I try my hardest to stay away from common tropes while giving sermons. Not only do you lose a chance to broaden the minds of those listening, but it can easily lack the passion necessary due to its somewhat cliche nature. One of the hardest times to do this is Shavuot. Having few rituals and rules, Shavuot (especially a three day holiday - as it is this year) can be difficult. One of the few unique characteristics is Megillat Ruth which is read during the day. However, the idea of chessed (acts of kindness) is usually discussed. While Rabbi Miller discusses this idea at times, he gives the reader access to a much broader and deeper understanding of the story.
Understanding Rut in its context between the times of the Shoftim and the times of Kings, Rabbi Miller shows how the Rut story displays the transition between these two types of leadership. Shoftim ends saying “Everyone did what was right in their eyes”. All was not wrong in Shoftim, however, there was no central authority to bring everyone together. It is in this framework that Rut happens where values are cultivated (pun intended) that leads to kingship. Seeing Rut in this light, it becomes an important work for our time. We have become more and more splintered as a community, everyone doing what is right in their eyes. Learning from Rut could be our key to redemption.
I do not usually judge a book by its cover, but here the cover gave high hopes. With quotes from R. Jonathan Sacks, R Berel Wein, R Emmanual Feldman, Dr. Elisheva Carlebach, and Dr Shatz, praising the book, the material had a lot of pressure to live up to. It did.
You can still get it before Shavuot on amazon here.
