A Sixth Sense

When it comes to the Yom Tov of Shavuos, there is no question as to the theme of the day. Zman Mattan Toraseinu is spent reflecting on the wonderous gift that we received on this day. The Torah Hakedosha is not only our guidebook for every facet of life, it is what elevates us from among the Umos HaOlam, and at its highest level is our very source of Chiyus. It is of course appropriate to celebrate this day in grand fashion, as Chazel relate, for it is this day that truly makes us who we are. It is perhaps curious, then, that the one of the only Minhagim associated with Shavuos does not seem immediately connected to Mattan Torah itself.

As we do on the other Regalim, on Shavuos we Lein one of the Meggilos, in this case Meggilas Rus. The connection between the Megillah and the Yom Tov, however, is not readily apparent. The story itself does not seem to have any clear relationship with this Yom Tov, but the Meforshim offer various explanations as to why this Megilah is chosen for Shavuos.

The Avudraham, for example, notes that the story takes place during season of the barley harvest—the period of time during which Shavuos falls out. Others explain that Dovid Hamelech was born on Shavuos, making this an appropriate day to learn about his origins. While these are of course important points to think about as we learn the Megillah, perhaps we can find a way in which the story itself is connected to the renewal of Kabalas HaTorah that we experience on Shavuos, as well as the focus on Limud HaTorah that defines the day.

As is often the case, a focus on the details found within a story with which we are generally familiar can help us uncover new meaning.

A pivotal moment in the Megillah comes when Rus, at the behest of her mother-in-law Na’ami, spends the night on the floor of the Goren in order to plead her case to Boaz. The Pessukim tell us that Boaz awoke in middle of the night, surprised to find Rus at his feet, and the two engage in conversation. Rus ask Boaz to serve as the Goel, and Boaz tells her that there was another man closer in relation than he, but “V’Im Lo Yachpotz L’Goalecha U’Gealticha Anochi”. Boaz thus guarantees that the suffering and loneliness that Rus has experienced will soon end.

We are then told that before sending Rus on her way early the next morning, Boaz ensured that she would not return empty handed to Na’ami. He instructed her to hold out to her shawl, and then the Passuk tells us “V’Yamad Shesh Seorim VaYashes Aleha.” He filled the cloak with barley and placed it upon Rus’s back so that she could bring it back to Na’ami.

The words “V’Yamad Shesh Seorim” are the subject of some discussion among the Meforshim. The word “Vayamad” means that Boaz measured, so the words seem to mean that he gave Rus six measures of Barley. Indeed, Ralbag explains these words literally: Boaz gave Rus six measures of Barley, but he does not specify how much eash measure was.

Rashi, however, paraphrases a Gemarah in Sanhedrin, which explains the Passuk in a different way.

The Gemarah there notes that when Rus arrived back home, she told Na’ami: “Shesh HaSeorim HaEla Nasan Li”. The Gemarah is troubled by the amount of grain given to Rus. If we are to understand that it means six grains of barley, “V’Chi Darko Shel Boaz Liten Matana Shesh Seorim”, would Boaz give her a gift of only six kernels of grain? On the other hand, if it means six measures, it would have been a large amount of grain, “V’Chi Darka Shel Isha L’Tol Shesh Sa’in”, is it the way of Rus to haul six Sa’ah of grain?

Rather, concludes the Gemarah, Boaz meant to send Rus a message: she was to have six descendant who would each be graced with six Brachos. The six descendants were: Dovid, Moshiach, Daniel, Chananya, Mishael and Azariah. The Gemarah goes on to discuss the six Brachos granted to each of these individuals.

Seeing as Rashi subsumes the approach of the Gemara in his Pirush, we should try to understand the Passuk in this light. That said, there are a few questions that arise.

First, the Passuk says “V’Yamad Shesh Seorim”, which means that Boaz measured the barely. If he gave her six individual grains, as the Gemarah seems to indicate, why would he have to measure them? similarly, why did he ask Rus to spread out her Mitpachas, and why does the Passuk say “VaYashes Aleha”, that he put it on her back? Rus could have held the six grains in her hand and brought them, and their message, back to Na’ami—this part of the PAssuk seems to indicate that Boaz had given her a larger amount of grain.

Second, why did Boaz choose to give Rus barley specifically? We know that barley is seen as a lesser grain—it is used as animal food—and wheat, which humans eat, is considered more Chashuv. Seeing as the the Passuk earlier on mentions that it was the Ketzir Chittim as well as Seorim at the time, it stands to reason that Boaz had wheat at his disposal as well—certainly six kernels at the very least—why then did he give Rus barley specifically.

Finally, and more generally, what is the significance of the number six? While it is of course true that Rus had six descendants who were each Zoche to six Brachos, the Brachos delineated in the Gemarah were not all the same—it is only the number six that links them. What is the connotation of this number, and why does it appear so conspicuously here?

Perhaps the answer to this final question can help us gain an understanding that will allow us to answer the others as well, and give us a new insight into the connection between Megillas Rus and Shavuos.

The number six appears often in Yiddishkeit: there are Shisha Sidrei Mishna, the Lechem HaPanim were arranged in two stacks of six, the names of the Shevatim are often split into two sets of six, and so on. Perhaps the most prominent appearance of the number, however, is its first.

At the end of Maseh Beraishis the Passuk tells us: “Vayar Elokim Es Kol Asher Asah V’Hinei Tov Me’od VaYehi Erev VaYehi Boker Yom HaShishi.” This is the only one of the days which is called “HaShishi”, on the others it says “VaYehi Erev VaYehi Boker Yom Sheni” and so on. The Gemarah in Meseches Shabbos brings an explanation for this extra “Heh” which is quite appropriate to our Yom Tov.

