week. So take a look at so says to me I will go and try to collect some uh food some wheat barley whatever I can find in the in a field that I will find favor in his eyes and he and she says to her go my daughter Right. Take a look at Rashi. Rashi. I will go to the field to one of the fields in the city. What does that mean? bothering that he will not to rebuke. Okay, get out of here. Okay, get out of here. What are you doing here? Now, we know that if she would collect it, it would be which means it's something that I am obligated to give, right? It's not like I if I'm nice guy, I need to give it, right? But because she's a stranger, she's afraid that what? that the owner of the field will tell her what? Get out of here. Now, how exactly they learned those people at that time? But they didn't know the girl, she wasn't zar, not necessarily a convert. We said it might be a stranger, not necessarily a a convert. She was very No, no. I'm saying that when we say gale does not necessarily mean the halahic definition of a convert. It might be even a stranger. So if she's a stranger, okay, there is a pool lady here who tried to collect some wheat. She was afraid that he will what? He will tell her get out of here. Now two options like we did last week. Option number one, it's really no one will say something like that. It's in her mind. Sometimes this is a almost a reverse psychology. people who were not part of a group and now they try to be part of a group they think that the group think about them all sorts of things even though when you ask the group themselves they will say we have no idea what you're talking about okay so it might be some kind of uh low self-esteem the truth had that's option number one second option she tried it she went once she went twice she went three times and every time she went Someone told her get out of here. Okay. So, it might be based on experience or it might be based something really on in her mind. Okay. Says the um the says we all know that she's why do you need what to say it again? What is the word please? Like why do we need it here? So the alche is like uh very meticulous about it. And he says why does she say which means I will take only the so one more question or really few more. So now he asks a question which is a bit I will call it sensitive. He interprets the idea of enough that she will try to find favor in the eyes of the owner of the field. Am I clear enough? Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Okay. So the al says why would she do that? And not only she would offer it, she would be encouraged by her by her mother-in-law. No me. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Shoo. Shoo. Go bey. She should probably tell her root. We don't do those things. You go to the field. You collect what you collect. If it says to you, get out of here, you just go out. You leave. Don't try to find favor in his eyes. And then it says and it should say what and then so he says like that. Now take a look at how the alh describes the situation in the time of the judges. If that's the time of the judges according to one opinion that that's when meilat was uh was composed and was written or we said that some others think it was little later. Okay. So he says, First and foremost, she is a bit concerned to go to those fields. Why? Those fields are filled with young men and she's afraid that they're going to hurt her. That's I'm Israel. Is And don't forget they just came from where? Came back from where? Moav. Okay, we always like to speak about the Moabites and the Medidianites and they were all what terrible people, right? difficult that's inherit and also because she's a girl and she's by herself and she will be surrounded by many people especially many men it's not not says, "Even though she should not really be concerned that they will abuse her, God forbid, while she's in the field." Why? Because there are many other people there. Take a look. This is this is incredible. If I would tell you that without the al he will tell me rabbi where does he get these ideas from just from I will tell you okay no idea the idea is is that he looks at what's going on also by the way he does understand is what they do something good they are being saved and then they go they go bad again so the idea the atmosphere is such and he also he looks at the puk and says is terrified to go. Why would you be terrified? Answer is Sar Rashi says, "Oh, someone will tell her get out of here." He says, "It's not only that. It's much more than that. It's the fear of being abused. And if it's not in the field, someone is going to grab her on the way from one field to another." Did women usually go out and Oh, we'll talk. We'll talk or men go, right? But yes. She's a she's afraid she was not going to be accepted. I mean, we have to presume that her I would imagine that if she spent a lifetime, half a lifetime in her home, she would learn what Judaism is all about and she would know that, for example, that there's something called yolo and that she's entitled to that. If they accept her as a woman, Wonderful. But but but it's not applic applic applic applic applic applic applic applic applic applic applicable here. There is no real conversion here. There is nothing here. There is commitment to nationality and to their god and commitment to her. Okay. Who are the three rabbis who converted her and when exactly she went to a mikv? We have obviously no answers to that. And even even if there was we are not talking about a developed Russia balpe talking in the time of the judges there is there's almost nothing there there is a narrative so all of that it's nice but not here okay yes you judge you move somewhere new totally foreign you're going to judge it by your experience in your country if she's around moabitete men who are very abusive to women she's fearful is this this going to happen in this new nation do I need to be fearful as these people. Okay. Might be true. Like children, young children under the age of