Shavuot תרמ"ה 4

בענין קריאת מגילת רות בשבועות להודיע כי לא המדרש העיקר אלא המעשה.

Regarding the reading of Megillas Rus on Shavuos: it is to make known that "not the study (midrash) is the main thing, but the deed (maaseh)."

We read Megillas Rus on Shavuos — the festival of receiving the Torah — to teach that the ultimate purpose of Torah study is not study for its own sake but the deeds it produces, as exemplified by the kindness of Rus and Boaz.

והקב"ה נתן לנו התורה כדי להמשיך כל המעשים עפ"י התורה.

And Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave us the Torah in order to draw all our deeds in accordance with the Torah.

The Torah was given so that every action of a Jew should be shaped and guided by it — Torah is meant to flow outward into all of life's deeds.

וזהו ענין חיי עולם נטע בתוכנו שע"י התורה נשתנו מעשי בנ"י למעליותא ומכוונים במעשיהם לעשות רצונו יתברך כמו שהי' במעשה בועז.

This is the meaning of "eternal life He planted within us" — that through the Torah the deeds of Bnei Yisrael were changed for the better, and they direct their actions to do His will, may He be blessed, as was the case in the deed of Boaz.

From the berachah over the Torah, "chayei olam nata b'socheinu" — Hashem implanted within us a power that transforms our very deeds, so that Bnei Yisrael aim in all they do to fulfill the ratzon Hashem. Boaz's act of chesed toward Rus is the model of Torah-shaped deed.

ובמד' יתרו ה' עוזי ומעוזי כו' אליך גוים יבואו כו'.

And in the Midrash on Yisro: "Hashem, my strength and my stronghold… to You nations shall come…" (Yirmiyahu 16:19).

The Sefas Emes brings a Midrash that connects Yisro to the verse about the nations of the world coming to recognize Hashem, setting up a theme of converts drawn near through Torah.

כי ע"י התורה מוציאין בנ"י הניצוצות קדושות הנמצאים בין האומות ובבחי' מתן תורה שבכתב נתקרב יתרו.

For through the Torah, Bnei Yisrael extract the holy sparks (nitzotzos kedoshos) found among the nations; and in the aspect of the giving of the Written Torah (Torah Shebichsav), Yisro was drawn near.

Through the power of Torah, Bnei Yisrael redeem the holy sparks scattered among the nations of the world. Yisro, who came at the time of Matan Torah, corresponds to the dimension of the Written Torah.

ומרע"ה שורש התורה נתגדל ע"י יתרו.

And Moshe Rabbeinu, the root of the Torah, was raised up by Yisro.

Moshe — the very root of Torah Shebichsav — was sheltered and raised in the house of Yisro, showing how the holy spark within Yisro became bound up with the giving of the Written Torah.

ובבחי' תורה שבע"פ נתקרבה רות ודהמע"ה שהוא שורש התורה שבע"פ נולד ע"י רות.

And in the aspect of the Oral Torah (Torah Sheb'al Peh), Rus was drawn near, and Dovid HaMelech — who is the root of the Oral Torah — was born through Rus.

Parallel to Yisro and the Written Torah, Rus the convert corresponds to the Oral Torah. From her descended Dovid HaMelech, the root of Torah Sheb'al Peh, completing the pairing of the two great converts with the two dimensions of Torah.

ועוזי ומעוזי הוא בחי' תורה שבכתב ושבע"פ כמ"ש במ"א.

And "my strength and my stronghold" is the aspect of the Written Torah and the Oral Torah, as is explained elsewhere.

The two terms "ozi" and "ma'uzi" allude respectively to the Written and Oral Torah — the doubled phrase mirroring the two-fold Torah given at Sinai.

והמה עדים על בנ"י כמו שבנ"י המה נבראו להעיד על הבורא ית' כמ"ש אתם עדי כן האומות שמתקרבים בכח מעשה הצדיקים המה עדים על בנ"י כמ"ש חז"ל בפסוק יתנו עדיהם ויצדקו יבוא בלדד השוחי כו':

And they are witnesses concerning Bnei Yisrael: just as Bnei Yisrael were created to testify about the Creator, may He be blessed, as it is written, "You are My witnesses" (Yeshayahu 43:10), so too the nations who are drawn near through the power of the deeds of the tzaddikim are witnesses concerning Bnei Yisrael — as Chazal expounded on the verse, "let them present their witnesses that they may be vindicated" (Yeshayahu 43:9): "Bildad the Shuchi shall come…"

Bnei Yisrael's mission is to bear witness to Hashem in the world. Converts like Yisro and Rus, drawn near by the holy deeds of the tzaddikim, in turn become witnesses that testify to the greatness of Bnei Yisrael — for their very transformation proves the redemptive power of Torah and the deeds of the righteous.

Summary: We read Megillas Rus on Shavuos to teach that Torah's purpose is the deed it produces. Through Torah, Bnei Yisrael extract the holy sparks hidden among the nations: Yisro corresponds to the Written Torah (and Moshe was raised by him), while Rus corresponds to the Oral Torah (and Dovid descended from her). Such converts, drawn near by the deeds of the tzaddikim, become living witnesses to the truth of Bnei Yisrael and their Torah.