Solomon words describe Torah as “sweet as honey and
milk under the tongue.” We
celebrate the joyous holiday of Shavuos, when G-d gave Israel the
written and oral Torah laws, by eating sweet dairy foods,
recounting the ten commandments and reading the Book of Ruth.
Whether the dessert choice is delectable fruit-filled
blintzes or creamy-smooth cheesecake, there is no doubt that Rabbi
Moshe Weisblum’s Ruth Talk,
will provide a lively, thought-provoking discussion around the
many, the drama-filled Book of Ruth will be
recited, closed and put away until next year.
We may simply remember Ruth’s most memorable
where you go, I will go;
you lodge, I will lodge;
people are my people, and your G-d my G-d” or maybe not.
On a very cursory level, the story relates how Ruth, the
young Moabite woman, whose limitless kindness to her mother-in-law
Naomi and her devotion and eventual conversion to Judaism, earned
her an important place in the history of the Jews.
The union of the young Ruth and the 80-year-old Boaz, who
three generations later, would produce the heroic King David, was
the precursor for the building the First Temple.
In the Book of Ruth,
Ruth’s conversion and unconditional acceptance of the Torah Laws
is compared to a time when we, as a people, stood together at the
foot of Mount Sinai and accepted the Torah Laws.
Shavuos, commemorates the giving of the laws to the Jewish
people, reminds us that we were converted
to Judaism upon acceptance of those laws.
Talk : Questions and Answers on the Book of Ruth
by Rabbi Moshe Weisblum (Jonathan David Publishers, Inc. 2005)
takes the story and analyzes each segment of the four chapters in
a way that brings the characters to life and makes the story
relevant. In an
easily understood question and answer format, Rabbi Weisblum
uncovers the secret messages that are carried in character names,
nuances of particular words and discusses the emotions and
feelings of characters in the story.
The Book of Ruth becomes much more than some obscure tale that
occurred thousands of years ago.
the psychological factors behind ancient societies helps the
reader relate to the traumas experienced by Naomi and her family. Why did Naomi encourage a young, childless beauty to lay at
the foot of Boaz’s bed? After
all, Boaz was eighty years old.
Was Boaz enticed? Why
did Naomi return to the land of Judah in the first place?
Hadn’t she and her husband Elimelech, then a leader of
Israel, turn their backs on their people in the midst of a famine? How did the people treat her when she returned penniless and
tattered? How did the
laws of inheritance shape the story?
What becomes of Orpah, the other daughter-in-law who
returned to her land, abandoning the Jewish G-d of Naomi and her
deceased sons? What
is the significance of removing a sandal from one’s foot to
clinch a deal? How do
the names we give our children reflect their personalities and
questions, and much more are answered, with tremendous
insight and depth, in just over 200 pages.
Ruth Talk is one
of those must-reads that can’t be put down.
With Ruth Talk as
a companion, The Book of
Ruth, becomes an inspirational masterpiece filled with
elements of love, religious devotion, kindness, divine
intervention and respect for others. It has the makings of a great Broadway show that could wipe
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat off the map!
This fresh approach to Torah study makes the reader crave
is Rabbi Weisblum’s second book in this question and answer
Talk : Biblical Questions and Answers (Jonathan
David Publishers, Inc. 2005), is an insightful and comprehensive
guide to the Parashas (Weekly Torah readings), highlighting themes
that make Torah relevant to our modern lives.
Moshe Pinchas Weisblum, a
fourteenth generation rabbi, resides in Annapolis, MD with
his wife Miriam and their five children.
He is the religious leader at Congregation Kneseth
Israel. Both Ruth
Talk (list $16.95) and Table
Talk (list $19.95) are available at Barnes and Nobles,
Amazon.com and many Judaica stores.
It can also be ordered directly through the
publisher, Jonathan David Publishers, Inc (718-456-8611) or
distributor KinderKlassics (1-877-KINDER7).