bars is to walk all over town by themselves in New York. Would you do that? Me? No. I just mean because you know it. All right. Agree. I agree. It might be another another interesting way to look at that. She came already from an experience even though I would say she got married to Mlon or Kion whatever he was and she was in a way protected in her Bible. It might be that something happened to her when she was, you know, younger. Okay. Yes. They said she was a princess. Uh, we try not to use midashim. We try not to use midashim. Okay. Yes. It makes sense because there was a lot of the morality was pretty low. And second of all, I was thinking she is writing this. Maybe in his years and years. Sure it might be. It might be. But we need proofs for that for where what exactly the al saw in his society. But even if we don't know definitely the time of was not a great time for the Jewish people. Okay. So he continues. You see after the three dots therefore so she was a very smart girl and she had all those issues and she addressed each one of them. Okay. So he says like that she goes what is in the beginning of the harvest. Who goes at the beginning? Not too many people. Not too much stuff. Why? Not too much stuff. But who goes? The Balabite. The Balabite wants to be there when they the first cut. Okay, he goes there and he knows after that it will come more. But he goes in order to see that it begins, right? So he's going to be there. The family is going to be there. Not too many poor people and not too many men says root this is exactly my timing. This is the best timing to go. So she goes and then so he says she went at the beginning of the in order to avoid all the above which means not to be surrounded by too many poor men. A B not to um not to have fear from abuse because the owner is not there. She goes in the right place. Now also after Boas recognized her and said to her yes you can stay until until what? Until later in the she always stickked with whom? Withaz with the girls. So they went as a group. So as a group they were not that afraid. And then she and then he saysh it's it's brilliant. It says what is specific specific field which means I will go to that field and I will not leave that field. I'm just going from our home to the field and back. I'm not going to go from one field to another because I don't want to be captured. Yes. Needed more than just they needed connection from Go. Not yet. Not yet. That's the beginning of Pericbat. The only thing that basically they don't know yet that the field belongs to Bos, right? When the Bit was there. Uh-huh. So you say maybe he she Yeah. But mostly at that time probably the Balabite was already married in order to have territory. But whatever it is, it seems to be that she's more interested in food right now. Yes. Answer the question how they would know she was specifically of. So I hate to be anti-semite. I would assume that they were characteristics, facial characteristics, body characteristics, maybe clothes, maybe we will see other things that she did or maybe even language. Language. Yes. Accent. Accent. Language. My guess that she didn't learn, you know, whatever ancient Hebrew so quickly. Uh, and even she if she did, I'm sure that she had some kind of a moabitete accent. So they they they immediately will see that she's a noa. Also if she comes alone, my assumption is that many people will go with a little group with a friend or something like that. She goes really alone. Mash by herself. Yes. The fact that the points out harassed you really happened and these are all logical think. I will just say one thing not about so much friendly or not friendly. We're not talking about here being very very non friendly. Well, that's her perception. Yeah. And that's and but the says it and he doesn't say, "Oh, she shouldn't think like that." She should think like that. She should, which is mama terrible when you think about it. So now take a look at that. That I will find favor in his eyes. Take a look at that. This is an incredible. If I will find a person that I will find favor in his eyes, eyes not to find favor in his eyes. I'm not going to stand in front of him. I'm going to stand where? Behind him or at his side so he will not look at me. Meaning I am looking for someone that can see me and not me. You with me? Yeah. There's a lot of me. I want someone that will see what I need, not will see what he can get from me, but without his eyes. That's what the says. She just wants to be don't look at me. And also probably the feel she's alone. She's a stranger. Huh? That's easy to abuse. So I don't want it. And if you want to give me something, don't give me something with the expectation to get something in exchange. You're not. What you do is that you give me is looking for which is incredible. Yes. So writing it and he uses the word. But we know when writes about telling him to choose the son of the he also uses a don't look at the Right. So here she's also saying I don't want to have anything to do with eyes. Interesting. Yeah. But the idea is is really don't give it to me because the way I look give it to me because it's which is very interesting because don't forget what did she do an incredible with Nomi going with Nomi. Okay. This is this is not the first time I I read it and every time I read it it's like a shock. Basically, Ruth says, "What?" She says, "If I see that the owner looks at me with like a in a negative way, I'm out of there. I don't want that." Or if I get a mockery or something like that by the other, I'm getting out of there. Now since when beggars can be choosers now what does it say about root? Think about it for sure. By the way, I forgot. I think it was when I was in Paris who painted this one of the most famous uh paints that it's I think it's root harvesting. Do you know who I'm talking about? Oh, yeah. Okay. Whatever you will tell me, I'll believe you. I I forgot the name. I I'm not But you know what? You know the paint I'm talking about, I think