Character Comparison: Esther and Rut/s (however you want to say it)

     Comparing Esther and Rut/s, it's very interesting how they are so similar, and yet so different. Esther starts out as a quiet, passive girl living with her uncle after her parents' deaths. She follows the rules and does everything as she is told. Mordechai being a leader of the Jews, she is also constantly and consistently exposed to Judaism throughout her life (even with the secular influences of the time).
     Rut/s, on the other hand, is completely different. She grows up around her own people in Moav. Even after she marries Naomi's son, they stay in Moav for another decade. She is not around any real Judaism at all, especially as Elimelech and his family had left the Jews in Beit Lechem and specifically come away from them to Moav. Still, from the first time we hear of anyone actually doing anything, she is already taking initiative. She basically forces her mother-in-law to take her along when she returns to Beit Lechem, even when Orpah goes back and Naomi tries as hard as she possibly can to convince her to stay behind. Not only does she not give up on going with Naomi, she even takes on Naomi's religion as her own, knowing that even still, she will be ostracized and and be looked at negatively by everyone else.
     Once she begins to grow on her own and to take initiative, however, Esther is very much like Rut/s. They both figure out what needs to be done and do it. Esther begins to lead and to tell others what needs to be done, even to the point at which Achashverosh himself looks to her for advice and approval (According to Hazony). Rut/s takes it upon herself to go find food and supplies when she and Naomi arrive in Beit Lechem with nothing, and Naomi is just sitting there doing nothing. She doesn't know a single person there other than her mother-in-law, yet she goes out and does what needs to be done.

Ummm....

     To me, Naomi seems very manipulative and negative in general. I feel kind of bad saying that because I know that she had a hard life and that she went through a lot, but I always thought that she was the sweet, protective mother-in-law who only put up token resistance before welcoming her daughter-in-law to come home with her. Instead, I find that she basically completely ignores Rut/s on the journey back, she rants at everyone there when she gets back to Beit Lechem, she leaves her foreigner daughter-in-law who knows absolutely no one there save for Naomi to go find them food, and she only starts talking to Rut/s again when she hears about Boaz and decides she can get something out of it. Even then, she uses Rut/s and teaches her to manipulate Boaz, the very person from whom they are getting food and support!
Again, I know she had a hard life, but I just think this is ridiculous...

     Naomi continues to shock us. When she returns to the land where she was once the greatest and richest, as a new person her attitude totally changes. When Naomi is greeted she says a few depressing things. First she says that no one should call her Naomi. Naomi means pleasure and since she is no longer able to enjoy life and experience pleasure, she asks that people call her Marah which means bitter. She chooses this name because she says that G-d made her bitter. She continues to say that she left full and returned empty.
     There are a few interesting things about what Naomi has said to the townspeople and how they reacted. Naomi's mindset is very negative and so far we see that she is only recognizing the bad that has happened to her. Also Naomi has not mentioned Ruth to the townspeople, which makes her seem very selfish to us. This also shows us that Ruth does not mean very much to Naomi. But the way the townspeople act is even stranger. When hearing about Naomi's bitter life they do not seem to care. They do nothing about how she has nothing. They should have offered her a place to stay, food to eat, and many other things to help an old member of their community.

     In the first few Pasukim of megiilat Ruth we see that the main characters are very selfish. They are wealthy and when there is a famine, they go to Moab not for food, but so that they will not have to stay and help out. They end up staying in Moab and marrying women from Moab, Ruth and Orpah. When Naomi says that she is leaving and going back to Israel, she tells her daughter-in-laws, Ruth and Orpah, that they should go back to their people. Naomi says this because in Israel they would be the lowest of the cast system.
     But surprisingly Ruth says that she will not leave Naomi. Ruth is giving up her life and any opportunity to have children so that she can go with Naomi. This is something that should surprise Naomi and Naomi should thank Ruth for coming with her, but instead Naomi acts very differently. Naomi decides to ignore Ruth and be very rude and ungrateful.

Rut, Esther, and Orpah

        In תנ"ך we see people have been chosen by Hashem and they often have a destiny to fulfill. Each of these people have a big responsibility and they can chose to go about it in many different ways. They can either do everything they can to their best ability without thinking twice or questioning themselves and Hashem, they can fight themselves about it and might think they aren't the best person for it, or they can neglect it all together. While many people in תנ"ך have chosen different options we can easily see this from three women in כתובים, רות, אסתר, ערפה.
        רות is a unique hero in Jewish history. Even though she was not a Jew, she was still worthy of saving everyone. Nobody had to tell her to go to Israel, in fact נעמי was trying to discourage her from coming, but she knew she had to. Once she set her mind to it, she was going to Israel and once she was there, she listened to everything נעמי said without hesitation. She was determined and because of this she saved the Jews.
        אסתר on the other hand, was not as sure of herself. Not to demean her in any way, she just wasn't as determined as רות. At the beginning אסתר didn't quite understand her mission, and once she did she was a little unsure about doing it. However, once she realized what she had to do, she made her plan and executed it successfully. She was able to save the Jews and fulfill her destiny, it just took her a little longer.
        ערפה is a whole different story. First of all, I am making the assumption that ערפה had a mission to fulfill because she was in the same position as רות so it seems likely that she could have also been chosen by Hashem. ערפה, unlike רות, did not go to Israel, she didn't even explore the thought that she might have a role in this world. She didn't do something inherently bad by leaving, but she did miss out on the opportunity she would have had. It could be that she was not as insightful as רות and she didn't see the situation like רות did. Maybe, she wasn't as equipped as רות, but who knows what she could have accomplished if she would have seized the opportunity.
        We are not given roles as big as the people in תנ"ך, but that doesn't mean we don't have rolls in the world. Everyone is here for a reason and once you find what you think you can do to help the world, it is up to you to go at it with everything you can, because if you don't, and you let opportunities pass you by, who know what kind of impact you could have left on the world.              

Mitzvote on Shavuot

        Since מגילת רות  does not tell the story of שבועות like other מגילות tell the holidays we read them on, it is sometimes hard to incorporate the מגילה into what we do on the holiday. On שבועות we have a big focus on doing מצוות that bring us closer to Hashem, like learning תורה. Obviously learning תורה is an extremely important מצוה to do especially on the anniversary of when we received the תורה, but when we incorporate מגילת רות more into the holiday, we add a whole new layer of  מצוות.  
        When we first meet בעז he isn't doing anything to help his relative נעמי. He isn't doing anything horrible wrong, but he also isn't doing anything good. Later, he meets  רות and is amazed by the wonderful things she does.  רות also explains to בעז that he needs to redeem her and after that, we see בעז change his life a bit as he acts with kindness.
        Personally I think this shows how great of a couple בעז and רות are, because she is able to help him and bring out his great qualities. Even though they were a couple, and all couples can look at them as a role models for a good relationship, you can also use this lesson to bring out the good in many people.
        In addition to the מצוות we do on שבועות that bring us closer to Hashem, we can look up to רות and do מצוות that bring us closer to other people in out lives. When you do things for other people, you may not even notice how your actions are helping them become better people too.    

G-d as the puppet master

There are many clues in the Megillah that provide strong evidence that G-d is behind the scenes. Firstly, the chiastic structure of the Megillah illustrates how everything get turned around so perfectly in the story to allow the Jews to come out on top. In the first half of the story, Haman is in control. He plans the destruction of the Jews, and everything seems to be going his way. The second half of the Megillah is a complete turnaround, and Mordechai, Esther and the Jews ultimately win out. A perfect example of this is that in the beginning of Perek 4, Mordechai was at the gates of the palace wearing sackcloth, and every Jew was mourning Haman’s decree. In Perek 8, the Jews are all rejoicing over their victory in war, as it says:
"יז. בְּיוֹם שְׁלוֹשָׁה עָשָׂר לְחֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר וְנוֹחַ בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר בּוֹ וְעָשֹׂה אֹתוֹ יוֹם מִשְׁתֶּה וְשִׂמְחָה:" 


According to Sanctuaries in Time, by Rav Eliyahu Dessler, the fact that everything gets turned around shows the hand of G-d and his hidden miracles. The story wouldn’t have worked out the way it did if it weren’t for G-d controlling the events. Similarly, Worldmask says that G-d was intentionally hiding from the people. The series of “coincidences” weren’t really coincidences - it was really G-d controlling the story. His name is left out to teach us a lesson - we are supposed to uncover G-d’s mask and seek him out. This is where the custom of wearing masks on Purim comes from. In relation to today, a time where G-d doesn’t perform outright miracles, our goal is to try to see how He is pulling the strings in our everyday lives.