“Melamed SheHisneh HKBH Im Maseh Beraishis V’Amar Lahem Im Yisroel Mikablim HaTorah Atem Miskaymin V’Im Lav Ani Machzir Eschem L’Tohu VaVohu.” Hashem, relates the Gemarah, made a Tenai with the Briah: if Bnei Yisroel accept the Torah at Har Sinai, the world will continue to exist, and if not all will be returned to a state of Tohu V’Vohu.

Rashi explains the connection between this condition and the words “Yom HaShishi”. The “Heh” at the beginning of the word indicates specificity: the survival of the world was conditional on the results of a specific Yom HaShishi—the sixth of Sivan on which the Torah was given. Only if Klal Yisroel rose to the occasion on that day could the word continue to exist.

This Tenai made with Maseh Beraishis carries much weight, and indicates the vital role that Torah plays in the entire Briah. It is of course notable that it is the number six that serves to teach us of this link—and it would do us well to understand why this is the case. Why is the number six, the HaShishi, so closely connected to Mattan Torah, and therefore its import?

Perhaps we can answer this question based on an idea that appears in the Shem M’Shmuel on Shavuos.

The Zohar notes that the Passuk uses the words “Ishe Olah L’Hashem” when speaking about the Korbanos of Pesach but not those of Shavuos and offers an explanation. The Avnei Nezer points out that the same is true of the Korbanos of Shabbos, the words “Ishe Olah L’Hashem” do not appear there either, but the explanation of the Zohar doesn’t apply. Therefore, the Avnei Nezer explains that when it comes to Korbanos, the Malachim are sometimes needed to prepare the Korbanos to be elevated to the point of Reyach Nichoach L’Hashem. The intercession of the Malachim is indicated by the word “Ishe”, which refers to the Esh of the Malachim. When these words do not appear, then, it indicates that the Malachim are not needed as intermediaries for those Korbanos.

On Shabbos, explains the Shem M’Shmuel, when we live elevated from our Guf, on a higher level of Ruchnias than the rest of the week, we do not need the Malachim to act as our intermediaries, our Karbonos are elevated on their own. Similarly, on Shavuos, a day in which we encountered HKBH directly, without an intermediary, we are Zoche to a higher level of connection, and the role of the Malachim is not as needed, and so the words Ishe Olah L’Hashem do not appear.

The Shem M’Shmuel points out that, according to one of the opinions in the Gemarah, the Torash was meant to be given on the sixth day of Sivan, but Moshe added another day so that it was given on the seventh day, which was Shabbos. Moshe understood that on a weekday, as the sixth day of Sivan was that year, the Torah would have had to be given with him as an intermediary, but he did not want that to be the case. Moshe wished for Klal Yisroel to receive the Torah directly from Hashem, and so he added a day, ensuring that Mattan Torah would take place on Shabbos, in the most direct manner possible.

When Hashem made a Tenai with Brias HaOlam, it was indicated by the word “HaShishi”, which was not even the day of Mattan Torah. Perhaps that is precisely the message however: we had a responsibility to be Mekabel the Torah, but it didn’t have to be on our own. We are not expected to be able to connect directly with Hashem at all times—we need Tzaddikim, or even Malachim, to elevate us. The number six, the Sheshes Yimei Beraishis, signify this realty, that we can connect to Hashem even when we are not in a state of spiritual elevation, as on Shabbos. The Kabalas HaTorah of the Yom HaShishi would not have been on the same level as the one of Shabbos Kodesh, but that would have been enough to keep the world going.

Maybe this was the message of Boaz to Rus. She would have six grandsons who would each be given their own set of Brachos. Each was a giant among men, and each granted a different set of Brachos, tailored to him. The link between them all was the number six—they were not Malachim, they were human beings, on a level that was less than perfect, as any human is, but they still achieved greatness.

This would also explain why Boaz chose to use Seorim, barley, even if wheat was available. The lesser grain signifies that we do not seek absolute perfection but elevation. We wish to access a connection to Hashem in our own world, even when we require an intermediary because we live most of our lives in a world of six.

Perhaps we can use this approach to understand why it seems from the Passuk that Rus indeed had a load to bear.

The Targum on this Passuk says that Boaz indeed gave Rus six Sa’ah of grain, but she was given Koach Min HaShamayim to carry it back to Na’ami.

The Gemarah does not conclude that it was six grains that Rus received, only that Boaz meant to send her a lesson. Perhaps, then, the Targum can Gemarah can go together: Boaz gave Rus six Se’ah of barley to signify her sons that would rise to greatness. But he gave her a load that would require a Nes to bear, to teach that none of those sons attained their levels on their own. Only with Siyata D’Shmaya can a human being, each flawed in some way, reach greatness. In a world of Shesh we are not expected to do it on out own, we are not expected to live in a world of direct connection to Hashem, as we can on Shabbos, we are meant only to tryl, to reach up and do our part.

The message of Boaz is of course well connected to the Yom Tov of Shavuos. On this day we are Mekabel the Torah anew, and with it we accept upon ourselves to grow and attain higher levels. On this day the message of the Shesh Seorim is of vital importance: we must not think ourselves unworthy of growth, but realize that it is the the Kabalas Hatorah of a Yom HaShishi, which signifies the need for futher growth itself, that keeps the world going.