by Zanna Linskaia
It is well known that written and oral Torah was given to Israelites at Mount
Sinai on Shavuot - 7 weeks after Passover, and the name of Shavuot comes
from the number "sheva". There God had spoken to Moses and priests the
words which now we call the Ten commandments - code not only of Jewish
religion and ethics, but also the basis of humankind.
"Honor your father and mother", "Do not murder", "Do not steal", "Do not
commit adultery", "Do not covet your neighbors house" - all these rules we
know from the young age, but do we follow them during our life?
Besides the important religious aspect, Shavuot has agricultural meaning
as well, because it was season of barley and wheat harvest.
most of the action in it takes place at the time of the first harvests.
In a style of masterpiece, it tells us the journey of Naomi and her
daughter-in-law Ruth through their losses , hunger, loneliness that leads to
a happiness at the end. The themes of Ruth's conversion to Judaism,
acceptance of the Torah, the connection to King David, who was to be
Ruth's grandson - make the Book of Ruth a great story of love, devotion
and faith.
It is also interesting fact, that feminism as a phenomenon in the human
history, has his roots and beginning in the Book of Ruth - one of many
stories in the Torah in which women are the main characters and play the
significant roles by their own actions.
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