Rut: A Leader Who Changed History

I'm sitting here, mulling over what to write in this blog post, and I'm struggling to find an introduction. Well, I guess I just covered that. So, that folks, was my introduction. This year, we had the pleasure to learn Kohelet, Eicha, Esther, and Rut, and to be honest, the perspective I've gained into really examining the Tanach, discerning themes that may not be clear to the naked eye, will stay with me for a lifetime. At the end of the year, we studied Megillat Rut. In terms of "a first glance" type of view, the megillah appears to be a story about a woman who loses her sons, only to be joined by one of their Moabite wives, Rut, who eventually ends up marrying a man, Boaz; and together, they begin the lineage of King David. However, in classic Mrs. Perl fashion, there is so much more to this narrative. Over Shavout, I attended Mrs. Perl's fantastic class on Megillat Rut, and along with "bringing the sefer together," she displayed Rut as an individual who changed the course of history in a community of chaos.

So, what better way to look into Megillat Rut than to travel back in time to the mission of Avraham or the "Avraham Mission!" Avraham's job entailed the establishment of ethical monotheism in Israel, and the people were to follow what Avraham set the foundation for, obeying the mitzvot and acting with "Tzedek U'Mishpat." They were to recognize that G-d is the bestower of all success, and in addition, ensure that the downtrodden were not oppressed and even more, were cared for. The government was initially intended to be somewhat of a hierarchy, with Hashem presiding over the King, Navi, the Shoftim v'Shotrim, and the Kohen and Levi. Each were to have separate duties that only they alone could fulfill. Essentially, in this "ideal society," a centralized government was to be installed, motivating the people to continue to the mission of Avraham. As we saw in Devarim, if they did so, they would be rewarded with success. However, if they deviated from following the Torah wholeheartedly, they would be punished, in the form of enemies, famine, and exile. This is what really happened.

In reality, the cycle of sin consumed this period, with the Jews constantly falling into sin and idolatry, only to be saved by G-d, and then returning to their previous state. There was a decentralized government, a lack of leadership, and civil, religious, and social breakdowns. To be precise, "In those days (there was) no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his eyes." This already presents the premise for Rut: the Jewish people were in a state of chaos, which provides the impetus for Rut to be the leader and change the course of history.

From the beginning of the Sefer, at the end of the first Perek, we see the determination Rut possesses. She literally "sticks" to her mother-in-law Naomi, letting nothing faze her in her pursuit of being with Naomi, even though her heritage was Moabite. She assumed a new identity as a follower of Hashem, and clung to it. This is her first act of Chesed.

Later in the Sefer, we are introduced to Boaz, who we concluded had an obligation to help Naomi and Rut upon their arrival, despite us first deeming him a "good guy." Way to put a twist on that notion. However, Rut gives him the opportunity to grow, allowing him to be her redeemer. This eventually occurs, and Rut and Boaz marry. At the end of Megillat Rut, the lineage of King David is written. And who is the start of the family tree? Rut! Huzzah!

Rut was the restorer of the Avraham mission in a society that had both ignored and forgotten it. She accepted the Torah in its entirety, performing both the Mitzvot and "Tzedek U'Mishpat" despite being a foreigner that society frowned upon, even though they themselves were in a state of complete and utter immorality. As one last question, do you think that because Rut was the restorer of the "Avraham mission," she merited the start of the lineage that would lead to King David? 

Mrs. Perl-I cannot believe this is my last blog post for your class. It seems like it's become a part of my weekly routine, and blogging has required me to analyze, reflect, and think critically about the ideas presented in class, although my 16 paragraphs from last year have been somewhat shortened. Thank you for being such a wonderful teacher these past few years; I've learned lessons that extend beyond the classroom and concepts that apply to my daily life. We'll miss you in Memphis, but wish you the best of luck next year!

It's about how you say it

I never knew Rut to be the great person that we learned about. All I had learned about her was that she was modest when she was in the field and bent down a certain way that Boaz became interested in her. I never had fully read the story in depth with actual understanding. I never knew the person that she really was - a caring person who will do anything to help the ones that she loves.

We first see this when she refuses to leave Naomi when Naomi asks her to and Orpah goes. She tells Naomi "Where you go, I will go." It was Rut's persistence and dedication that showed that there is more to come for her as a person and that she will really help out Naomi. Naomi didn't even talk to Rut the whole way of their travels, but she still continued with Rut.

When we first met Boaz, he gave Rut the ability to take whatever she wanted to take to make sure that she was satisfied and full. Without looking further into that, you would think that what he did was fine because he gave her food and that's what she needed. When we learned about it, though, we saw that he knew who she was and what he was supposed to do, he just didn't do it.

When Naomi asked her to go to Boaz because they need to continue the family name, Noami gave specific instructions on what to do and what to say to Boaz to make sure that he will do the right thing this time. When she went there, she followed exactly what Naomi said, but she said one thing extra. She said that he is the redeemer and he has a responsibility and from then on, he changed so much and did what he was supposed to do and more.

In Rut, when the characters are first introduced to us, we hate them for a while because the way that they are presented to us. At the end of the book, though, the story comes together and the characters redeem themselves (no pun intended) and prove to be something worth taking from.

Find the Rus in You!

         Though the school year has officially ended, those of us with only two blogs this quarter have the privilege of writing a third. Unfortunately, we were not able to finish Megillas Rus in as much depth as we could have with more time, but Mrs. Perl still gave us an overview of the meaning behind the story. We learned in Perek Alef that a man named Elimelech was moving from Beis Lechem to Moav with his two sons and his wife, Naomi. Though it may seem that they were simply escaping the widespread famine in Beis Lechem, it actually looks as though they were escaping responsibility. We learned that the words used to describe Elimelech and his family are the words that are used to describe those who are wealthy. Therefore, Elimelech and his family should have been perfectly comfortable even in the midst of a famine. Therefore we conclude that Elimelech left Beis Lechem to avoid the responsibility of helping those who were not as fortunate. He didn't want to give up his money and his time to help others, so he left.

         Now, when Elimelech and his family arrived in Moav, the two sons found two wives: Rus and Orpah. Coincidentally, Elimelech and his two sons pass away soon after arriving in Moav (perhaps a punishment for abandoning their duties....?), leaving Naomi and her daughters-in-law widows. Naomi decides to return to Beis Lechem after hearing that the famine ended, and she tries to convince her daughters-in-law to stay behind. She tells Rus and Orpah that she cannot give them new husbands and that they should stay in their own land. Orpah decides to leave, though Rus is persistent. Rus tells Naomi that wherever Naomi goes, she will follow. Naomi's nation is her nation, Naomi's G-d is her G-d. Rus willingly takes on Judaism as her religion, abandoning her old lifestyle.

         Naomi responds to Rus is a very odd way. She stops talking to her. Naomi allows Rus to follow, though gives her the silent treatment. Upon arriving in Beis Lechem, Naomi tells her old neighbors to call her "Marah" because G-d embittered her life. No introduction of Rus, who would be an outcast as a foreigner, and Noami even seems to be blaming G-d for her predicament. She says that G-d was the one who brought her out with everything and returned her with nothing.

         So, in the beginning of the Megillah we can see that Rus was not very well respected. She had just lost her husband and she decided to leave her faith and her home behind to travel with a "bitter" mother-in-law to a place where she would be at the bottom of society. Naomi completely ignores her along the way and when they arrive to Beis Lechem, Rus must go out and pick food in the fields of others just to keep her and her mother-in-law alive. It is here that we see the true character of Rus. Though we learn that it was forbidden for Jewish men to marry Moavite women and we learn that the nation of Moav was corrupt and terrible, Rus was truly an exception. She was selfless and caring and willing to take a crucial leap of faith, a feat not so easily achieved. Rus, as a convert, held the best qualities that most Jews of the time did not. She represents the beginning of a new age in Jewish history. While the time period she lived in was one of a corrupt society, only a few generations later a new leader would arise to bring the Jewish people out of their slump: Dovid HaMelech. Rus was the one person who brought kindness and morality that would change the course of Jewish history.

