Introduction
When we scrutinize the opening phrase of Sefer Rut — וַיְהִי בִּימֵי שְׁפֹט הַשֹּׁפְטִים — we notice a major problem with the formulation of this four-word phrase. The words shefot and vayehi both seem unnecessary; it could have simply said בִּימֵי הַשֹּׁפְטִים and the story would have been placed into its historical setting. What do these words teach us?
Three Explanations — Chazal, Ibn Ezra and Malbim
Various explanations have been set forth throughout the generations, which for the most part are variations on the same theme. Chazal (Bava Batra 15b) explain as follows: מאי דכתיב (רות א) ויהי בימי שפוט השופטים דור ששופט את שופטיו אומר לו טול קיסם מבין שיניך אומר לו טול קורה מבין עיניך. When the judges criticized the people, the people would respond with a stronger reprove of the judges. In other words, it was a time when corruption was rampant throughout society, and no one was able to set proper standards.
Ibn Ezra (to pasuk 1) writes that this was a time when Hashem was judging the judges for their poor deeds. The famine, Ibn Ezra explains, is a result of the misdeeds of the judges.1Communal punishment resulting from judges' misdeeds is a common theme in the teachings of Chazal. See, for example, Avot 5:8. Malbim (to pasuk 1) explains that Megillat Rut transpires during one of the frequent interludes in Sefer Shofetim during which we did not have a strong leader guiding our people.
We suggest a variation on Malbim that embraces the entire period of Sefer Shofetim. Our variation stems from the concluding pasuk of Sefer Shofetim בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם, אֵין מֶלֶךְ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל: אִישׁ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו, יַעֲשֶׂה — in those times there was no king in Israel, and everyone did what is fit in his own eyes. This description serves as a defining characteristic of the entire time period. Consider, for example, when Devorah issues a call for help to Am Yisrael for help fighting Sisera, very few shevatim respond, reflecting a severe lack of cohesiveness. Sadly, Sefer Shofetim is replete with civil wars amongst our people that emerged due to the dearth of widely accepted leaders. Accordingly, בִּימֵי שְׁפֹט הַשֹּׁפְטִים refers to the time of Sefer Shofetim, which was a time of weak leadership.
A Negative Introduction
The common denominator of Chazal, Ibn Ezra and Malbim is that they understand וַיְהִי בִּימֵי שְׁפֹט הַשֹּׁפְטִים in a negative light. This negative understanding is supported by the interpretative tool of davar ha’lameid mei’inyano, interpreting in light of the broader context, looking at the rest of the pasuk which speaks of a famine.
Another indication is the seemingly unnecessary introductory word וַיְהִי. There are four times in Tanach (in addition to Rut 1:1) where וַיְהִי בִּימֵי introduces an episode:
1. Bereishit 14:1 א וַיְהִי, בִּימֵי אַמְרָפֶל מֶלֶךְ-שִׁנְעָר, אַרְיוֹךְ, מֶלֶךְ אֶלָּסָר; כְּדָרְלָעֹמֶר מֶלֶךְ עֵילָם, וְתִדְעָל מֶלֶךְ גּוֹיִם. ב עָשׂוּ מִלְחָמָה
2. Yeshayahu 7:1 א וַיְהִי בִּימֵי אָחָז בֶּן-יוֹתָם בֶּן-עֻזִּיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה, עָלָה רְצִין מֶלֶךְ-אֲרָם וּפֶקַח בֶּן-רְמַלְיָהוּ מֶלֶךְ-יִשְׂרָאֵל יְרוּשָׁלִַם, לַמִּלְחָמָה, עָלֶיהָ; וְלֹא יָכֹל, לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ.
3. Yirmiyahu 1:3 ג וַיְהִי, בִּימֵי יְהוֹיָקִים בֶּן-יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה, עַד-תֹּם עַשְׁתֵּי עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה, לְצִדְקִיָּהוּ בֶן-יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה--עַד-גְּלוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם, בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁי.
