Sheva Berachot
After Bo’az completes the Kinyan with the Go’eil before both the community and the Ziknei Ha’Ir in Perek Daled of Megillat Rut, the community and Ziknei Ha’Ir respond with a Berachah. Chazal, who never miss a beat, see this as a source for Sheva Berachot in the presence of ten (Ketubot 7b). Sheva Berachot is a means for the community to voice approval of the marriage, just like the Ziknei Ha’Ir and town in Pesukim 11-12.
Rav Elazar Meyer Teitz reports (as he heard from his father Rav Pinchas Teitz) that the Minhag in pre-war Europe was for the Rabbanim (not family members) to recite the Sheva Berachot. Pesukim 11-12 support this Minhag, as we see the Ziknei Ha’Ir participating in the Berachot. Rabbanim should say the Sheva Berachot since, similar to the role of the Ziknei HaIr in Rut Perek 4, they voice Halachic approval for the marriage.
Like Tamar and Yehudah?
Strangely, the Ziknei Ha’Ir with the assembled community members in Pasuk 12 bless Bo’az and Rut that they should be as Yehudah and Tamar. Why compare Bo’az and Rut to Yehudah and Tamar? Might this imply that the community had an inkling of what occurred in the granary the prior evening when they said - וִיהִי בֵיתְךָ כְּבֵית פֶּרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-יָלְדָה תָמָר לִיהוּדָה?
TABC Alumnus Yehuda Mazin responds that the intentions of the community members are not at all as important as what the Pasuk records. The fact is that these two marriages are comparable, as both were initiated by extremely bold action on the wife’s part. Perhaps the people made this comparison based on Ru’ach HaKodesh/divine inspiration.
Da’at Mikra suggests that Pasuk 12 is a standard (i.e., not customized) Berachah that was recited (at least in Beit Lechem where the descendants of Peretz resided) when a Yibbum/Ge’ulah relationship was initiated. The idea of a standardized Berachah is hardly foreign to us. After all, the Berachot we recite at a wedding and Sheva Berachot are standardized Berachot recited at every Jewish wedding for millennia.
The reason they give this Bracha is to show how they want this marriage to succeed despite its highly unique character. The community does not know about what happened the previous night in the granary. Instead, they are referencing Rut’s foreign origin. Even though their marriage is unusual, they still wish it to succeed, just as the unexpected union of Yehudah and Tamar led to Peretz.
Alternatively, they could be referencing how this is an unusual Yibum, not involving an actual brother. Just like Yehudah, not being Er or Onan's brother, still led to Peretz, so too, this unusual Yibum should also succeed. According to the Midrash Rabbah, which asserts that Bo’az was eighty years of age at the time of this marriage, there is another unusual feature of this union for which the townsfolk could be blessing him. Even though Yehudah was much older than Tamar, it still led to Peretz. So too, Bo’az and Rut should succeed despite his being much older than she.
כְּרָחֵל וּכְלֵאָה
Many wonder about the Berachah (recorded in Pasuk 11) that Rut should be כְּרָחֵל וּכְלֵאָה. Why mention specifically these Imahot and not the others as well? Besides, why did the residents of Beit Lechem Yehudah, descendants of Lei’ah, place Rachel before their ancestor Lei’ah?
Rashi to Pasuk 11 explains that they place Rachel first because she is the primary wife. While it does account for the order, it does not, at first glance, explain the omission of Sarah and Rivkah.
Malbim to Pasuk 11 explains that just as Rachel and Lei’ah emerged from non-Torah homes and developed into highly committed Torah Jews, so should Rut be unfailingly committed to Torah and Mitzvot despite her Mo’avi upbringing. A problem with this answer is that Sarah and Rivkah Imeinu also were raised in non-observant homes. Malbim also does not explain why Rachel precedes Lei’ah.
The Targum to Pasuk 11 explains that the Berachah refers only to Rachel and Lei’ah because they produced the twelve Shevatim. TABC Alumnus Yehuda Mazin proposes a variation on this idea, that Rachel and Lei’ah produced only “Jewish” children but Sarah (via Hagar) and Rivkah also produced the progenitors of other nations.
Of course, there is an attachment to Rachel in Beit Lechem Yehudah due to Kever Rachel’s location in Beit Lechem. As a result, Da’at Mikra suggests this was a standard (i.e. not customized) Berachah recited at weddings in Beit Lechem.