         To make a connection between Rus and our time, I want to talk about society today. We learned that society back then was corrupt because the Jewish people had no leader. Today, it isn't hard to see that society is pretty corrupt as well. Everyone is obsessed with impressing others and social media has taken over most people's lives. Though thankfully our corruption isn't really as bad as the corruption of Rus's time, it's still just as influential. We should be sure that we take on Rus's qualities ourselves in a way to bring some sense into the crazy world. As Gandhi once said, "You must be the change you want to see in the world." So that's it. A very quick overview of Rus, and I didn't even talk about Boaz and redeeming, but oh well. Sadly, this is our last blog, maybe for the rest of high school! Mrs. Perl, I hope all of the kids in your new school love to blog and will provide you with new insights. We'll miss you in Memphis!

We learned about two stories in Shoftim to teach us about the time period that Rut took place. The Jews at this time were not very religious. They mixed with society because they didn't have any centeral leadership to tell them that they needed to stay with G-d. They weren't religious people, but they were still associated with Judaism. They knew basic traditions of Judaism but would often distort the way they did them. They went with the local customs and did what they thought was moral in their eyes. The morals were skewed because they didn't know when was too much to integrate into society. They got carried away, and there was no one to tell them to stop. So now their religious values are skewed.  

In the first Perek we see the corruption in Naomi's family. Some say that Naomi's family was actually wealthy and ran away from Beit Lechem because they didn't want to share their wealth with the poor and starving. They took the religious values about helping others out and replaced them with the individualistic ideas from society. 

There was one person who didn't let society change her morals. Everything Rut did was moral and was to help people (even sleeping with Boaz). She was extremely selfless, and she wasn't even Jewish. She did everything in the interest of the people around her. For example she insisted on accompanying Naomi back to Beit Lechem. There was nothing for her in Beit Lechem. She was moving away from her home and family. They were going to Beit Lechem where she wouldn't find a husband of her culture. But she didn't want any of that. She wanted to follow Naomi and help her through her hard times. 

She also sacrificed her love life to continue her dead husband's name. She could have married someone younger and someone she loved, but she knew what was important in life. She put her wants aside and did what was best in the end and for the entire community. This is true chesed. We have a lot to learn from Rut and her intense kindness. 

Esther before Ahasuerus/Reflections

A long, long time ago I was going to blog about the painting shown above. Way back in the times when I spent my days hanging around at the Philadelphia Museum of Art I happened upon Pompeo Girolamo Batoni's painting called Esther before Ahasuerus and I found it so remarkable! What do you think of this painting? Like/loathe? 

Reflections

Never would I ever have imagined that a "Megillot" class would have been able to teach me so much about my life. Then Mrs. Perl goes ahead and starts re-writing NACH, and all of a sudden anything is possible. All of a sudden these works are approachable and meaningful. Things that were so difficult to understand at first are now easy as pie to pick up, read, and interpret. MIND. BLOWING!! 

KOHELET: For the longest time this class wasn't "Megillot class" it was just "Kohelet Class". This was partly due to the fact that we thought it would take us until the end of the year to finish Sefer Kohelet, true; the main reason we called it 'kohelet', though, was because we were all so into it! Don't believe me, just go up to Alyssa and ask her what she thought about the transformation of the Chacham (spoiler alert: she doesn't approve, but she sure is passionate about it!). 

Kohelet taught me that, though at times it may seem like it, hakol is not hevel. There may be things in life that we cannot understand- that we struggle with- but we shouldn't let them stump us. The key in life is recognizing that we don't know everything. Once we know that, things will easily fall into place. 

 This was for sure my favorite Sefer to blog about, partly because I could accompany my blogs with Calvin and Hobbes comics. It's only appropriate, then, that the last blog of my whole high school career include one such comic. 

We dealt with questions like this in Kohelet. Why do bad things happen to good people? In Ester it was more of "why all the secrecy?". So deep, Calvin!

EICHA: This one was very difficult to get through at first because it initially felt like it was just a terribly depressing/terrifying book. However, once perspectified, Eicha proves to be a very current book that teaches us about life in Galut. Even though we can't see God, we shouldn't assume that God isn't there. Eicha teaches us about the right way to approach a loss; Eicha teaches us that betrayal hurts, but recovery is necessary; Eicha teaches us that Teshuva is always an option. Perhaps most powerfully, Eicha teaches us how important it is to have a strong community to stand by when times are tough. We are always stronger when we come together. 

ESTER: My favorite part about learning Ester was learning about the evolution of Ester herself. I was angry at the beginning when I noticed how passive she was. Then I was in awe as she transformed before our eyes. I think that Ester is such a powerful, positive biblical female role model. I know that there are lots of other lessons from Ester, but, to be honest, this is the one that I will take with me for the years to come. (Are any of you actually surprised? Nah.) 

RUTH: The Book of Ruth gets the award for most improved. This book was incredibly inappropriate and uninspiring the first time I read it. Once we went over it in class, however, slowly but surely the Megillah of Ruth and the character Ruth redeemed themselves. The selfless, wonderful, awesome Ruth gets full credit for this. All of the other characters pale in comparison to this woman. I would also like to point out that the way MP related this sefer to Shavuot was truly beautiful. Mitzvot ben adam lechavero are so essential to a person's Jewish identity, and Ruth really embodies how important it is to live one's life according to the ideals of morality, tzedek umisphat, and chessed.

To those of you still listening to me, I leave you with this final wish:

Dream big, and you can accomplish anything. But don't forget to appreciate those big, sunny fields. The simplest things are sometimes the greatest. Think about our megillot class- we didn't go into extensive meforshim or anything. We looked at most of the sefarim simply by doing an in-depth reading of the original text. And yet.. we got so much out of it. 

Thanks for a great year! 

The Last Post

Hi, guys. So this is a pretty bittersweet moment, right? It's the last post after what feels like hundreds of posts that we're going to put up for Megillot class. Actually, this is the last post we're going to put up for any of Mrs. Perl's classes. It's been an awesome ride, Mrs. Perl, and I'm not going to pretend that I'm not going to miss you like crazy next year. Thanks for everything.

Since this is the end and I was finishing up my work, I thought I would take an idea we learned from Megillat Esther and apply it to Megillat Rut. When we were tying up the loose ends from Esther and redeeming the characters, we read a lot about how there's a surface meaning to the events in the Megillah and an underlying deeper meaning. The deeper meaning is the one that adds insight to our lives and has the potential to enhance with further knowledge. With Esther, we learned a lot of new things about seeing G-d in our lives, the role of women, exile vs. Diaspora, leadership, initiative, and uniting to deal with adversity. In the end, Megillat Esther turned out to be holding a lot more wisdom than we previously gave it credit for.

And then we learned Megillat Rut. Before this class, very few of us had actually read through the text and understood what was happening. On the surface, it seemed like a lot of un-Kosher things were going on, especially when it came to Rut and Naomi and being redeemed by a Goel. On the surface, going to the threshing floor in the middle of the night to lie with a man and then having to walk the "walk of shame" afterwards seems like yet another display of the normal immorality of the society of the Shoftim and definitely would not be considered admirable. Then we read between the lines. We looked at the nuances of the language and it all clicked: Rut did what she did to get Boaz to realize his responsibility to do this kindness for her and for Naomi. It was his job to take the initiative and stand up for what was right. A similar lesson also appears in Megillat Esther, where Esther ultimately learns that she has to step up and take advantage of the potential and the chance that G-d has given her. Rut stepped up, Boaz stepped up, Esther stepped up. On top of that, Rut taught us about the true nature of Chessed. She taught us that giving selflessly and sacrificing for what's right is the best way to actualize the potential to better the world.

I didn't think about this until just now, but perhaps the deep meaning behind the Megillot come out at just the right moments in life. For me, the lessons learned in Megillot class will hold a very special place in my heart because of the way we learned them. The path to finding meaning in life that we learned from Kohelet has inspired me to want to pass that knowledge on to other people who haven't yet had the fortune of making sense of a book that seems like nonsense when read literally. Sefer Eicha taught me how to deal with tragedy and grief, and now I can help others go through their own journey of grieving and moving on. Esther taught me more about taking initiative and action than I thought possible. I also learned about how to find G-d in the mundane and started to consider my role as one part of the whole of K'lal Yisrael, even as a person who is choosing to live in the Diaspora. Finally, Rut taught me about giving to others and about self-sacrifice when you have to do the right thing. Seriously, these lessons are the ones that I will take with me for life.

Mrs. Perl, thank you for an amazing five years as my teacher. I've learned so much more than I can put into words. Thanks for being there for me throughout and for being one of the most passionate and wonderful Judaic studies teachers and role models that Memphis has ever seen. You have changed all of our lives for the better. Those kids at Kohelet have no idea what an amazing ride they're in for. 

