Rus and the elevation of holy sparks through Torah

בענין מגילת רות שתקנו בשבועות.

Concerning Megillas Rus, which they established [to be read] on Shavuos.

The Sefas Emes opens by asking after the deeper reason Chazal fixed the reading of Rus specifically on Shavuos.

כבר כתבתי עפ"י מ"ש באוה"ח בפסוק והייתם לי סגולה כי בנ"י נבראו להוציא הניצוצות קדושות מכל העולם וכשזוכין יכולין להוציאם בכח התורה ואם לאו צריך להיות ע"י פיזור הגלות.

I have already written based on what the Ohr HaChaim writes on the verse "and you shall be to Me a treasure" (Shemos 19:5): that Bnei Yisrael were created to draw out the holy sparks (nitzotzos kedoshos) from all the world; and when they are worthy, they can draw them out through the power of the Torah, but if not, it must come about through the scattering of galus.

The mission of Bnei Yisrael is to redeem the holy sparks dispersed throughout creation. When worthy, they accomplish this through Torah; when not, the same gathering happens the hard way — through their dispersion in exile, where they encounter and elevate those sparks.

וכ"כ ה' עוזי כו' ומנוסי ביום צרה.

And so it is written, "Hashem, my strength… and my refuge in the day of trouble." (Yirmiyahu 16:19)

The verse alludes to these two paths: "my strength" (oz, the power of Torah) and "my refuge in the day of trouble" (the recourse of galus when Torah-merit is lacking).

וע"י ב' אלו אליך גוים יבואו.

And through these two, "to You the nations will come." (Yirmiyahu 16:19)

By both means — the strength of Torah and the scattering of exile — the holy sparks hidden among the nations are ultimately drawn near, and "the nations will come" to Hashem.

והנה זה הי' באלימלך שהוצרך לצאת לחו"ל להוציא נשמת דוד ומשיח.

Now this was the case with Elimelech, who had to leave for outside the Land in order to bring forth the soul of David and Mashiach.

Elimelech's departure to Moav exemplifies the path of "scattering": his exile was the hidden means by which the lofty neshamah of David — and ultimately Mashiach — would be drawn out from there through Rus.

ולבועז באה מעצמה לביתו בכח עוז התורה שהי' בו כמ"ש בו עז.

But to Boaz she came on her own to his house, through the power of the "strength" of the Torah that was in him, as it is said, "in it is strength" (oz).

Boaz represents the higher path: he did not have to go out to gather the spark — Rus came to him of her own accord, drawn by the oz (strength) of the Torah within him.

ואפשר זה רמזו במדרש אשר באת כתיב.

And perhaps this is what the Midrash hinted, [noting that] "asher bas" (which you have come) is written [in a particular way].

The Midrash draws attention to the spelling of Boaz's words to Rus, "under whose wings you have come," reading a hint into the word "you have come."

פי' שעיקר השבח שבאת רות מעצמותה להתקרב.

The explanation: the essential praise is that Rus came of her own essence to draw near.

The praise of Rus is that her coming close was self-generated — she drew herself near to Hashem and to Torah out of her own being, not by being sought out.

ולכן תהי משכורתך שלימה כענין שאמרו אשה מזרעת תחילה יולדת זכר וכשהניצוצות הקדושות מתקרבים מעצמם יש להם עלי' ביותר.

Therefore, "may your reward be complete" (Rus 2:12) — like what they said, when the woman emits seed first she gives birth to a male; and when the holy sparks draw near of themselves, they have a greater elevation.

Because Rus initiated the approach herself, her reward is "complete." Just as Chazal say that when the woman's initiative comes first a son (the stronger result) is born, so when the holy sparks come close on their own initiative, their aliyah (elevation) is far greater than when they must be extracted.

[ואפשר זה הרמז שהי' חמץ בשתי הלחם לרמוז שבכח התורה יש עלי' לכל הבריאה. וכעין זה כתב בזוה"ק ע"ש]:

[And perhaps this is the hint that there was chametz in the Shtei HaLechem (the two loaves) — to allude that through the power of the Torah there is elevation for all of creation. And the Zohar writes something similar; see there.]

The two Shavuos loaves were brought with chametz — normally excluded from offerings — hinting that the power of Torah, celebrated on Shavuos, can elevate even the "lower," fermented elements of creation. So too Rus, an outsider drawn in by her own initiative, shows Torah's power to raise up everything; the Zohar offers a comparable idea.

Summary: Bnei Yisrael exist to redeem the holy sparks scattered through creation — either through the strength of Torah when worthy, or through the painful path of galus when not. Elimelech's exile to Moav embodied the path of scattering that drew out the soul of David and Mashiach, while Boaz embodied the higher path, to whom Rus came on her own through the oz of Torah within him. Because the sparks that draw near of their own initiative — like Rus — attain a far greater elevation, Shavuos and its chametz loaves teach that the power of Torah can raise up all of creation.