Welcome to NachDaily. We now begin Rus, perek 1.
Verse 1 will set the tone for the entire sefer, which contains so much
information that I’m going to split this chapter into 3 classes. Today
we’re just going to discuss the first 2 pessukim, in the next class we’ll
reach verse 5, and finish the perek in the 3rd class.
The Megilah opens with the words “Vayehi bimei sh’fot hashoftim,
vay’hi ra’av ba’aretz, vayeilech ish m’Beis Lechem Yehudah lagur
bisdei Moav, hu, v’ishto ushnei vanav – In the days when the Judges
judged, there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in
Judah went to reside in the fields of Moav, he, his wife and his two
sons.”
It doesn’t specifically mention exactly when this story took place.
Rashi and others explain that it was prior to the reign of Shaul
Hamelech, during the time of the Judge Ivtzan, who was Boaz,
mentioned in sefer Shoftim, perek 12.
Bava Basra 15b tells us that the people of that generation would
judge their judges, as they had very little faith in the system. Most of
the leaders were corrupt, at times even more so than the people.
That the people “judged their judges,” indicates the lack of faith in
its leaders. Therefore, there “was a famine in the land.”
The generation received financial support through its Judges, in the
merit of the Tzaddkim. In fact the Targum on verse 6 says that it was
the merit of Ivtzan, who was Boaz, whose prayer sustained the
generation.
“A man from Beis Lechem went out.”
Rashi explains that this is none other than Elimelech, an extremely
wealthy man, who was the main support of the people at that time.
He left Eretz Yisrael because of tsaras ayin, stinginess, for which he
was punished. He worried that if he continued to support others,
he’d have nothing left for his family.
The Meforshim all point out that he shouldn’t have left Eretz Yisrael
even during a difficult time. Elimelech’s mere presence as a Tzaddik
and leader gave hope to the Jews in Eretz Yisrael. No doubt his
leaving left the Jews feeling forlorn, despairing, and discouraged.
The Alshich notes that despite the famine in Eretz Yisrael, his was the
only family that left. The rest of Am Yisrael was willing to wait it out.
Elimelech committed two aveiros: 1) Rus Rabbah 1:4—he turned a
blind eye to the needy, and 2) Bava Basra 91a, he abandoned the
land of Israel.
In a deeper sense, the Bartenura explains that vayehi biy’mei shofet
hashoftim –this was a time when there was Midas HaDin, when
Hashem judges us strictly, which led to the famine in the land. The
bracha was taken from the nation as the Shechina began to
distance itself. When the Shechina departs from Above, it leads to
galus, exile, down below. “A man from Beis Lechem” refers to
Hashem, who was nistalek, took away, His Shechina.
The Ramad Walli explains that Midas HaDin came into the world
because all the Kedusha, holiness, was swallowed up by “chitzonim,”
impeding negative forces, and sheidim, evil spirits. When Kedusha
gets “eaten up” it causes a famine and the leaders go into exile in
order to raise the netzitzot hakedusha, sparks of holiness. They went
to live in “sdei Moav.” The word sdei, field, can also be read “b’Sheid
Moav” to indicate that the Sheidim and Chitzonim “ate”all the
Kedusha, which caused the Midas Hadin in the land.
This is what is meant by “he left from Beis Lechem,” which can be
read as he left from the house of bread. The spiritual sustenance was
in a sense eaten up like bread.
Stay tuned to the next episode of NachDaily, when we’ll take more
of an in depth look at each of the personalities in Rus.
Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day