so. Yeah. Okay. You see a woman But you know what? You know what? Whoever it is, it's definitely not me. Okay. Okay. Definitely not me. And you see a woman and are going to talk about it that Davkashi was the most modest girl collecting the the wheat. And it's interesting because it seems to be the truth is very concerned about how she they're going to behave to her. What about the other girls? Were they concerned? They were not concerned. They were looking to try to maybe find the husband there. Interesting. We will deal with that if we'll have time. So, yes. Also, it's interesting that everybody calls her except I don't think he ever if we have time, we'll talk about it. If not, we'll be next year. Um, okay. I'm I'm trying I'm trying to do it quickly. Um, we are on page three. What does it mean? Right. To whom she belongs to, right? Which means it was a an anomaly to see a a girl by herself doing that those things, right? It's it's strange. That's a B. That's very similar. You mentioned and Davidid when Golat when the story with Golat so sees David and says right and D says to him before you ask who he is ask if he's worthy for to be a king and he's not because he comes from who did she belong to now why would you say that so maybe because he was amazed that she came alone a B maybe because he was amazed by what she did how she carried herself okay So take a look at the six a little bit of a late but whatever it [Music] says says why did he ask about her? He knows her. What does it mean he knows her? How did he heard the story? Oh yeah. Do you remember when Nomi came back with Ruth? I don't know if we if we finish it last week, but when came back to everyone is talking this is Naomi. By the way, everyone is talking about them. No one invited them for a Friday night dinner, right? Everyone said, "Oh my gosh, did you hear about that story?" So, Bos also heard it. Now, this is some criticism on Boss. They are your relatives. Why don't you do anything? So we spoke about it a bit last week. They were ashanda. That family was an embarrassment. We spoke about it. El who was supposed to be a leader leaves the country because it's a little hard and then they come back when there is more food in Israel. They were so they might be that they were embarrassed by them. 8B. We know from the later one from Peragdal that there was someone who was more closer in terms of um of being a family member to Boaz Ael the one who refused to take hood. So he was what he was closer. So maybe Boa says you know what you know Yanim someone else should do that. Um and also maybe Boaz had some you know family issues of his own. So he was not able to to take care of food. But whatever it is he asked. Why would he ask about her? Rather he saw that she is what? Extremely modest. Why? Which means all the other women will bend down in order to collect whatever they want. and she will do it while she's standing. I can understand also the difficulty in order to do so. But she extra modest then Yeah. All the other women who came there, they were which means what? They were flirting with a man in order to what? To try to find a husband and Okay. So what does instead of doing that because she is alone, she's a widow, she has nothing. If she will marry she will be in a much better condition. Now, what does she's trying to hide herself in a way? To hide herself. Okay. Oh, take a look. So, they also make the what? They they try to compare between when Sha says who is this guy because they saw that Davidid is special. So when you see someone special you say you say who is this guy but it does not explain yet which will say me not. So then he says that what her lineage Yeah. But but what's what's the problem if she to take care of their own and go when they're taking care of her? She's in the wrong place. Okay, we have a bit of a problem here. We have a more of a than a bit of a problem. Okay, the Okay. What else do we know about Rael is buried there, right? Yeah, binyamin and always have some kind of u a bit of togetherness and also tension. For example, we know that most of the beta mikdash is where in pinamin's territory and there's only a little that goes to Yehuda and always Yehuda wants more. And how do we know that um That's what that's the gets between his shoulders. God dwell. That's where the bet and then there is. Yeah. Yeah. And by the way, just as a side note, one of the reasons, not the only reason, but one of the reasons is because of what? No. Simple. Was the only one who was born in Israel. A B was not involved in Ysef and never bend down to a self because he was not born. So that's not fair but he did he never did it. So that's itself it's a very interesting thing about beta mikdash also. Okay. So going back to our issue, I read it and I'm not sure that that's the best reading, but he thought that because he is from Yehuda and maybe she is not from Yehuda and therefore what he cannot marry her. What does that mean? What does that how does that reflect on am with the no that they had to marry within their own shape but that was only for that generation yeah that was only for that generation after they conquered the land it it was canceled I'm from Yehuda you are from we don't do that by the way who who is the one that and Binyamin basically blamed each other for the troubles he caused. No. Hello. Says, meaning you can look at Modai as a as a troublemaker. Why didn't you what? Bow down to Ammon. there who must speak and then binyamin then said to binam would kill ham will not be here. So everyone will blame each other. By the way, there is even something more ancient than that. In the multil when they uh they studied the pukin don't call it which means we always think since kindergarten that who was the first one to jump into Yamsu. I hate to burst your bubble. Okay. and tell Ganeti that uh she needs to learn the Mhila and the Mhila says that there are other options that Davka Binyamin was the first one to go down to the Yamsu and when Chevetuda saw that they