Shavuot Ruth - 5778

Shavuot Ruth - 5778

Rabbi Hal Miller

The man's name was Elimelech, the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of

his two sons Machlon and Kilion, Ephratites of Bethlehem in Yehudah. They came

to the field of Moab and there they remained. [Ruth 1:2]

This is the exact same verse that we looked at last year, but there are new lessons

to derive. Last year we asked about Elimelech himself, this year we look into the

use we make of our assets. First a little genealogy.

Elimelech was a direct descendant of Nachshon ben Aminadav, the leader of the

tribe of Yehuda in the days of the Exodus from Egypt. Nachshon was the one who

demonstrated faith in God by plunging into the Reed Sea as the Egyptians approached.

Elimelech had some brothers. One had a daughter, or perhaps granddaughter named

Naomi, whom Elimelech married. Another brother had a son, or perhaps grandson,

named Boaz. This explains both the verse [2:1], "Naomi had a relative through her

husband, a man of substance, from the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz",

and also the verse [2:20], "Naomi then said to her, 'The man is closely related to us,

he is one of our redeeming kinsmen." In fact, Boaz was related through both Naomi

and Elimelech. As the senior leader of the tribe that Yaakov had selected for royalty,

Elimelech held the role that would later be known as "judge", and then still later would

become "king" over all Israel. With his and his sons' deaths, next in line was Boaz.

Now we know something of the players, so what was the script about? The answer

is presented in the last portion of our verse, "They came to the field of Moab and

there they remained." We can address this as several parts: 1) they left the land of

Israel; 2) they went as a family; 3) they came to Moab; 4) they came specifically to

the fields of Moab.

The halacha is that one is not supposed to leave the land of Israel, except for only a

small number of acceptable reasons. One of them is where one leaves only temporarily,

and in verse 1:1 here we see that Elimelech "went from Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn

in the fields of Moab." Sojourn implies only temporary travel. Therefore it would seem

that Elimelech had legal backing for his relocating.

But this takes us back to the beginning of verse 1:1, "It was in the days when the

judges judged". Elimelech was a judge, if not the most senior judge. Did he have

the right to leave the people behind and move to save his family alone? Further, did

he even need to move--did the famine actually impact him personally? Elimelech

was a "man of substance", who had the wherewithall to buy food for his family, if

not for the entire nation. Elimelech was effectively the king of Israel, the one from

whom David and the eventual Messiah should have both descended. Elimelech

was the inheritor of Nachshon. Why did he leave? Further, why does the verse

repeat what the previous one said about coming to the fields of Moab?

The Midrash Rabbah [Ruth 2:6] explains, Originally they came to the small cities

but found them rampant with transgressions. Afterward they came to the large cities,

but found them short of water. And after that they returned to the fields around the

small cities. Elimelech planned to retain his Torah values, that he had not deserted

God. This approach shows why the repetition, since he came to the fields twice.

But we still do not have a reason for his leaving the land in the first place.

The Midrash teaches that the famine was severe, and we know that halacha not

only allows, but requires that we leave the land if needed to find food to survive.

Verse 1:1 makes clear that this was a severe famine. But the Midrash explains that

Elimelech had plenty, not only for his family, but enough to feed his nation as well.

It explains that he did not wish to be the one who had all of Israel knocking on his

door for help. Thus famine was not his reason for leaving, avoiding giving his extra

food to others was his reason.

The Dubner Maggid explains this from the Yom Kippur service and the haftorah from

Yeshayahu [58:5-7]. Yeshayahu is discussing the fasting on Yom Kippur, explaining

that God does not desire this fast for the sake of the fast. He wishes for us to use

the food we would have eaten to provide for the poor. "Break off a portion of your

bread for the hungry and bring the woeful poor into your home. When you see an

unclothed person, clothe him. Do not ignore your kinsmen." The Maggid tells us that

when we fail to provide for the poor, our prayers are set aside and left unheeded. This

is exactly why God provides extra wealth to some people, that they can provide it to

those who do not have, not so they can hoard it.

Elimelech's nephew Boaz stayed in the land. He was just as impacted by the famine

as was Elimelech. He was just as wealthy. He was also a leader, a judge, and in

effect a king. But Boaz stayed behind to use his money to help his people.

In the halacha, Elimelech was justified in leaving. What he was not justified in was

the way he used his assets. Our verse is a reminder that nothing actually belongs

to us. It all belongs to God. He is the one who decides who should have what, and

He is able to redistribute as He sees fit. If we use our assets appropriately, then He

will give us even more, as happened with Boaz. If we fail to use them correctly, we

will lose everything, as happened to Elimelech and his family.