Matot-Massei - Day #3

Matot-Massei  

Torah Portion: Numbers 30:2-36:13

Numbers 32:1-19

32:1 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock. They saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead. Behold, the place was a place for livestock. 2 Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land which Hashem struck before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock; and your servants have livestock.” 5 They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Don’t bring us over the Jordan.”

6 Moses said to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here? 7 Why do you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which Hashem has given them? 8 Your fathers did so when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which Hashem had given them. 10 Hashem’s anger burned in that day, and He swore, saying, 11 ‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; because they have not wholly followed Me, 12 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, because they have followed Hashem completely.’ 13 Hashem’s anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander back and forth in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation who had done evil in Hashem’s sight was consumed.

14 “Behold, you have risen up in your father’s place, an increase of sinful men, to increase the fierce anger of Hashem toward Israel. 15 For if you turn away from after Him, He will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and you will destroy all these people.”

16 They came near to him, and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones; 17 but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. Our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our houses until the children of Israel have all received their inheritance. 19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan eastward.”

Today’s Meditation:

Today’s reading is about negotiations. Leaders from the tribes of Gad and Reuben come to Moses and ask permission to settle on land east of the Jordan. Moses expresses that they are like their ancestors, discouraging the Israelites from entering the land. However, the leaders agree to let their families stay, and they will go and fight for Israel. Moses agrees. Apparently, staying in this particular land was important to these two tribes. Importantly, they were willing to negotiate and be flexible. This is a really good lesson to learn from. If you have been told to do something but really feel there is a better plan, try to work something out with leadership. Be flexible and be willing to give and take. Look for Hashem’s solution through it all. And work together peacefully and with fairness.

Today’s Challenge:

In verses 11 and 12, we read, “Because they have not wholly followed Me, 12 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, because they have followed Hashem completely.’” Moses is revisiting the reasons they ended up in the desert for so many years and why some people could not enter the land. Remember when the twelve spies returned, and only two supported Hashem’s vision to enter the land. In today’s reading, we see that it is because they did not “completely follow Hashem”. It makes me think. Am I completely following Hashem? Am I surrendering my plans and my life totally to His direction and following? Are you? That is my challenge for you and me today. Let us make sure we are completely following Hashem, without exception. That we are loving Him with our whole heart, soul, and strength.

Pinchas - Day #3

Pinchas פִּינְחָס - Phinehas  

Torah Portion: Numbers 25:10-30:1

Numbers 26:52–27:5

26:52 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 53 “To these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names. 54 To the more you shall give, the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give, the less inheritance. To everyone, according to those who were counted on him, shall his inheritance be given. 55 Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers, they shall inherit. 56 According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer.”

57 These are those who were counted of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites. 58 These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, and the family of the Korahites. Kohath became the father of Amram. 59 The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. She bore to Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam, their sister. 60 To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 61 Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before Hashem. 62 Those who were counted of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and upward; for they were not counted among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel. 63 These are those who were counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who counted the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. 64 But among these there was not a man of them who were counted by Moses and Aaron the priest, who counted the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. 65 For Hashem had said of them, “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” There was not a man left of them, except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun.

27:1 Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, came near. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 They stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the Tent of Meeting, saying, 3 “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against Hashem in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin. He had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers of our father.”

5 Moses brought their cause before Hashem.

Today’s Meditation:

In verse 54, we learn about the fairness Hashem exhibits in the plan of distributing the land. He says, “To everyone according to those who were counted of him shall his inheritance be given.” In other words, those who had many people received a lot of land. Those who had fewer people received less land. And as we will learn from the Levites, He gives no land. Instead, He gives them the inheritance of serving in the Temple. Which was likely the most coveted position of all. Think of it. Would you like to be one of the people who served the Most Holy Elohim in the Temple? You would be so close to His presence all the time. What a privilege.

Today’s Challenge:

Today, I challenge you to consider how you could serve Elohim as the priests did. We do not have a Temple, but we need to take some time to study the Temple's duties. More information will emerge on this subject as we study the next book of the Torah, Deuteronomy.  Do we bring offerings to the most Holy One (in our own way)? Do you keep a light burning continually for Hashem? Certainly, we can be a light for Him. And certainly, we can offer prayers, charity, repentance, and a righteous life. Start practicing ways you can serve Hashem here on earth. Get ready for when He returns to the Temple in Jerusalem for eternity, when we will be serving Him, in all of His majesty and glory.

Chukat-Balak - Day #3

Chukat-Balak Statute/Balak — חֻקַּת־בָּלָק  

Torah Portion: Numbers 19:1-25:9

Numbers 20:22-21:20 

20:22 They traveled from Kadesh, and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. 23 Hashem spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying, 24 “Aaron shall be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor; 26 and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them on Eleazar his son. Aaron shall be gathered, and shall die there.”