4. Esther 1:1 וַיְהִי, בִּימֵי אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ 2TABC talmid Akiva Prager asks, if this phrase introduces a negative episode, how does “vayehi bi’yemei Achashveirosh” introduce the negative events related to Haman, if Haman does not appear until the beginning of perek 3? One may answer that Achashveirosh is the great enabler of Haman (Megillah 14a). Alternatively, as Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik observed, an obsessively hedonistic society like the one described in Esther perek 1 paves the way for a morally bankrupt regime seeking the annihilation of an entire people. Rabbi Soloveitchik, we should note, remarked that he witnessed such degeneration first-hand when he lived in Germany from 1926 to 1933.
In each occurence, the phrase וַיְהִי בִּימֵי introduces a negative episode, as noted by Chazal (Megillah 10b).
The Overall Theme of Megillat Rut — From Chaos to David
Based on our understanding of the introduction of Megillat Rut, we may draw a conclusion about its overall theme and purpose. But first, a Tanach interpretative technique. In many sefarim of our holy Tanach, a contrast of the beginning and end of the sefer sheds light on its theme. This seems true regarding the following sefarim:
1. Sefer Shemot — begins with avdut and ends with the shechina entering the mishkan.
2. Sefer Shmuel (Chazal say Shmuel authored Megillat Rut!) — begins with shofet and the mishkan and ends with David HaMelech taking the first step to build the Beit HaMikdash.
3. Sefer Melachim — begins with David HaMelech and ends with the Churban.3I entitled my book on Sefer Melachim “From David to Destruction” for this reason.
4. Sefer Yechezkel — begins with Yechezkel receiving nevuah during galut Bavel and ends with a description of the future Beit HaMikdash.
Now, let us compare the beginning and end of Megillat Rut in order to better understand its overall theme. The sefer begins with a period of corruption and negativity and concludes with mention of David HaMelech. Thus, we may argue that Megillat Rut teaches about how our people made the transition from the failures of the period of the shofetim to the successes of the times of David HaMelech. Self-centered interest would not bring us to the strong national entity that was developed during the times of David. Only once we coalesce as a community of giving can a sense of national unity and identity ultimately emerge.
Megillat Rut — The Reward for Chesed
Now let’s analyze a famous but very difficult Midrash – Rut Rabbah 2:14 "אמר ר' זעירא:
מגילה זו אין בה לא טומאה ולא טהרה ולא איסור ולא היתר, ולמה נכתבה? ללמדך שכר טוב לגומלי חסדים
In other words, Megillat Rut does not teach us any Halachot. Rather, it is written to teach us the reward bestowed on those who engage in kind deeds.
There are two major difficulties with this Midrash. First, Megillat Rut is a veritable treasure trove of sources for a wide variety of Halachot. These include Halachot regarding geirut, marriage, inheritance, and kinyan suddar. Second, the Tanach — in sections much earlier than Megillat Rut — teaches the reward for gomlei chasadim. For instance, Sefer Bereishit records how Rivka is chosen as one of the Imahot due to her extraordinary chesed.
In light of our discussion, we can suggest a deeper meaning of this Midrash. The Midrash teaches that the primary message of Megillat Rut is not the many Halachot that we derive from this rich story. Rather, the central theme is that of reward and punishment — the reward for those who are giving and the punishment for the self-centered. Megillat Rut begins with a searing description of the terrible downfall of Elimelech, Machlon and Kilyon due to self-centered and self-serving behavior. It concludes with the great reward ultimately bestowed upon Rut, who is characterized by Chazal as the mother of royalty and whose kindness to her mother-in-law Naomi is astounding. Her ultimate reward in this world, teach Chazal, is her presence at the royal inauguration of her great-great-grandson Shlomo HaMelech (Bava Batra 91b).
Conclusion — Chesed: The Recipe for Success in Life
The lessons for us run deep and wide. Any community, from the smallest to the largest, must follow the recipe set forth in Megillat Rut — fostering the willingness to give and eschewing self-centeredness — in order to achieve success. A marriage must be characterized by ani le’dodi ve’dodi li, with each partner looking to give to the other. One who enters marriage with a self-centered attitude, thinking “what’s in this for me?” is doomed to fail. A community composed of people solely focused on what the community can do for them will not flourish. Rather, in order to succeed, a community needs its members to think, “what can I do for the community?” The same applies for a larger community — the people must be devoted to each other as well as the leadership and the leadership must be devoted to serving the people.