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It is customary to read the Book of Ruth as part of the morning service of Shavuot. Most of you probably know the story of Ruth, but for those who don't, I will tell it briefly. 

During the time when the Judges ruled the Israeli nation in the land of Canaan, before the Kings [a time described in the book of Judges], there were a few years of drought and famine. A family from Bethlehem, Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons Machlon and Kilyon, emigrate to the neighboring country of Moav. Unfortunately, Elimelech dies. His sons grow up and marry two Moavite women. Machlon marries Ruth and Kilyon marries Orpa.  Not long after the wedding, Machlon and Kilyon die, leaving Naomi alone in the foreign land of Moav with her two daughters-in-law.  

Our Rabbis, trying to make sense of the tragic events, explained why this family suffered so many deaths. They said that Elimelech was punished for running away from Bethlehem.  He belonged to one of the most prominent families of the tribe of Judah and people looked up to him.  Elimelech was concerned that the famine would not end.  However, the Rabbis said he should have shown confidence in God that the crisis was going to end and not run away.  

Others say that Elimelech showed disloyalty to friends and family since they believed that only if one has no means to live on in times of famine is he allowed to leave the country.  However, Elimelech was rich and had enough food stored at his premises, much more than he needed to endure difficult times.  He thought, however, as the commentators put it, "Soon enough, everybody is going to start showing up in my place, one with his bag and another with his basket, and ask me for food" (Yalkut Shimoni on Ruth).  This made Elimelech decide to take off and, therefore, he was punished for ignoring his brethren in times of need.  

 Eventually, Naomi heard that the drought ended in Bethlehem and decided to return. Orpa and Ruth wanted to accompany her.  Naomi tried to talk them out of it and told them they had a better future in Moav where they could remarry and rebuild their lives. Orpa agreed and stayed in Moav but Ruth insisted that she wanted to go wherever Naomi went. 

 When they arrived in Bethlehem, the people barely recognized Naomi.  She had aged because of the "tzures" (troubles) she suffered. Naomi and Ruth had nothing to live on.  

 Since the harvest season had started, Naomi sent Ruth to the fields.  According to Jewish law, everything that falls out of the sickle while harvesting and everything that grows on the corners of the field belong to the poor.  By chance, Ruth arrived at the field of Boaz, a distant relative of the family and a widower.  He had heard about Ruth and her devotion to Naomi so he treated her well.  

 Ultimately, Naomi arranged the "shiduch" (match) between Ruth and Boaz. Boaz redeemed the land that belonged to Elimelech, married Ruth, and had a son named Oved.  When Oved grew up and wed, he had a son named Yishai who in turn was the father of King David. 

 So what unfolds is the story of the establishment of the house of King David and the whole kingdom of Israel. 

So why do we read the book of Ruth on Shavuot? 

* The act of Ruth's conversion, which demonstrates the devotion of one individual to the nation of Israel and to the Torah, is closely connected to Shavuot, when the whole nation of Israel received the Torah and vowed to be faithful to it and observe it. 

* The story took place during the harvest season, from the beginning of the barley harvest to the conclusion of the wheat harvest. Shavuot is also an agricultural holiday, celebrating the commencement of the harvest season. 

* Traditionally, Shavuot is the day that King David was born as well as died at the age of 70. The book of Ruth establishes the pedigree of David, who was born from the union between Ruth and Boaz. David is the beginning of the line of kings in Israel leading to the Messiah.

 *The outcome of Boaz and Ruth's union attests to their personal greatness as well as the magnitude of the reward for deeds of chessed (kindness). All through the book of Ruth, we find some relation to kindness; first by Elimelech's refrain from doing it, then by the field owners of Bethlehem and how they treated the poor, and last by the kind deed of Boaz marrying Ruth (a non Jew), something unacceptable at the time but, nevertheless, he dared and did not care what people might say. 

 The nation of Moav had very problematic and charged relations with the nation of Israel. First, it was as the result of the outcome of the diversion between our forefather Abraham and Moav's forefather Lot, as described in the book of Bereshit (Genesis). Then, after the Exodus from Egypt, Moavites did not let the Sons of Israel go through their country, nor did they allow them to drink from their water, as described in the book of Bamidbar (Numbers). For this reason, no converts were accepted from Moav, until the time of Ruth. She, as an individual, "broke the ice" by showing her sincere willingness and devotion to join Am Yisrael, and therefore, had the merit to be the founder of the Kingdom.

* We can learn from the book of Ruth that the nation of Israel has no prejudice and does not hate foreigners. This is said repeatedly in the Torah.  For example, in spite of what they did to us by enslaving us, we are commanded not to hate the Egyptians (Deuteronomy 23:8).  Another example is that the Talmud says (Tractate Gittin 57 b) that the grandchildren of Haman the Amalekite converted to Judaism and taught Torah in Bnei Brak (similar things are said there about descendants of Nebuzaradan of Aram, who participated in destruction of The First Temple.)  Ruth was not only welcomed, but took part in establishing the nation.  What else can we learn from the story of Ruth?  We can learn that one's "yichus" (lineage) and family tree, or being "blue blooded" (like Elimelech), is not all that matters. Our good deeds are our main merits, as can be said of Ruth, and every one of us had a responsibility to do our share of good deeds.