27 Moses did as Hashem commanded. They went up onto Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28 Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar, his son. Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29 When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

21:1 The Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the South, heard that Israel came by the way of Atharim. He fought against Israel and took some of them captive. 2 Israel vowed a vow to Hashem and said, “If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” 3 Hashem listened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. The name of the place was called Hormah.

4 They traveled from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. The soul of the people was very discouraged because of the journey. 5 The people spoke against Elohiim and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, there is no water, and our soul loathes this disgusting food!”

6 Hashem sent venomous snakes among the people, and they bit the people. Many people of Israel died. 7 The people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against Hashem and against you. Pray to Hashem, that He take away the serpents from us.” Moses prayed for the people.

8 Hashem said to Moses, “Make a venomous snake, and set it on a pole. It shall happen that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9 Moses made a serpent of bronze, and set it on the pole. If a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked at the serpent of bronze, he lived.

10 The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in Oboth. 11 They traveled from Oboth, and encamped at Iyeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab, toward the sunrise. 12 From there they traveled, and encamped in the valley of Zered. 13 From there they traveled, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the border of the Amorites; for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. 14 Therefore, it is said in The Book of the Wars of Hashem, “Vaheb in Suphah, the valleys of the Arnon, 15 the slope of the valleys that incline toward the dwelling of Ar, leans on the border of Moab.”

16 From there, they traveled to Beer; that is the well of which Hashem said to Moses, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.”

17 Then Israel sang this song:

“Spring up, well! Sing to it,

18 the well, which the princes dug,

which the nobles of the people dug,

with the scepter, and with their poles.”

From the wilderness they traveled to Mattanah; 19 and from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth; 20 and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looks down on the desert.

Today’s Meditation:

They are complaining again. The people were getting tired of the food and were thirsty again. Every time they had to suffer, they would complain and want to go back to Egypt. We may read this and be very judgmental against them, but just wait a second. Isn’t that what we do? We complain that things are not going well instead of praising Hashem for all He has given us. The punishment for their complaints was severe. Hashem sent poisonous snakes. Moses prays, and Hashem provides a way of escape. They simply need to look at the serpent on the pole and remember Elohim's greatness. Next time you start to complain, either in your head or out loud, please remember the greatness of Hashem. Try to stop complaining, repent, and praise Him for all He does.

Today’s Challenge:

This story on the pole and the bronze serpent has a lot of commentary from many people. Why would Hashem ask the people to look upon anything made of bronze? There is a strict commandment against false idols. Maybe because Hashem is showing He is Elohim. Remember the snake story with the Pharaoh. Moses's staff turned into a snake and swallowed the other fake snakes the sorcerers had created. Maybe this snake story reminds the people of His greatness. That is what I believe. What other reason could there be? My challenge to you today is to remember Hashem’s greatness. In your life and in the world, think about how He has shown His greatness, and try to be grateful.

Korach - Day #3

Korach קֹרַח - Korach  

Torah Portion: Numbers 16:1-18:32

Numbers 16:20–43

16:20 Hashem spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!”

22 They fell on their faces, and said, “Elohim, the Elohim of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?”

23 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’”

25 Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. 26 He spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins!”

27 So they went away from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents with their wives, their sons, and their little ones.

28 Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that Hashem has sent me to do all these works; for they are not from my own mind. 29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they experience what all men experience, then Hashem hasn’t sent me. 30 But if Hashem makes a new thing, and the ground opens its mouth, and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall understand that these men have despised Hashem.”

31 As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart. 32 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods. 33 So they, and all that belonged to them, went down alive into Sheol. The earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly. 34 All Israel that were around them fled at their cry; for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!” 35 Fire came out from Hashem, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.

36 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 37 “Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire away from the camp; for they are holy, 38 even the censers of those who sinned against their own lives. Let them be beaten into plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before Hashem. Therefore, they are holy. They shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”

39 Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which those who were burned had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar, 40 to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger who isn’t of the offspring of Aaron, would come near to burn incense before Hashem, that he not be as Korah and as his company; as Hashem spoke to him by Moses.

41 But on the next day, all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed Hashem’s people!”

42 When the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they looked toward the Tent of Meeting. Behold, the cloud covered it, and Hashem’s glory appeared. 43 Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting.

Today’s Meditation: 

In verse 23, Hashem makes it evident that they are to separate from the troublemakers immediately. Then Moses warns them of what is about to happen. He even refers to it as a “new thing” that Hashem is about to do. The seriousness of challenging Hashem and His leaders is apparent here. Hashem wants our allegiance, not our rebellion. If you want to please Hashem, obey what He tells you. Listen to the people He puts in charge of your life. Know that not to do so will cause consequences.