Naomi or Noami

Wow, it had been ages since I have used this website! For the last blog as a freshman, a student in Mrs. Perls class, and for my last blog hopefully ever, I wanted to dedicate it to the first part of Megillat Ruth. Seriously, Ruth, she is the bomb. On the other hand, while learning the beginning of Ruth in depth, I decided I am not the biggest fan of her mother in law, Noami.

Okay, I get she experienced hardships and she really did suffer, but she was so pessimistic and even displayed it to others too. I know it is difficult to move on from such difficult hardships that she had faced but that should not have been a reason for why she was so mean to Ruth. It would be one thing if she was full of sorrow and was sad, but she showed it when she was with others too.
 After Noami's two sons and her husband had passed away, she told her daughter in-laws to return back to the land that they came from. After Orpah did, Ruth refused to leave her. Ruth then promised to be there for Noami for her whole life and she committed everything that she had. In response, Noami was silent. It almost seems to me that she was annoyed with Ruth or something. If someone would dedicate their whole life to you so you would not be alone wouldn't you do a little more than just give them the silent treatment?
   After Noami and Ruth went to Israel, she was the talk of the town. The reason why Noami was the subject of conversation because she left for a while then came back a whole new person. Noami yelled at everyone to call her " the bitter one." I think these two stories give a little bit of insight on how much she suffered and how angry she was. Maybe if she would have made an effort to change the dealing process with her trauma, she would have found a more meaningful light and could have found peace, instead of suffering and taking it out on others.
With that, it has been a great year. Thanks for everything!

Then and Now

Hey guys. It's been a while. Let's see if I still remember how to do this thing.

Megillat Rut is a lot weirder than I remember it. Without knowing the context, it's even weirder.
I remember reading this story for my Bat Mitzvah although I'm not really sure if it was the same story. I mean, it had the same name and characters but the translation must have been off or something because I was way off with my interpretation. Here's what I thought about the characters and what I know now:

Naomi is like the Mordechai in this story. At first, I thought she was this wise Jewish lady who guides her daughter-in-law in a foreign land. She loses all of her family and now is this sad old lady who is returning home and yet she is still able to show Rut the ropes and show her how to live in this new land. Well, turns out she isn't all that great. She's still a sad Jewish lady but she's got some sass too. When Rut refuses to leave her after Naomi made it pretty clear that she wanted them to go home, she starts giving Rut the silent treatment. When she gets back to Beit Lechem, she tells the women to call her "Marah" because G-d has embittered her and caused her to lose everything. First of all, she needs to calm down with the negativity. Second, she is blaming G-d. If I learned anything from Aicha, then it's that blaming G-d is not the answer. When you look at the kind of society the people lived in, you realize it's pretty unlikely that she and her family weren't the ones to cause this "embittering." She doesn't even perk up again till Rut came back with food and news about Boaz. She then comes up with a new business proposition and decides to send Rut back to Boaz to seduce him. Luckily for Naomi, Rut is an obedient one and sets off to seduce the nice old man. This is a turning point for Naomi. She is finally taking the initiative and planning and being active as opposed to her usual moping. Basically, Naomi just seems to be in a good mood when she sees hope for a better future for herself. I get that all of her family is dead but she could treat Rut a little better and since this is her home, she should be the one going out and finding a way for them to live without a man instead of letting the foreigner do it.

Rut was always the hero of the story--even when I first learned it. I didn't totally understand what she did though. When I learned it before, I thought that she just had great respect for Naomi and was impressed with Judaism and wanted to be part of it. She was also a hard worker and listened to Naomi because like I said, she had lots of respect for her lovely mother-in-law. After reading it again, I realized that Rut is really crazy--but in the same way that she's crazy, she is also quite impressive (especially for this time period). She left her home, her parents, friends for a new land in a time when foreigners were not the popular ones. She had no obligation to stay with Naomi and it wasn't even a practical idea. When she clings to Naomi and vows to not leave her till death, I also see a hint of the origins of stalking. At the same time, though, you can compare her to Avraham. They both left their home and abandoned everything and had this blind faith. It's crazy but it's almost amazing in a sense. Even as a foreigner and a young woman, she decides to go to a field in this new land to get food for Naomi. She takes the initiative and begins the story as active as ever. When she returns and Naomi creates this great plan in which Rut will go seduce Boaz, Rut is ready to go. Rut has plans of her own, though. She cared more about doing what was right and moral than just having a husband that could pay for her wheat. She reminds Boaz of his responsibilities and shows him that he has not done what he is supposed to do. She took the initative and showed Boaz what true chesed is (when you see what a person needs and give it to them) and shows people that you can't just be religious--you have to be moral and ethical too.

Boaz was never someone I thought too much of when I read this for the first time. He was just some guy that was related to Rut and married her after Rut lied at his feet because he was the relative. Turns out he has a bigger role than that. The first time he sees Rut, he is nice to her and allows her to take whatever she wants but he does not go out of his way to actually give her food or to take care of Naomi. He is their relative, yet he doesn't actually help them until Rut is literally standing in his field. He recognizes Rut's selflessness and says that G-d should take her under His wing but he doesn't ever mention that he is her relative. When Rut surprises him in bed, she repeats his words back to him by saying that he should taker her under his wing because he is the redeemer. This is Rut's way of saying, "Come on, Boaz. I know you're my relative and it is your responsibility to redeem me. Step up and be a man. Get it together and do what you're supposed to." Boaz fortunately gets the wake-up call and tells her to leave before morning so she can keep her reputation intact and even actively gives her food for Naomi. After this, Boaz gets it all together and even is clever enough to get the other redeemer out in public so he can't redeem the land without taking Rut too. In the end, he marries Rut so he can continue on the family name. In a time when everyone is corrupt and does what they want, he stepped up and did what was right. He married a foreigner, continued on the family name, and figured out how to do true chesed.

And those are the lovely characters of Megillat Rut.

Until next time, folks.

Ruth: The Key to Naomi's Justice

This week we finished Megillat Ruth. Coincidentally, earlier in the year, we learned about the Book of Ruth in english class. When Mr. Brame gave us our final essay, one prompt was about the search for justice in this world. I immediately though of how Ruth was Naomi's guide to justice. Here is my essay for you all to ponder. I hope you like it!

In this world, there are people that will search for justice or try and change an unjust society into a just one. The problem is that they might not necessarily know that they are doing that. Sometimes a country is unjust, and it is the effort of a foreigner to make it just, and bring back the peace to the whole country or just one person that lives in that country. Ruth the Moabite was one of those people.

The Book of Ruth was set in the time of the Judges in Israel, and at that time all of the people and the society were unjust. There was no centralized figure or power to look up to. The people were worshiping idols, betraying each other, and breaking the laws between man and man which were the most important laws that God created. There had to have been someone who would search for the justice and restore it in Israel. Searching for justice in the world doesn’t have to be for a whole society or community, like the community in Beit Lechem. Searching for justice can also be for helping someone find closure in their life so they don’t act out, and eventually contribute to making the society around them more unjust.

Ruth the Moabite was the person that brought back justice to Naomi, the Israelite and her late husband, Elimelech’s family in Beit Lechem. Ruth was an inspiration to Naomi, though Naomi did not always show it. Naomi was used to the very unjust society that was Israel at the time, and because of that she was bitter and wouldn’t accept Ruth’s help. “My lot is far more bitter than yours, for the hand of the Lord has struck out against me,” Naomi exclaimed. She was turning into a normal person of the time period. She would reject her fellow acquaintances because she didn’t feel as though she was good enough. It was all about her, like it was all about everyone and their individuality at the time. Ruth was an invisible woman to Naomi, a wall that Naomi didn’t recognize.

When Naomi and Ruth returned to Beit Lechem, Ruth was determined to help Naomi carry on her late husband’s name. She ended up in the field of one of Elimelech’s relatives that could help redeem Naomi’s husband’s family and carry on the family name. Boaz, the field owner, was the person who helped Ruth restore Naomi’s confidence and not contribute to the unjust society around her. Boaz was the person that helped Ruth stay out of injustice, while Ruth was Naomi’s person for the same thing.

