{"id":56266,"date":"2019-05-28T06:54:09","date_gmt":"2019-05-28T03:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=56266"},"modified":"2022-12-20T16:18:22","modified_gmt":"2022-12-20T14:18:22","slug":"underneath-superficial-piety-lies-a-deep-depravity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/underneath-superficial-piety-lies-a-deep-depravity\/","title":{"rendered":"Underneath Superficial Piety Lies A Deep Depravity"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[837,337,407],"acf":{"old_id":"56266","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":37404,"related_cahpter":"228","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Judges as Context and Counterpoint","content":"

The book of Ruth starts with the words, \u201cVayehi Bi\u2019ymei Sh\u2019fot Hashoftim<\/em>\u201d, \u201cAnd it came to pass in the days that the judges judged\u201d (Ruth 1:1). These words set the book of Ruth in the time period of the Shoftim, Judges. When we take a deeper look at the last five chapters of the book of Judges, we see many signs that the book of Ruth actually serves as a \u201ctikkun<\/em>\u201d, or correction, for many of the terrible acts that the Israelites perform in Judges chapters 17-21.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though these terrible acts will include lying, rape, stealing, killing and civil war, the people in the text often perceive their own actions as virtuous. In that way the stories describe a society where on the surface everything is fine, but beyond the surface lies depravity and sin. \u00a0In contrast, the book of Ruth is largely about Israelites meeting a woman, Ruth, who on the surface is a foreigner of little concern, and then discovering what a true \u201ceshet chayil<\/em>\u201d, woman of valor, she is (Ruth 3:11). In this way the Israelites learn to look beyond the surface and recognize true virtue.<\/span><\/p>\n

In our chapter of Judges, chapter 17, for example, we meet Micah, who returns missing money to his mother. His mother, proud of her son, exclaims, \u201cBlessed be my son to God\u201d (Judges 17:2) and then dedicates the money to the Lord. On the surface, this seems like a great pious, familial tale of righteousness. However, when we dig deeper and look at the other details, we see that Micah knows where the money is because he stole it from his mother, and they use the money to build a \u201cgraven image\u201d (17:3). Just this short episode contains multiple violations of the Ten Commandments!<\/span><\/p>\n

In contrast, in the book of Ruth we will see acts of pure generosity, family standing loyally beside one another, and no less than five different episodes of people blessing others to God, each after an actual virtuous act. \u00a0These blessings include Boaz\u2019s servants blessing him (Ruth 2:4), Naomi twice blessing Boaz (2:19, 20), Boaz blessing Ruth (3:10), and all the women present at the end of the book blessing God over the acts he performed for Naomi (4:14).<\/span><\/p>\n

What is an ultimate sign that we may be meant to read these texts in contrast to one another? While the last five chapters of the Book of Judges contain the refrain, \u201cthere was no king in Israel, every man did what was right in their own eyes\u201d (see Judges 17:6 for example), the Book of Ruth ends with the pronouncement of a new era of leadership for Israel, the birth, through Ruth, of King David.<\/span><\/p>\n

Join us over the next four days as we analyze how the same words are used differently in each text and we continue to discover contrasts and lessons that can be learned by reading these texts together.<\/span><\/p>\n

*<\/span> For a fuller exploration about the contrast between the end of the Book of Judges and the Book of Ruth, see: Raskas, Jennifer R.<\/span> \u201cThe Book of Ruth: A Contrast to the End of the Book of Judges.\u201d<\/span><\/a> Jewish Bible Quarterly. Volume 43:4 (2015): p. 223-232<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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