A New Suggestion:
In this critical moment at the gate of Beit Lechem, the community and its elders discard its long-simmering resentment against Na’omi, Elimelech, and their family. We may also say that along with this relatively small step, the community is taking an even more significant action of ending the long-simmering rivalry between the children of Lei’ah and the children of Rachel.
The rivalry between Rachel and Lei’ah continues to manifest itself long through the generations: Yosef vs. his brothers, Sha’ul HaMelech vs. David HaMelech, Rechavam vs. Yeravam, Malchut Yisrael vs. Malchut Yehudah.
Yechezkeil (Perek 37) presents a Nevu’ah of the future union of Yosef and Yehudah (it is read, not surprisingly, as the Haftarah of Parashat VaYigash which records the reconciliation of Yosef and his brothers) וְאַתָּה בֶן-אָדָם, קַח-לְךָ עֵץ אֶחָד, וּכְתֹב עָלָיו לִיהוּדָה, וְלִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲבֵרָו; וּלְקַח, עֵץ אֶחָד, וּכְתוֹב עָלָיו לְיוֹסֵף עֵץ אֶפְרַיִם, וְכָל-בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲבֵרָו. וְקָרַב אֹתָם אֶחָד אֶל-אֶחָד, לְךָ--לְעֵץ אֶחָד; וְהָיוּ לַאֲחָדִים, בְּיָדֶךָ. וְעָשִׂיתִי אֹתָם לְגוֹי אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ, בְּהָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּמֶלֶךְ אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לְכֻלָּם, לְמֶלֶךְ; וְלֹא יִהְיוּ עוֹד לִשְׁנֵי גוֹיִם, וְלֹא יֵחָצוּ עוֹד לִשְׁתֵּי מַמְלָכוֹת עוֹד. וְעַבְדִּי דָוִד מֶלֶךְ עֲלֵיהֶם, וְרוֹעֶה אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לְכֻלָּם; וְכָרַתִּי לָהֶם בְּרִית שָׁלוֹם, בְּרִית עוֹלָם יִהְיֶה אוֹתָם; וּנְתַתִּים וְהִרְבֵּיתִי אוֹתָם, וְנָתַתִּי אֶת-מִקְדָּשִׁי בְּתוֹכָם לְעוֹלָם. Although written long after Megillat Rut the longing for reconciliation expressed by Yechezkeil lies at the heart of Beit Lechem’s placing Rachel before Lei’ah.
Rachel is placed first, as we believe Rashi is teaching, that the children of Lei’ah are overcoming their resentment towards Rachel and acknowledging that Rachel is the Ikara Shel HaBayit, Ya’akov Avinu’s primary wife. They set forth a vision for Rut and Bo’az’s descendants to bridge the gaps among our people.
TABC Alumnus David Rabbani adds: The people of Beit Lechem are the most appropriate people to make this declaration because they represent the political elite in Bnei Yisrael. Future kings emerge from this city, so they have the opportunity to make the rest of Bnei Yisrael feel equal with them.
Kever Rachel’s Beit Lechem location also makes the people of Beit Lechem the ideal community to effect the reconciliation between the Shevatim.
Let us consider how David HaMelech realized this vision:
• He refrained from killing Sha׳ul HaMelech when he had an easy opportunity to do so.
• He made peace with Avner.
• He tolerated the severe curse of Shimi ben Geira from Shevet Binyamin.
• Most important, he moved the capital from Chevron to Yerushalayim, which lies at the northern border of Shevet Yehudah and the southern edge of Shevet Binyamin.
Let us also consider the response of the rest of Am Yisrael to these unifying moves:
• Shmuel II 5:1 וַיָּבֹאוּ כָּל-שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶל-דָּוִד--חֶבְרוֹנָה; וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֵאמֹר, הִנְנוּ עַצְמְךָ וּבְשָׂרְךָ אֲנָחְנוּ
• Radak to Shemuel II 5:1 הננו עצמך ובשרך אנחנו. אף על פי שאתה ממשפחת יהודה והננו קרובים לך אנחנו גם כן עצמך כי כלנו בני ישראל אחים אנחנו
We declared our support of David HaMelech telling him, in a beautiful expression of unity, that even though he was from Shevet Yehuda, we are all Bnei Yisrael, all brothers. The seed and vision of reunification planted in the gates of Beit Lechem at that fateful moment came to full bloom in the time of David HaMelech.