Have a happy holiday.                                       Cantor Israel Singer

People in Israel sometimes create a secret code using the Alf-Bet.  They would substitute one letter for another letter in the alphabet.  For instance, a Taf would be used instead of an Alef, a Shin instead of a Bet, a Vav instead of a Pei. This invention was given the name ATBASH (A-T, B-SH) code. By putting the letters in two columns, head-to-tail, for example, first letter of the Alf-Bet next to last letter of the Alf-Bet, second letter next to one before the last letter and so on, we get this: 

Alef       -    Taf

Bet        -    Shin

Gimel    -    Reysh

Dalet     -    Kof

Hei        -    Tzadi

Vav       -    Pei

Zayin     -   Ayin

Chet      -    Samech

Tet        -   Nun

Yod       -   Mem

Kaf      -   Lamed 

One day in the 18^th or 19^th century or even much earlier, someone (I really don't know who) was playing with that code and found something that amazed all the Jews. He realized that when he looked at the left column and related the letters from Alef to Zayin as the first seven days of Pesach, the letters from the right column revealed the holiday that was going to fall on the same day of the week as that specific day of Pesach. You can check it out with the calendar and it always works. It goes like this. 

Alef (1^st day of Pesach, this year the first day is Tuesday) always falls on the same day of the week as the day that starts with a Taf – which in Hebrew is Tish'a B’av (the fast on the 9^th of  Av).

Bet (2^nd day of Pesach) – same day of Shin – Shavuot.

Gimel (3^rd day) - same day of Reysh – Rosh HaShana.

Dalet (4^th day) – same day of Kof (Kriat HaTorah, Simchat Torah in Israel).

Hei (5^th Day) – same day of Tzadi – Tzom Kippur (fast of Yom Kippur).

Vav (6^th day) – same day of Pei – Purim

Zayin (7^th day) – was supposed to fall on the same day of the week with a holiday that starts with an Ayin. The trouble was that there was no such a holiday. 

Many years have passed. On Hei BeIyar (5^th of Iyar) 1948, the State of Israel was established, and the day was set in the calendar as the Independence Day of Israel -  Yom Ha’Atz-maut. To everyone's astonishment, it fit in the list perfectly. The 5^th of Iyar always falls exactly on the same day of the week as the 7^th day of Pesach, and the word Atzmaut (independence in Hebrew) starts with an Ayin. A real miracle. 

What can we learn from this? First, this little thing demonstrates to us that there is no "coincidence" in the world. Everything that happens fits in its place as a part of a heavenly plan. For two thousand years, the Jews did not have their own state and when the right time came, the state was established and entered exactly where it had to be in the Big Plan. This is no news to us as believers. But it's even more than this. One can find many similarities between the 7^th day of Pesach and the establishment of the Israeli state, and it is also an answer for the Charedim (ultra orthodox) who claim that the state was a secular Zionist idea and has nothing to do with G-d's plans for the Nation.  What happened on that day of Pesach? The People of Israel went out of Egypt on Leyl HaSeder, the 1^st night of Pesach, after 210 years of slavery and hard labor.  Many were suffering physically or mentally after those horrible years. All of them were born into slavery and this was all they experienced in life, not to mention the many who did not survive to see that redemption day and died in Egypt. After a week of walking in the desert, they stood near the Red Sea.  They saw the Egyptians were coming after them, chasing them on their horses and carriages. It was obvious to the People of Israel that they were going to either be massacred by their enemies or be drawn in to the sea. All they could do was yell, cry, and shout hysterically. But suddenly and miraculously the Red sea was "torn" – the water parted in the middle and created a path which they crossed to the other side. They were saved. 

 In the 1940s, the Jews were in a similar (even much worse) situation. After 2,000 years of exile, being born into exile, experiencing discriminative laws, severe anti-semitism, and pogroms, came the Nazis who started the "final solution" – with concentration camps, extermination camps, gas chambers – all the names that still make us shiver: Auschwitz, Birkenau, Treblinka, Mathausen, Dachau, Bergen Belzen, Maidanek, Sobivor.  A whole third of our nation was murdered. (Remember the memorial day of the Holocaust right after Pesach, on the 27^th of Nissan – this year Sunday, April 11^th   -- when we light a Yahrzeit candle for the six millions.)  During this time, we could do almost nothing but cry to G-d and then miraculously, Germany was defeated, the Nazis were dispersed, we were saved, and finally we were given our state where we can live independently. G-d finally remembered His promise not to let us be eradicated completely. The process of the Geula (redemption) has started. Let us all hope that it continues. Let's hear it for Israel! 

Happy Yom Atzmaut to all of us, in Israel and all over the world!