Ruth was a foreigner. She is referred to as Ruth the Moabite. Why would a foreigner have any business in correcting the injustice of another society, especially one that is supposed to be the enemy. The Moabites and Israelites were meant to be enemies, and were commanded this in the bible itself when the Jews entered the land of Israel. When Ruth married Mahlon, Naomi’s son, she decided that it was her mission to defy the custom of the Moabites and Israelites, and help the sad woman that was standing before her. She understood what it was like to lose someone, and she felt that it was her duty to protect and help her mother-in-law fight the injustice when she returned to Israel. Here, Ruth is showing us that even if you have nothing to do with a situation of injustice, it is your duty to help fix it. You don’t have to be a blunt figure in the effort, like Ruth was not, but no matter who you are it is important to help protect people from the worse.

We learn from Ruth that, “life is a search for justice.”  This is a lesson that we must take into account everyday of our lives. If and when we live in an unjust society and world, we must remember that whether we are or are not straightforward in inspiring people to have closure in order not to contribute to the unjust society, we must help. We must search for the justice that is within, even if it is deep down under. “So Boaz married Ruth; she became his wife; and cohabitated with her.” Ruth happened to have been the person that brought Naomi’s spirits up, which allowed them to bare children to carry on Elimelech’s name which finally created the reign of kingship that molded our just Jewish society that we think of today.

It has truly been a pleasure learning with all of you this year, and Mrs. Perl thank you soooo much! :)

When we first started reading about Rut, I was surprised at her character. It is shocking that the woman from Moab, outside of the Jewish people, would be the one who is kind and moral. We see from Naomi and Alemelach were not. From what we see, they were wealthy important people, but instead of staying in a time where they are needed, they leave. We see that although Boaz is not a bad person, he doesn't reach out and try to be better. When he heard that his realative, Naomi, was back, he didn't go see if she was ok, ask if she needed anything, and offer his help. Instead he sat around and let Rut glean in his field when she came to him.
Rut on the other hand, does everything she can to be better. She gives up her entire life and hope for a future to go with her widowed mother-in-law to a place where she had never been. Because of this move, she left everything behind. She left her family, customs, nation, religion, and home, so she came be with her mother-in-law when she was having a hard time. Even though Naomi starts ignoring her, she stays and does everything she can to help. Rut makes sure Naomi has everything she needs, even though it is no her job. It is no wonder why David HaMelech comes from such a strong, courageous woman.

Look who came back!

     When Rut returns you would think that everyone would acknowledge her presence and would be happy to see her. Instead everyone ignores her and seems to act as of they could care less. Naomi does not welcome her and acts very rude about the situation. After telling Rut to leave you would at least think she would welcome her back.
     This reminds me of the time in Diary of a Wimpy kid when all the kids act as if their friend Chirag is not there.
     

Thoughts on stuff

So it seems as though we've run out of time. Ruth will have to hold out for a little while until we can revisit her again. But what I've learned the from the two (two?) classes we've dedicated to Megillat Rut is worth blogging about (because I want to blog, obvs, not because I have a missing blog to make up. Psshhhh.)

Naomi has had a pretty awful life, that's for sure. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose your entire family over a span of a few years. Understanding her situation, we can feel sympathetic towards her. However, it is pretty difficult to feel this way when she is just so rude and bitter. After Rut proclaims her loyalty to Naomi and essentially binds herself to her for the rest of her life, Naomi responds in the exact opposite way that we'd expect: she doesn't. She goes silent, and stays that way for a while. It's crazy-- if someone were to make such a huge sacrifice for her, wouldn't she at least say thank you?

While Naomi was angry and depressed over the loss of her family, maybe there was something more here that made her give Rut the silent treatment. In the pessukim before, Naomi tries to send Rut and Orpah away. It wasn't until after multiple requests for them to go that Orpah listened. Maybe Naomi just really didn't want Rut to come with her. Maybe it was painful for Naomi to be around her. After all, she is her dead son's wife. Or maybe she didn't want to deal with the embarrassment of bringing a foreign woman back to Israel. Whatever it was, Rut treats Naomi pretty terribly. However Rut doesn't seem to care. She continues to stick with Naomi, refusing to leave her side. This is an incredible insight into just how wonderful Rut was as a person.

Ruth Redeemed

Ah, the story of Ruth... I know that many of you had already heard of this story prior to our Megillot class; well, I hadn't. It just wasn't one of those things that we learned in school ever, and I never bothered to look at it on my own. Therefore, when we started chavruta on Ruth a couple of weeks ago, I was entirely shocked at what I was reading. As many of you who were in the classroom with me at the time can remember, I was pretty outraged while reading the story. The first half of the Megillah seemed like a big blur about some unfortunate family moving from place to place. Next, I was also pretty amused when, in perek 3, I read what seemed to be Boaz advising Ruth against the "walk of shame". In perek 4 it seemed like Boaz was making a deal with a bunch of old people over who was going to keep Ruth. Needless to say, I was not impressed with Ruth in the least. Naomi was a "madam", Ruth was a stale wanton, and Boaz was some gross old guy who I guess was nice to tell his workers not to rape Ruth.

Quite an impression. It's a good thing Mrs. Perl swooped in,re-wrote the Megillah, and saved the story for me. Now, Baruch Hashem, after learning it in class, things make a lot more sense to me. Now I appreciate the story as a whole and think it's really lovely that we read it on Shavuot. Let me explain. 

Because who needs a picture of real Ruth when we
can have a picture of Babe Ruth? Am I right?

First off, who woulda thunk the setting would have been so important? I mean, sure, the fact that the Sefer starts off with "וַיְהִי, בִּימֵי שְׁפֹט הַשֹּׁפְטִים" should have been a hint, but for some reason I ignored it on my first go-around. In class, when we looked into sources from this time, the story was already starting to make more sense. The situation at this time was horrible: people were disgusting to one another, there was no social order, and, though people always had the word of God on their mouths, they weren't exactly 'religious' people. During this time period, there was no king and each man (or woman) did what was good in his (or her) own eyes. People were committing rape and idolatry all over the place. It was not a pretty scene. Enter: the story of Ruth. For the sake of time and interest, I am not going to go over the whole story. Rather, I'm just going to talk about the three main characters and what I think about their progressions throughout the sefer.

Ruth: Ruth gets to go first because she's the best. She is one of the most- if not the most- selfless person I have ever read or heard about. This Moavite woman (yes, Ruth) marries this guy (who cares about his name) who is originally from Chevron. When he, his dad, and his brother all die and Ruth's mother in law, Naomi wants to go back to Chevron, and doesn't invite her to go with. Actually, Naomi explicitly tells Ruth not to go. But Ruth, looking out for her mother-in-law, and the overall name of her husband's family, insists on going back with Naomi. Though Naomi ignores her, she never ceases to be right there by her side, supporting her through all their financial woes. She gives up her home, her youth, her life, really, all to make sure that Elimelech's family's name wasn't forgotten. She never stops to think "What about me?"-she's always thinking of the bigger picture. I can't stress this enough. Also, just a little bit more into the 'not-Jewish' thing: Ruth wasn't just a non-Jew, she was a Moavite. Jewish people actively rejected the Moavites from their society. Somehow, through all of that, she decided that she wanted to become one of them, and she wanted to help them. I can think of no woman other than Ruth who is more deserving to be the mother the malchut. Ruth doesn't go through much of a transformation, I think that's safe to say, in this sefer. I do not mean to imply that she is a static character, I only wish to convey that Ruth has been awesome since the first time we hear her speak. From the very beginning she is the "Avraham" of the story who leaves her homeland without a second thought. She gets more righteous and more selfless in her actions as the Sefer goes on, but something tells me she had it in her from the beginning. Ruth is "the woman". Can you even imagine making the kind of sacrifices Ruth made? I know I can't.. 

Boaz: He's good guy by the end of the sefer, but at the beginning of Ruth he seemed only slightly different from the regular people at the time. When we are first introduced to Boaz, we are told that he is related to Elimelech and we know that he is a prominent, land owning man of the town. Yet, when Ruth and Naomi come in town- and he knows he is in town- he does not extend a hand to their aid. Why not, Boaz? Huh? Too cool for fam? Later, when he is introduced to Ruth, he doesn't inform her of their relation. Sure, he tells his worker-men not to molest her, which is sweet, and he also lets her pick food there, which is also nice, he never actively does anything to help Ruth and Naomi out. Holding him to our ethical standards, he really fails. Holding him to the standards at the time, he'd rank above the average man, but not very much higher. Later, when Ruth visits him in the middle of the night (surprise!), she reminds him of his duties as a redeemer. Something about Ruth's message (Ruth is awesome. See above) suddenly awakens this moral part in him, and he becomes a changed man. He realizes that he is the redeemer with certain obligations. He actively sends things back with Ruth for Naomi. In the next perek he comes up with this brilliant plan to see whether the other redeemer (who is first in line to redeem) is a good guy (spoiler alert: he's not!). At the end of the sefer, I feel good about Boaz. Does Ruth deserve better? Of course. But, at least by the end of it he understands and appreciates her mission (plus he can support her financially which was very important). Thoughts on Boaz? Yay or nay? 