Unfortunately, the unity forged by David HaMelech dissolved two generations later after the death of Shlomo HaMelech. However, Yishayahu HaNavi (11:13) describes the Melech HaMashi’ach picking up where his ancestor David HaMelech left off: וְסָרָה קִנְאַת אֶפְרַיִם, וְצֹרְרֵי יְהוּדָה יִכָּרֵתוּ: אֶפְרַיִם לֹא-יְקַנֵּא אֶת-יְהוּדָה, וִיהוּדָה לֹא-יָצֹר אֶת-אֶפְרָיִם.
All this began with the leaders of Beit Lechem, while letting go of their resentment towards Na’omi and Elimelech, taking the historic opportunity on behalf of Bnei Lei’ah to let go of their jealousy of Bnei Rachel.
Rachel Imeinu Reciprocates and Adopts us as Her Children
A Midrash (Rut Rabbah 7:13) presents the incomparable Rabi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi) describing Rachel Imeinu’s reciprocation to the children of Lei’ah by adopting them posthumously as her own: תָּנֵי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר יוֹחָאי, לְפִי שֶׁאָמְרוּ דְּבָרִים כְּנֶגֶד רָחֵל, לְפִיכָךְ נִקְרְאוּ בָּנִים לִשְׁמָהּ, דִּכְתִיב (ירמיה לא, יד): רָחֵל מְבַכָּה עַל בָּנֶיהָ.
Rashbi’s idea adds even more to the significance of Kever Racheil in Beit Lechem, especially since we Yehudim are predominantly the children of Lei’ah! TABC Talmidim add that Rachel Imeinu adopting us as her children, crying and pleading on our behalf before Hashem at our most critical moments, is even more meaningful in light of the fact that we are the predominantly the descendants of Yehudah and Levi. These were the brothers who harmed Yosef the most. Rachel Imeinu looks beyond this and extends her bountiful love to us in a profoundly moving act of self-transcendence. No wonder why she is the most beloved of all of the Imahot.
Our suggestion helps explain the Minhag to read Megillat Rut on Shavu’ot. Shavu’ot celebrates our united encampment at Har Sinai when we were (in the famous words of Rashi to Shemot 19:2) כאיש אחד בלב אחד, a unified nation.
Conclusion
Perek 4 concludes with the lineage of David HaMelech, the great-grandchild of Bo’az and Rut. Ending this great Perek with the mention of David HaMelech connotes that our reunification under the rule of David HaMelech began on that great morning in the gate of Beit Lechem. Each Shavu’ot, Megillat Rut reminds us that a descendant of David HaMelech, Mashi’ach Tzidkeinu, will bring a permanent reunification of our people and complete the process begun long ago in the gates of Beit Lechem.
Postscript – Thoughts from TABC Alumnus Ezra Seplowitz
Rachel's children are Lei'ahs children; Lei'ah's children are Rachel's children. This is the underlying message of the Rut 4:11, and this is the underlying message with David and Yirmiyahu 31:14. More relevantly, this is the underlying message of the Sho’ah (the Reishit Tzmichat Milchemet Gog UMaGog, in my opinion). I think this whole lesson is the foundation of Kabbalat HaTorah and the foundation for coming close to Hashem. If we do not learn from the Sho’ah that a Jew is a Jew is a Jew - he is not secular or Chareidi or Ben Rachel or Ben Lei'ah - he is a Reb Yisrael, then we make the worst Chilul Hashem. Furthermore, we degrade ourselves. Every person was created BeTzelem Elokim, if we desecrate a person we desecrate HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Additionally, the Kabbalat HaTorah and performance of Mitzvot sanctified Bnei Yisrael in particular (Rav Ari Marcus has great Shiur about it in his Haggadah in Kadesh). The lesson from Rut, David moving to Yerushalayim and the Sho’ah is that we must love each and every Jew because they are our brothers and sisters. Whether they were born halfway across the planet, or whether they have long Pei'ot or none at all, we are all Jews in the eyes of the Nazis, the world, and, LeHavdil, Hashem.