Today Jews celebrate Shavuot, also know by its Biblical names Chag HaKatsir, the [wheat] Harvest Festival, and Yom HaBikurim, Day of the First Fruits.
By tradition today also marks the day of King David's birth and death.
But mainly Shavuot is Zman Matan Toratenu, The Season of the Giving of our Torah.
Seven weeks (shavuot) have passed since Passover.
It took 49 (+1) days of wandering in the desert for God and Moses to prepare the People for the the biggest day in history.
In today's morning prayer service Exodus 19-20 is read.
All rise in silent reverence to listen to the Ten Commandments with the feeling that we all are standing at Mount Sinai.
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The scroll of the Book of Ruth is also chanted, in loving memory of David and of Ruth, his Moabite ancestor, the mother of all converts.
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Let's look at some very different portrayals of Ruth, all at the current exhibit of Bible story sculpture at Mamilla in Jerusalem.The one above is called "Ruth and Naomi, the dialogue."
Sculptor Ruth Agmon quotes the famous passage in Ruth 1:16-17 that widowed Ruth speaks to her mother-in-law Naomi:
And Ruth said: 'Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God;
where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried . . .
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"Ruth the Moabitess" by Judith Sudai who quotes Ruth 2:3:So she went. She came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.
"Ruth" by Cathy Kerner. Ruth 2:2:Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain . . .
"Ruth and Boaz" by Rachel Levi. Ruth 2:10:Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?”
"Ruth" by Cathy Kerner..
Notice the crown of future kingship on the boy's head!
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For other aspects of the holiday please click on my label "Shavuot."
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HAPPY SHAVUOT!
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