Naomi: Naomi goes from being a terrible wench to an okay human being. Let's face it, folks: Naomi is an opportunist. She follows the bread. There's a famine- she leaves. Famine is over- she goes back. Her daughter-in-law is following her and potentially useless baggage- she doesn't speak to her. Her daughter-in-law can bring in the dough- she's all of a sudden "my daughter". Naomi is not consistent and shows no real growth that one can prove as genuine. I don't buy that Naomi is a good person because at the end, once Ruth redeems the family for her, Naomi takes care of her grandchild. Sorry- not impressed. Naomi may not be the owner of a brothel that I once thought she was, but she's not much better now that I know the real her. Yes, this sounds harsh. It's true- she was not worse than any of the other people at her time. At least she didn't commit any crimes! While this is correct, let's not forget that Naomi is the melodramatic old lady who told her old gossip buddies to call her "Bitter" because God has ruined her life. Eyeroll. Oh, Naomi. What about that wonderful Ruth girl who you have been so lucky to have for company all this way? Are your thoughts on Naomi as harsh as mine? 

The Stereotypical Jewish Mother

In honor of our last week of Megillot classes, I decided to do something a bit more lighthearted than usual. My topic for today: how the lessons we learn from the book of Rut enumerate those of the "stereotypical Jewish mother." 

The first quality is "being a reminder of responsibility." Rut cleverly reminded Boaz of what his job was, and that it had not yet been completed. He had a duty to her, and by all means he needed to complete the task. Well, a Jewish mom works the same way. Imagine the scene: the trash in our stereotypical Jewish household has not been taken out, and guess whose turn it is to take care of it? the child of the family, conveniently hiding out in his/ her room. As a grand reminder of responsibility, it's a Jewish motherly trait to muster all available lung power and cry "TAKE OUT THE GARBAGE! NOW, OR YOU'RE NOT GETTING 2nd PORTIONS AT DINNER!" As you can see, there is still an obvious care and concern for the child involved, same as how Rut brought up this topic to Boaz in a way that wasn't full of blame. Jewish mothers will pull you by your ears to get something done, but in the end they have a heart of gold. 

The next quality is "looking out for the benefit of others above oneself." Rut worked for a greater purpose- the continuation of her deceased husband's name. She had nothing to gain from this viewpoint. Jewish mothers are also often pretty selfless. If a Jewish mom can see that you really want the cookie she's holding, she will give it to you with a smile on her face. Jewish moms really want their kids to be happy and successful, regardless of how much nudging and assistance their kids require to get to that point. 

Lastly, Jewish moms (typically) work hard to instill a set of strong moral and ethical values into their kids. Rut also adhered to her own set of ingrained morals and ethics. She did what was right because she felt that it was the correct thing to do. Jewish moms try to do the same, and teach their kids to do so as well. I have heard stories of little kids who go grocery shopping with their moms, and happen to nab some candy while no one is looking. The good Jewish mom involved in this story yelled at the poor three year old and made him march back to the manager of the store, return the candy he grabbed, and apologize. That mortifying episode probably stuck in his head forever, and taught him early on that stealing is wrong. Clearly, Jewish moms want this lesson to be taught loud and clear, especially since we're the nation that is supposed to uphold Torah values. The least we can do is act like it.

Persistence

Today began those last two, dreadful weeks of the school year. It is time for exams, all other schools are out, and we just want to be done already. We need to get through these last 2 weeks without falling asleep, getting too stressed, and still doing a good job on finals. We must persist.

Just like we must persist in these last two weeks of school, Ruth, in Megillat Ruth, persisted when she begged Naomi to let her return with her to Bet Lechem. Whereas Orpah gave up and went back to Moav, Ruth persisted and finally pushed Naomi to let her go to Bet Lechem and live with her. It took her a while, but she did it. We must do the same. We have to persist through these last two weeks of school. We need to study for our finals and kick tushie on them! WOO! If our teachers make us really hard finals, we must persist because we only have like 12 more days of school! Ruth has inspired me to push through and do well to finish the year of strong!!

Who is Ruth?

The time has come: we are finally learning Ruth! We started off reading through the beginning of Ruth last class, and even at the very beginning, one thing became crystal clear; Ruth is not your average person. First of all, she was a Moabite, and she married a Jewish man. That's unusual, but not exceptional. (It is forbidden  for Jews to marry Moabite men, but not Moabite women, by the way.) Anyway, this was a big deal for her. She left her people and went to live with this small Jewish family. Apparently, they were a powerful and well known Jewish family, but that didn't change anything for her, because it is said that Ruth was from Moabite royalty. Clearly, she saw something very special in these Jews to want to live with them, follow their strange traditions, and abandon her own. She is also on very good terms with her mother in law, Naomi. As weird as that sounds, she is very attached to her in a special way. After Ruth's husband dies and Ruth no longer has a connection to Naomi, she still wants to stay with her and look out for her. Ruth is also drawn to her former husband's family's traditions. She wants to live like Naomi, and become one of her people. She insists multiple times that she will leave Moav with Naomi. She keeps her word, and they both arrive back in the promised land, to Naomi's home town of Beit-Lechem. Ruth had to have an incredible amount of courage and perseverance to go through with this move. This was a totally new land, culture, people, religion, and perhaps language to her, and yet she seems in control and put together throughout this whole ordeal. She is also perfectly willing to work for and take care of Naomi, as well as acting like Naomi is her superior. She makes sure Naomi is taken care of and gets her whatever she needs, even though that is not Ruth's responsibility. She even asks for Naomi's permission to gather grain! From the looks of it, it seems like we are dealing with a very unique and special person here, and I am interested in how things will progress further. Until next time, everyone.

A deep perspective of Rav grossman's article

Rav Grossman literally analysis from the megillah intentionally crafted to have a surface and dep meaning. 

In the Rav groomsman article, they were based on deeper ideas and themes of Megillat ehster, that Rav Grossman came up with, which were: 

1. The attitude towards monarchy: surface is achsevarsosh is so powerful that everyone follows by him, he's in control. The depth is "dat"- the reality  is that the king had no real power and needed to rely on his advisors for everything. G-d's in control as opposed to the human king.

2. Attitude towards women: surface is that women are lower class citizens who are possessions and are controlled by men. The depth is that women are the protagonists in the story and the catalysts for action. 

3. Attitude towards honor: surface everyone's seeking honor because with honor comes power. But the depth is if you look deeper the honor brings that it's not real power comes from the external honor of rank your given. 

4. Attitude towards fate: surface is this happens by chance and reaction. And the depth is that"coincidences" can be explained by with G-d "pulling the strings." 

5. Attitude towards G-d: surface he's not their- there's nothing Bout G-d. most secular people no mention of G-d. We appreciate the miracles that G-d does for us. The depth is that everything is controlled by G-d we have to seek him.

Worldmask/ Rav Dessler's idea: Is that G-d's name is intentionally left out of the megillah to teach us that we have to seek him out even when he is "hiding." The "coincidences" are written in such a way that we dont actually see them as coincidences but rather as the hand of G-d. So too, in our own life, when we no longer have revealed miracles (Har sinai) We have to reveal the mask ad find G-d. 

The Ultimate Showdown: Purim vs. Chanukah

         We've managed to find time to squeeze in one last blog before we start a new Megillah. When finishing up the conclusion of Esther, we discovered that it may be more relatable than we thought. Though we've looked at many different sources already, this past week we looked into an article by Rav Grossman and compared his ideas to the previous ones.

