Megilat Ruth, which is read on Shavuot,
apparently presents a stark contrast to Shavuot itself. The giving of Torah on Mount
Sinai on
Shavuot was the greatest divine revelation in history. The Book of Ruth, on the
other hand, deals with quite earthly matters, presenting a picture of a nation
living its natural life on its land. Ruth presents the worldly, the daily
struggle to have enough to eat and to survive. Some question why the Sages
chose to include the reading of such a mundane work as part of the service of
such a sublime day.
Perhaps
this contrast between Shavuot and Ruth is the essential lesson of Shavuot. The
Torah was not given to be kept on the lofty heights of Mount
Sinai . Rather, it was brought down to the People of Israel. The purpose
of Torah is to influence our daily lives, to endow even the most mundane facets
of life with a spiritual component.
Ultimately,
there is no conflict between the mundane and the sublime. The Book of
Ruth takes on meaning as the application of Torah in practical life.
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