Today’s Challenge:

Again and again, Hashem warns us not to rebel against authority. In many stories, such as today's, we learn that disobedience can have serious consequences. Especially following leaders or groups whose ideals are opposed to Hashem’s. You know in your heart when you are associating with the wrong people. If that is in your life today, I challenge you to end those friendships/relationships and ask Hashem to expose you to some people who align with His biblical values.  It is always hard to change friends or get out of bad relationships, but the benefits are so much greater.

Shelach - Day #3

Shelach שְׁלַח-לְךָ - Send For Yourself  

Torah Portion: Numbers 13:1-15:41

Numbers 14:8-25

14:8 If Hashem delights in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it to us: a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only don’t rebel against Hashem, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is removed from over them, and Hashem is with us. Don’t fear them.”

10 But all the congregation threatened to stone them with stones.

Hashem’s glory appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the children of Israel. 11 Hashem said to Moses, “How long will this people despise Me? How long will they not believe in Me, for all the signs which I have worked among them? 12 I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

13 Moses said to Hashem, “Then the Egyptians will hear it; for You brought up this people in Your might from among them. 14 They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You Hashem are among these people; for you Hashem are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them, and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if you killed this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying, 16 ‘Because Hashem was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore He has slain them in the wilderness.’ 17 Now please let the power of Hashem be great, according as You have spoken, saying, 18 ‘Hashem is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.’ 19 Please pardon the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your loving kindness, and just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

20 Hashem said, “I have pardoned according to your word; 21 but in very deed—as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with Hashem’s glory— 22 because all those men who have seen My glory and My signs, which I worked in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted Me these ten times, and have not listened to My voice; 23 surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of those who despised me see it. 24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed Me fully, him I will bring into the land into which he went. His offspring shall possess it. 25 Since the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley, tomorrow turn and go into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”

Today’s Meditation:

Joshua and Caleb defend Hashem’s promise to the land. They try to tell the people that they can trust in Hashem and His Word. That the land is good and He will deliver it, just like He delivered them out of Egypt. They beg them not to fear but to trust. But fear takes over the people, and they threaten to stone them. You know the rest of the story. Their fear prohibits them from ever entering the Promised Land. Only their children will be able to go. That is what fear does. It paralyzes you and keeps you from Hashem’s blessings. I know I have been there. Trusting in Him is much, much better.

Today’s Challenge:

In verse 22, we read that the people have tempted Hashem ten times and not listened to His voice. We stand astonished at that because it happens right after they have seen the biggest miracle of the parting of the sea. I challenge you to take a look at your life. How many times has Hashem performed a super miracle in your life, only for you to doubt Him, complain, or not trust that He is going to pull through again shortly after? It’s time to repent and to believe. 

Beha'alotcha - Day #3

Beha’alotcha בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ - In Your Uplifting  

Torah Portion: Numbers 8:1-12:16

Numbers 9:1–14

9:1 Hashem spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Let the children of Israel keep Pesach in its appointed season. 3 On the fourteenth day of this month, at evening, you shall keep it in its appointed season. You shall keep it according to all its statutes and according to all its ordinances.”

4 Moses told the children of Israel that they should keep Pesach. 5 They kept Pesach in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, in the wilderness of Sinai. According to all that Hashem commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did. 6 There were certain men, who were unclean because of the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep Pesach on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. 7 Those men said to him, “We are unclean because of the dead body of a man. Why are we kept back, that we may not offer the offering of Hashem in its appointed season among the children of Israel?”

8 Moses answered them, “Wait, that I may hear what Hashem will command concerning you.”

9 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Say to the children of Israel, ‘If any man of you or of your generations is unclean by reason of a dead body, or is on a journey far away, he shall still keep Pesach to Hashem. 11 In the second month, on the fourteenth day at evening they shall keep it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break a bone of it. According to all the statutes of Pesach, they shall keep it. 13 But the man who is clean, and is not on a journey, and fails to keep the Passover, that soul shall be cut off from his people. Because he didn’t offer the offering of Hashem in its appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.

14 “‘If a foreigner lives among you, and desires to keep Pesach to Hashem, then he shall do so according to the statute of Pesach and according to its ordinance. You shall have one statute, both for the foreigner, and for him who is born in the land.’”

Today’s Meditation:

Hashem is reminding His people to celebrate Pesach, the first Pesach in the wilderness (one year after they left Egypt). This is to be a Commandment for many generations, forever. To remind us about Hashem’s deliverance miracle from slavery and His faithfulness to His promises to bring His people to the Promised Land. It’s about them eating unleavened bread in their haste. Hashem knows we need to remember this story. It is the beginning of His people's final return to Israel and formal reception of the Torah, the Book of Life. It is probably one of the most wonderful testimonials in the Bible. And we are to remember it every year. Whether we are Gentiles or Jews, we are invited to celebrate this memorial. As you commemorate this Feast every year, you will draw closer to Hashem.

