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| King David in Prayer (Pietro de Grebber, 1600s) |
The Book of Ruth is generally read during Shavuot. Ruth was originally from Moab, which Rabbi Doniel Baron states was ironically “the lowliest of nations, known for its cruelty, especially to the Jews, and overt promiscuity.” The name
“Moab” literally means “from my father,” and has been traced back to the incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughter. Baron therefore compares Ruth’s rebirth as a Jew and subsequent position (great-grandmother) in the lineage of King David to the “national march from Passover to Shavuot.”
As part of a “Shavuot Day Two Yizkor Sermon,” Rabbi Bill Rudolph elaborated upon some legendary aspects of King David’s birth.
When God created the world, He is said to have “allotted a set number of years to each human being who would ever be born.” King David was originally supposed to die in infancy. However, when Adam (the first human being) heard of this, he begged God to give David 70 years of his own ample allotment. This God did, which is allegedly how King David ended up living until age 70.
Telshemesh.org additionally tells us that David received a prophecy that “he will die on the Sabbath, so every Sabbath he studies Torah all night and all day.” This kept the Angel of Death at bay for quite some time - until one day, “on a Sabbath that was also Shavuot,” the Angel tricked David into losing his protective
concentration upon the Torah. King David thus became, in a metaphorical sense, the harvested grain of Shavuot. (In
the Ancient Near East, grain had often been “represented by a romantic and tragic male figure.”)
Resources
http://telshemesh.org/iyar/shavuot_king_david_and_ruth_.html
http://www.aish.com/h/sh/t/48967246.html
http://www.bethelmc.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=Mi-CtNSAHvI%3D&tabid=362&mid=1136
Copyright May 26, 2012 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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