In considering what I wanted to share with you all, I had the chance to reflect and hopefully enhance a Shiur that I had given four years ago on Shavuot, and in many ways, I think these ideas represent how we might all grow closer in our connection to Torah.
One of the names of Shavuot that appears throughout Torah as well as in Tefillah is זמן מתן תורתנו, so I want to begin by considering a few sources from Matan Torah, and then compare them to what we find in Megillat Rut.
To begin, I want to look at a tremendously interesting Midrash, that is brought down in the Sifrei in Devarim, in reference to the experience that Bnei Yisrael had at Matan Torah.
If I were to ask any of you, what Bnei Yisrael responded at Har Sinai, I'm sure that the first thing that would come to mind would be the phrase, "נעשה ונשמה". As we will see in the Midrash, that unconditional acceptance might be more complex than it initially seems.
(יז) וַיּוֹצֵ֨א מֹשֶׁ֧ה אֶת־הָעָ֛ם לִקְרַ֥את הָֽאֱלֹקִ֖ים מִן־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וַיִּֽתְיַצְּב֖וּ בְּתַחְתִּ֥ית הָהָֽר׃
At first glance, this פסןק fits nicely into the classical image of Har Sinai, that may be familiar to some of us from childhood of Bnei Yisrael standing at the foot of the mountain, as seen in the translation.
However, if one were to consider the phrasing of the last two words of the פסוק, an anomaly appears. What doesבְּתַחְתִּ֥ית הָהָֽר׃ mean?
חידושי הרי״ם
נעשה ונשמע היה משום שהיו חושקים בדבקות לתורה ולעבודת ה׳, מכל מקום יעשו כמו שהם בכל נפשם ובאם לא יאבדו חס ושלום, מה שעל זה היה מראה הכפייה בהר.
Chiddushei Ha-Rim
“We will do and we will listen” was because they were craving Torah and the service of G-d. But they needed to accept it for generations--even if their will and desire was not for Torah and service, nonetheless they would perform with all their souls, and if not, they would be lost G-d forbid. It is this that forcing the mountain reflected...
כִּי אֶל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלְכִי אֵלֵךְ. מִכַּאן אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, גֵּר שֶׁבָּא לְהִתְגַּיֵּר מוֹדִיעִין לוֹ מִקְצַת עֳנָשִׁים, שֶׁאִם בָּא לַחֲזֹר בּוֹ יַחֲזֹר, שֶׁמִּתּוֹךְ דְּבָרֶיהָ שֶׁל רוּת אַתָּה לָמֵד מַה שֶּׁאָמְרָה לָהּ נָעֳמִי. "אָסוּר לָנוּ לָצֵאת חוּץ לַתְּחוּם בַּשַּׁבָּת". אָמְרָה לָהּ, "בַּאֲשֶׁר תֵּלְכִי אֵלֵךְ". "אָסוּר לָנוּ לְהִתְיַחֵד נְקֵבָה עִם זָכָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ אִישָׁהּ". אָמְרָה לָהּ, "בַּאֲשֶׁר תָּלִינִי אָלִין". "עַמֵּנוּ מֻבְדָּלִים מִשְּׁאָר עַמִּים בְּתַרְיַ"ג מִצְוֹת", "עַמֵּךְ עַמִּי". "אָסוּר לָנוּ עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים, "אֱלֹקַיִךְ אֱלֹקָי". "אַרְבַּע מִיתוֹת נִמְסְרוּ לְבֵית דִּין, "בַּאֲשֶׁר תָּמוּתִי אָמוּת". "שְׁנֵי קְבָרִים נִמְסְרוּ לְבֵית דִּין, אֶחָד לְנִסְקָלִין וְנִשְׂרָפִין וְאֶחָד לְנֶהֱרָגִין וְנֶחְנָקִין". אָמְרָה לָהּ, "וְשָׁם אֶקָּבֵר":
Rashi has an interesting perspective on this pasuk which provides an interesting model for leadership.
For wherever you go, I shall go. From here our Rabbis of blessed memory derived24 that if a [prospective] proselyte comes to convert, we inform him of some of the punishments [for violating the commandments] so that is he decides to renege [from his intention to convert], he can renege; for out of the words of Rus, you can learn what Naomi said to her. [Naomi said.] “We may not venture outside the boundary [of 2000 cubits beyond city limits] on Shabbos.” She [Rus] replied to her, “For wherever you go I shall go.”25 [Naomi then said,] “We are prohibited to allow a woman to be secluded with a man who is not her husband.” She [Rus] replied, “Where you lodge, I will lodge.” [Naomi said,] “Our nation is separated from other nations by 613 commandments,” [and Rus replied,] “Your people are my people.” [Naomi said,] “Idolatry is forbidden to us,”26 [to which Rus replied,] “Your God is my God.” [Naomi then said,] “Four [types of] death penalties were delegated to Beis Din [to punish transgressors],” [and Rus replied,] “Where you die, I will die.” [Naomi continued,] “Two burial plots were delegated to Beis Din [to bury those executed], one for those stoned and those burned, and one for those decapitated and those strangled.” She [Rus] replied, “And there I shall be buried.”