start stoning them say no no no we should go first and then and they also got into this who is going to go first or maybe it's not by the way this is this is a very interesting thing this is a midrashim that was composed around the second century And there was a debate between the tanim. Should we try to go back to what we will call Malutah? Oh, we can have a king and leaders, someone who is not from especially after the destruction of the temple. You know was the head of the sun and who was not from and we have a problem because of what should be from not from. So whatever different shoe not now but going back to our issue is that he says I can't marry her even if I want if she is not from today I cannot marry her by the way at the end of the day he did marry she was not from any chevet right she was from a different chev so whatever it was that that what boas said which is very very interesting now also there is tension between because of which was we need to learn it once I think uh and to try to understand how we compare it to do and all of that. Yes, the interpretation that was looking at him he had what we said before was he heard no had come back and he hadn't hadn't acted on it at all and and then he sees this girl in his field. He's thinking to himself, I think I made a mistake. She She's a very lovely girl. Not not in a romantic way. Right. I think I've made a mistake. That should be very good. It looks like Nom's done quite a good job with her. Okay. Very good. Um it might be that has some quote unquote regrets and says, "Whoa, Reega, I'm she's she's a wonderful person, right? I should have done more." Might be. So then so one of the guys you know the people who is in charge says to how derogative derative derative derogatory it can be nothing just a moabitete girl came from with me from the field of mo how can you be So cruel. Heartless. No problem. People do that all the time. No problem. Who is that? But becoming but part of his problem. But he's saying something nice. He says what? She's not lazy this girl. She is here from what? From the morning until now. And she didn't take breakfast, lunch or dinner breaks. Okay. She's here. Now take a look. All right. He talks to her like nomi, right? He says to her. Now definitely by saying bet he is telling her I can be like your father but not father of father. I can be what? Someone who can protect you, can shield you. Okay? Don't go any other fields. Stick here. Stay in the field with my girls. Now, take a look at this verse. I don't know if you ever thought about it, but if you did, if you didn't, now it's the time. I commanded the guys do not touch her. Which means without that commandment they would have you remember this is incredible. Meaning Boaz says to them, "You forgot what the Torah says." Meaning Boaz in a way root brought back what? Morality back to the Jewish people. And it says it says you need to be extra sensitive to the girl. And what do we do? We abuse them. We rebuke them. We tell them to get out of there. What are we doing? We for we forgot. What was the reason we got out from it? That's not only do she in a way revives the memory of Exodus. And then she says like why do you even pay attention to me? I I'm a foreigner. I'm a stranger. Meaning she does not even believe that what she's worthy that she's worthy of some kind of a recognition who godly I was told. what you did with your mother-in-law after your husband died. But that sounds exactly like he went to a what a totally foreign strange nation. So I cannot ignore it. Yes. You know, teaching us to look at the back. Sure. And the brothers and the Jacob and yourself and the brothers. Look, we spoke about it once. Many stories in Tanakh will borrow sentences or phrases or expressions in order for us to make the connection. I'll give you a teaser uh le shav uh I think I'm still forming it in my mind but uh about uh the way to compare meat to meat not in my just between we have 20 minutes uh something like that sorry um so the idea is is that we have those expressions and it's come to tell you go back to those stories. Okay. Um Oh, we need to finish, right? Because of the m and all. Um uh no. Uh okay. Take a look at on page five rash in the middle where it says um like it's underlined. He says um page five. M two for the fifth the fifth sentence after it says you yourself experience through your own flesh and blood how ignoring the strangers and then ignoring them and not and when you don't think that they are equal to you just because they are strangers then you start what abusing them and then they start losing their dignity and they're telling me okay and you can do whatever you want fast forward 20th century same thing one of the ideas of Nazism was what Jews have no identity no nationality no nothing they can go anywhere and therefore they are always zarin they're always trained strangers. You can always build fear based on strangers. We always have this human human nature fear that we if someone is not like you, you are afraid of him. You have your preconceived ideas about him or her. So I'm sorry we don't have all the time in the world but I would say that root brings back in a way the memories of the reasons why we went out and what do we need to learn from it in order to implement it in we saw different commentaries on what was going on in at that time which was definitely not a good one and she was the cause of change. She was the cause of change. And one more thing, and I'm I'm concluding, Boaz also did something um for the first time in Jewish history, he used the word, the name of God in a mundane way where it says, he says, Israel said it first. No, no. He says, "Yeah, he was the first one to say he says he brought the name of Hashem into the field because they thought the field is the field. Yeah, we can hang out with the girls." But when we go to says Boaz, the idea of changes in Israeli in the Israeli society at that time was something that we learned from Boaz. And that's for today.