Today’s Challenge:

Take a minute to remember the last Pesach you celebrated. What I remember this year was just the uniqueness and peace I felt during our Seder meal. We went through a Haggadah that my friend wrote, and it was so special. As we went through each stage of the meal, we remembered something about the original Pesach. The slaughter of the lambs, the blood on the doorposts, the angel of death passing by, the escape, and the crossing of the Red Sea. It brought back to mind the emotional experience the people must have felt: fear, anxiety, worry, doubt, wonder, and joy. But, most of all, it reminded me of Hashem’s love and greatness and how He is full of mercy and miracles every day.

Nasso - Day #3

Nasso נָשֹׂא - Elevate!  

Torah Portion: Numbers 4:21-7:89

Numbers 5:1–10

5:1 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever is unclean by a corpse. 3 You shall put both male and female outside of the camp so that they don’t defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell.”

4 The children of Israel did so, and put them outside of the camp; as Hashem spoke to Moses, so the children of Israel did.

5 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit, so as to trespass against Hashem, and that soul is guilty, 7 then he shall confess his sin which he has done; and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full, add to it the fifth part of it, and give it to him in respect of whom he has been guilty. 8 But if the man has no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the restitution for guilt which is made to Hashem shall be the priest’s, in addition to the ram of the atonement, by which atonement shall be made for him. 9 Every heave offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they present to the priest, shall be his. 10 Every man’s holy things shall be his; whatever any man gives the priest, it shall be his.’”

Today’s Meditation:

Hashem does not want His Tabernacle or the camp in which He dwells to become defiled with people who have leprosy. So, if someone does have it, they have to go outside the camp (verse 3). We really have no concept of Hashem's holiness. He is so holy that you cannot get anyone or anything near Him that is contaminated. That makes me think about our own lives. When we disobey Hashem and His commandments, we are, in a sense, defiled. In this state, we cannot be in the presence of Hashem. For us, that would be during prayer, praise, or our daily walk with Him. If you want this special time to be filled with Hashem’s power and glory, you must stay clean, and that means to be holy. Repent today so that you can be clean before Hashem.

Today’s Challenge:

Again, the Torah teaches us to make restitution when we sin (verse 7). It provides details on whom to give the restitution to and how to add a fifth and a sacrifice. Torah is teaching me a lot about this. The other day, I did something foolish and immediately felt remorse. I repented, but I felt horrible. It was then that I remembered Torah and the commandment to make restitution. So, to make a long story short, I did something for someone that I really did not want to do, but it could be a part of making restitution. It would have been impossible to do something for the person I offended, so instead, I feel Hashem directed me to someone who really needed some help. And if I were to help out that person, it would be the same as making restitution to the person I harmed. So, a little reluctantly, I did just that. I helped the person who needed it. And I had to make an attitude adjustment. I had to remember that I was doing this “unto the L-rd.” That really helped. I did my task unto Hashem. And honestly, it made me feel so wonderful. Sin is wrong, but doing something sacrificial will help you find freedom sooner.

Shavuot Week - Day #3

Shavout Week - Day #3

Main Reading: Ruth 2:14-23

2:14 She sat beside the reapers, and they passed her parched grain. She ate, was satisfied, and left some of it. 15 When she had risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and don’t reproach her. 16 Also pull out some for her from the bundles, and leave it. Let her glean, and don’t rebuke her.”

17 So she gleaned in the field until evening; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah[a] of barley. 18 She took it up and went into the city. Then her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned, and she brought out and gave to her that which she had left after she had had enough.

19 Her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today? Where have you worked? Blessed be he who noticed you.”

She told her mother-in-law, with whom she had worked, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by Hashem, who has not abandoned his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Naomi said to her, “The man is a close relative to us, one of our near kinsmen.”

21 Ruth the Moabitess said, “Yes, he said to me, ‘You shall stay close to my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’”

22 Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidens, and that they not meet you in any other field.” 23 So she stayed close to the maidens of Boaz, to glean to the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she lived with her mother-in-law.

Today’s Meditation:

In this story, we are continuing to learn that people are watching out for Ruth. Boaz seems to be keeping her in his field, with trusted workers and also maidens there for her to associate with. It seems like this is a reward for her faithfulness to Naomi, her mother-in-law. Ruth has developed a reputation for being dedicated and hard-working. The community around her respects her for this. Notably, we should be the same.

The whole story of Ruth reflects Hashem’s commandments coming alive in His people and in those who want to be part of Israel. The instructions Hashem has given through the Torah, and the way to live, are evident in the characters. This is an example of how Hashem wants us to live, and the reason He has given us His rules for doing so. We must be aware and attentive.