         Rav Grossman's article seems to focus on the idea that within each theme of the Megillah there is a surface meaning and a deeper meaning. He has a take on 6 different themes of Esther:
1. Attitude towards the monarchy
         - Surface: Achaverosh seems to have all the power and control in his kingdom. He seems to be wealthy, as he has many lavish parties, and he has strict laws set up to control the people.
         - Depth: The king had no real power and relied on his advisers for everything. G-d is in control, not human kings.
2. Attitude towards women
         - Surface: Women are lower-class citizens who are possessions and controlled by men.
         - Depth: Women are the protagonists of the story and the catalysts for action.
3. Attitude towards the honor
         - Surface: Everyone was seeking power, because with power comes from honor.
         - Depth: Real power doesn't come from the external honor or rank you are given.
4. Attitude towards exile
         - Surface: Mordechai being 2nd in command is amazing. Even in the Diaspora, Jews can succeed and have power.
         - Depth: Mordechai still didn't bring the Jews back to Israel. The Jews were dispersed throughout the empire, though they should have been in Israel.
5. Attitude towards fate
         - Surface: Things happen by chance/random- the philosophy of Amalek.
         - Depth: "Coincidences" can only be explained as G-d pulling the strings.
6. Attitude towards G-d
         - Surface: The Jews were a secular, irreligious people (no mention of G-d).
         - Depth: Everything is controlled by G-d and we have to seek Him out.

         After reviewing Rav Grossman's ideas on Esther, we compared his view to the other four we saw. Hazony held up Mordechai, as well as Yosef, as a model for leadership in the Diaspora. He claims that we can be powerful in a secular world. We can find G-d and be religious, but the avenue shifts to man while in the Diaspora. Zachariah believed that the exile was over and the people should have returned to Israel and the Beis Hamikdash. The story is a punishment for the fact that they didn't go back. The Rav Dessler/Worldmask view is that G-d's name was intentionally left out of the megillah to teach us that we have to seek Him out even when He is "hiding". The coincidences are written in such a way that we don't actually see them as coincidences, but rather as the hand of G-d. So too, in our own life, when we no longer have revealed miracles, we have to reveal the mask and find G-d.

         The last concept from Worldmask can make us think differently about Purim itself. When taking Rav Dessler's ideas into account, we would see the "world" as a mask. Our job, therefore, is to uncover the mask and see G-d. On Purim, we aren't supposed to wear costumes because it's fun. We wear masks to convey the idea that our job on Purim, and really during the rest of the year, is to see G-d in our world.

         After finishing Esther, I felt like it would be appropriate to discuss Purim and Chanukah. As everyone knows, Purim and Chanukah are the two major holidays that are not explicitly written in the Torah. When reviewing the similarities and differences between the two stories, I realized that they couldn't be more different. Purim never even mentions G-d's name, while one of the most famous lines of the Chanukah story, yelled by Matisyahu, is "מי לה' אלי". In the Chanukah story, G-d is performing outright miracles that are impossible to miss, while in the Purim story, G-d is acting behind the scenes. It seems strange that the only two holidays that happen to not be mentioned in the Torah both have G-d's presence as a major theme. In the Purim story, it is the absence of G-d's presence that underlies the plot.

         I think this could be showing us something important. While one holiday effectively reflects on G-d's ability to perform outright miracles to protect the Jewish nation, like in the Chanukah story, we still need reassurance that G-d is protecting us even when His miracles aren't apparent. From the Purim story we can learn that G-d still watches over us and protects us even when we can't see him.

Esther could have been written in 2014

   As I sit down writing my weekly blog post, I wanted to discuss how amazing I think it is that Megillat Esther is so relevant to today.
   To start off, although I hate to say it but the Megillah was so in to materialism, just like society is today. Achashverosh lived in a HUGE palace full of various riches.
    Second, they all lived such hedonistic lifestyles. ( Thank you Kohelet for teaching me that word.) In the Megillah we see various parties taking place. To combine the hedonism and the materialism into two, the Megillagoes in depth about all the riches at the party. It talks about the goblets that they used. It also continues to explain in the Megillah that Acheshverosh con tinued to offer Esther up to half of his kingdom. Let's just leave it at the point that he was very, very, very, wealthy. In 2014 it just seems like people just live to party and care about the materialistic aspect of life.
   Third, kind of a combination of one and two but the girls in the Megillah prepared so long and hard just for one night with the king. All that preparation and spicing ( whatever that may mean) just for one night?? It sounds ridiculouis, but today girls focus so much on their appearance and will invest in so much just so they look good for one night. Living proof is any female celebrity the night of an awards show.
  Fourth, we assimilate with other cultures. We also pick up on secular names. It is not common that in every Megillah you see the assimilation and the combination of different cultures. In the Megillah they had secular names and they assimilated, picking up on different aspects of different cultures.
    Fifth, I just thought that the theory that the Megillah teaches us how to live in the diaspora was so interesting. Esther and Mordechai, along with the other Jews, should have been in Israel. Why weren't they?? We look at it like it is such a big disgrace that they were not in Israel but any Jew in any other country besides Israel is at fault, myself included.
  Although I talked about many of these things in previous blogposts, I just wanted to recap and share how interesting I thought it was that the Megillah seems so relevant. I have been in a Jewish school ever since I was three years old and I have learned plenty of stories, but there is something so different and so special about Esther. The way it relates to the modern reader and society is truly amazing.

As we finished Megillat Ester, we found that there were many things that would not seem strange at first glance. But when you take a deeper look, you really see how different those things are. When talking about Achashvarosh, you think of him as a wealthy and powerful king, but in reality he is insecure and relies on his advisers for everything. You also would think that the women are in a lowers class and looked down upon, but throughout the story it shows the progression of women. You may also think that everything is happening by chance, ut Hashem is really pulling the strings behind everything.

The Times, Oh, They Haven't Changed

In this week's Megillot class, we discussed the final details in the deeper meaning of Megillat Esther. Beginning with Rav Grossman's articles and concluding with a comparison and summary of each approach, we completed our full picture of what the megillah "is all about." 

Rav Grossman looks at certain sections or themes in the megillah and presents the idea that there is a surface and a deeper meaning to each idea. The surface acts as a facade, while the deeper ideas present the true aspects of Megillat Esther. The first section, attitude towards the monarchy's, surface is that Achashverosh seems to have all the power and is in complete control, as a wealthy and powerful king. The deeper meaning lies in the fact that the power/monarchy is scorned. The reality is that the king had no power and had to rely on his advisors for each decision. Moreover, G-d is in control as opposed to the human king. The next idea, attitude towards the women, looks be degrading and demeaning towards women. However, when delving into the megillah more, women are the protagonists, and the megillah manifests the progressive rise of women. 

The third section, attitude towards honor, examines the idea that everyone was seeking honor, because with honor, came power. However, real power doesn't come from the external honor or rank you are given. The fourth section, attitude towards exile, presents ideas that each of the approaches we studied seem to grapple with. On surface level, Mordechai being second in command is an incredible feat, and shows that Jews can succeed in the Diaspora. However, on a deeper level, the reality was, that Mordechai didn't bring the Jews to Israel. Rather, the Jews were dispersed throughout the land. 

The fifth section, attitude towards faith, seems to view, on a surface level, that events occur by chance and are random (the Amalek philosophy). However, the series of "coincidences" that are spread throughout the megillah can be explained with G-d pulling the strings so intricately. The last section, attitude towards G-d, evaluates, on a surface level, as the people of the megillah being secular, irreligious, who do not even mention G-d. However, everything is controlled by G-d, and we have to seek Him out. 

So, now, let's summarize. Hazony holds Mordechai, as well as Yosef, as a model for leadership in the Diaspora. We CAN be powerful in a secular world. We CAN find G-d and be religious but the avenue shifts to man while in the Diaspora. Zecharia suggests that the exile was over and the people should have returned to Israel and the Beit Hamikdash. As a result, the story is a punishment for the fact that the people didn't go back. The Worldmask/Rav Dessler approach claims that G-d name is intentionally left out of the Megillah to teach us that we have to seek Him out even if He is "hiding." The "coincidences" are written in such a way that we don't actually see them as merely coincidences, but rather as the hand of G-d. We have to reveal the mask and find G-d. Finally, Rav Grossman says that the literary analysis shows us that the megillah is crafted to have a surface meaning and a deeper meaning. 

After discussing this, we each wrote down what the megillah means to us (i.e. what themes resonate with each of us). As I thought about it, I realized that Megillat Esther pertains to our lives in immeasurable ways, especially in the Diaspora. We struggle with the same aspects and challenges that our ancestors faced thousands of years ago, ranging from culture to recognizing G-d's control. I think that by examining the story, or even any piece of Tanach, and realizing the lessons, we can learn a lot from them and apply them to our daily lives. 

