Share this:

Tonight and tomorrow, millions of Jews around the world will celebrate a momentous occasion in world history, approximately 3,000 years ago – the giving of the basis of the Torah, including the ’10 Commandments’, which became the basis not only of Judaism but also of Christianity and Islam, thereby shaping human consciousness and civilization all over the world for thousands of years.

According to our sages, the giving of the Torah is a marriage with the Divine, a betrothal to Existence itself, so it is fitting that we mark this festival (Shavuot) by reading the Book of Ruth (found in the latter part of the Tanakh/Hebrew Bible).

‘Ruth’ is a very short, achingly beautiful, and apparently simple love story about people giving up their ego-centric, island identities, learning to go outside of their comfort zones and thereby share in creating something new, unpredictable and world-changing.

The sages tell us that we read the Book of Ruth on Shavuot (Pentecost) to learn about Chesed (lovingkindness/giving/the unity of all exsistence).

Beneath the childish simplicity is are many profound lessons which ‘Ruth’ teaches us about the journey from the 1st impulse of Creation – unadulterated kindness/generosity (Chesed shebeChesed) to the culmination of all existence (Malchut shebeMalchut) – and funnily enough, it’s all about being kind to strangers…the above rap/poem is inspired by the Book of Ruth, and being in Bet Lechem (Bethlethem), where that story is set, on a peace/dialogue trip to meet Palestinian people (students, housewives, shop-owners, journalists, farmers, political activists, politicians) in their own communities with Encounter…near the tomb of Rachel (our mother, wife of Yaakov/Jacob, who is buried there).

Chag Sameach – Happy Revelations!
Love
Daniel

Advertisement