As a concluding question, what does Megillat Esther mean to you? 

Esther

     After reading in depth through the story of Esther all of the characters are very trustful of one another. They are able to have very high positions of authority and still notice that bad things could happen. For example even though Haman had a high position in the kingdom he had still caused a terrible situation. This is very good but then again Achashverosh trusted Mordechia as well, even though he did not know him.
With this being said the characters in the book were able to be very trustworthy.This is a great quality but in this case they were a little too trustworthy of Haman.

I get Deja Vu

    After learning all of Megillot Esther, with many different approaches, some ideas from the Megillah seem so familiar. When I was in class, I honestly just paused to try to think about why the Megillah seemed so familiar. I learned Esther as a child, but why would I remember the themes. For instance, the idea of a chaiastic structure/ Hester Panim that we learn from Sanctuaries in Time by Rabbi Dessler, or why would I feel such a strong connection to Akiva Tatz's views on the Megillah, about seeing G-d in every day life activities?

    The reason why these things sounded familiar was not because I learned them from Megillot Esther at one point in my life, but because I learned them in Mrs. Perl's class through the other Megillot.

    Although there were so many similarities between Esther and the other Megillot we learned, including Eicha and Kohelet, I wanted to focus on one main one. I really saw a connection between Worldmask, Akiva Tatz's view of the Megillah, with the personality of the old character, the Nehene, before he changed his philosophies.
  Starting off Kohelet, we met the Nehene. The Nehene started off with his "Gan Eden" approach. In that approach, the Nehene explained that everything comes from G-d. Every single thing. You eat an apple, you have to recognize G-d made the apple. Basically, the Nehene found G-d in everything in his life. Big or small, He was always recognized.
      This to me sounded so similar to the ideas in Worldmask, written by Akiva Tatz. We basically discussed that Akiva Tatz explained that G-d was intentionally wearing a mask because we did something wrong. G-d was hiding his face. In the Megillah, even though he was not present, He did pull the strings. Not only does this happen in the Megillah but in our every day lives G-d is pulling the strings. We may not see it, but EVERYTHING comes from Him. As we continued to discuss, the world is like a mask. Our job in the world is reveal the mask and see G-d. To do this we need to look for Him in every day situations.

So we see that G-d hid his face ( Which we also see in Megillat Eicha,) and we see that Akiva Tatz has the same spiritual approach as the original Nehene.

Did anyone else notice cool similarities between the Megillot? 

What is Esther all about

In class we discussed the multiple views people take on what the message of Megillat Esther really is.

Firstly, there is an opinion that this period was when the Jews really accepted the Torah. When G-d revealed himself at Har Sinai, the people were too in awe and overhwlemed by his presence to make a real decision. How could they say no when G-d was right there before them? During Purim, the Jews truly accepted the Torah (by making Purim a religious holiday) even when G-d wasn't making himself clear to them. I like this idea. I like the thought that we, the Jewish people, took the Torah upon ourselves because we saw value in it.

Another opinion about the implications of Esther is that it's showing that the Jews were spread out across PErsia instead of going back to Israel, which is obviously a bad thing. Here, the significance of Mordechai becoming second in command at the end of the Megillah is to show the irony in that he could have lead the people back to Israel but he didn't. If someone views the Megillah in such a negative light, how do they explain why it was even included in Tanach? Why would something so bad be a part of our holy books?

Hazoni has a different approach. His whole thing is that Esther is a story about success in the Diaspora. The Jews were right in killing all those people in the end because as Jews living outside of Israel it is crucial that we take a political stand. According to Hazoni, if the Jews didn't take the offensive side, they would have continued to be oppressed by the people around them. In this case, Mordechai rising up to second in command makes a strong statement about our political success in this time. His approach isn't entirely political, however. He also stresses the importance of believing in G-d even though he doesn't reveal himself.

Another idea presented by Rav Eliyahu Dessler in his book, Sanctuaries in Time, is that what seems like a series of remarkable coincidences within the book of Esther are really G-d controlling the events. The fact that every aspect of the story get turned around cannot be explained by anything other than the hand of G-d. The whole book is comprised of G-d's hidden miracles. G-d was intentionally wearing a mask, disguising himself. This is supposed to teach us to uncover G-d's mask and see how he is pulling the strings in our own lives. This is the whole idea behind wearing masks, or costumes on Purim.

Esther and Kohelet

Well, my friends, we have finished Megillat Esther. After wrapping up the final details on the conclusion of the megillah in the text, we proceeded to delve into the deeper aspects of the megillah. In our pursuit of meaning, we read several stories that encompass different ideas and themes each author found prevalent throughout Megillat Esther.

The first source we studied was The Dawn, by Yoram Hazony. The passage we read focused on why the battle was necessary if "pachad Mordechai" was upon the other nations/people in Achashverosh's kingdom. Hazony believes it was crucial because it wasn't enough to have temporary power. The other people in the empire needed to see the Jews take a stand for themselves. The battle was essentially a "political necessity" for what happens in the Diaspora. The megillah is emphasizing the importance of taking a political stance and getting involved when faced with a threat, especially in the Diaspora. Megillat Esther is a model for leadership, particularly for us Jews not living in Israel. We need to make our voice heard, even if we're dispersed. And the more we call, the more unified it makes us.

In continuation, Hazony's approach contains major implications for  the issues underlying the Megillah. Megillat Esther is a story showing that, even in the Diaspora, where G-d's face is hidden, you can still have Jewish values and identity. You can aspire to anything and still be Jewish, you can take a stand and still be committed to Judaism. Therefore, the megillah is a story of how to be successful in the Diaspora. We CAN rise to power, and have political and military success. Look at Mordechai, he rose to be second in command. However, even when G-d doesn't reveal Himself, we still need to believe in Him.

The next source we looked at was Sanctuaries in Time by Rav Eliyahu Dessler. This excerpt discussed the theme of "v'nahaphoch hu" in the megillah, largely illustrated by the chiastic structure. Sanctuaries in Time teaches us that the megillah shows the hand of G-d. These "coincidences" or reversals throughout the megillah are really hidden miracles. Esther manifests the fact that G-d controls everything.

The last source we saw was Worldmask by Akiva Tatz. The passage we read from here teaches us that G-d was intentionally wearing a mask in the megillah (hester panim). OUR role is to uncover the mask. The Purim story wishes to tell us that G-d is everywhere. We need to uncover the mask and see G-d in the everyday, and His role in pulling the strings, even if we don't blatantly spot it. Therefore, Purim is designed to teach us that the "world" is a mask. Our job is to reveal the mask, a symbol, and see G-d.

All of these approaches were incredibly insightful and interesting, and I think can really complement one another. However, as I was reading through Sanctuaries in Time and Worldmask, I couldn't help but think of our old friend, Shlomo Hamelech and Kohelet. Essentially, Shlomo's conclusion in Kohelet was that in order to find meaning, we need to acknowledge that we are subservient to G-d, and that G-d, NOT man, controls everything. I think this is really similar to these two books, and to the core values of Judaism as well. As Jews, our purpose is to serve G-d. And although we can't see Him, we need to acknowledge that He is pulling the strings. That's how we find meaning in life. The more we uncover, the more we reveal, and we are able to see G-d more and more.

What do you think? What was your favorite approach, if any, and why? 

In Perek 8, it is very clear that Achashvarosh did not learn from his mistakes. He right away gives Mordechi his ring. Although Mordechi is a relative of his wife, Achashvarosh had only just met him and is already giving him a lot of power. He then allows Ester and Mordechi to make any law they want.

After all the problems that had happened last time, Achashvarosh still hands over his ring. Did he not realize what happened with Haman could happen again? Why would he do that?

Honor is Frowned Upon?

When reading through Rav Yonatan Grossman's shiur, I noticed that he brought up some very interesting point. Many of which we had discussed previously in class. One thing I found a little strange was that honor was frowned upon. This would make sense if you were just looking at the first half of the megilah and noticing how all the Persians were after was power. And all they focused on was gaining power. Rav Grossman suggested that Mordechai receiving honor was actually just a spit in his face, but if it was, then why were the Jews rejoicing in the streets, and why would Mordechai make us celebrate the holiday.
Maybe instead of the Megilah trying to teach us that honor is bad, it is actually trying to teach us that honor is only bad when all you focus on is receiving it. A person, like Mordechai, who receives honor without expecting it in return for good deeds he has done is much better than a person, like Haman, who receives honor by expecting it in return for putting someone else down.