Rabbi Meir Shapiro z’tl., the Lubliner Rov, explains this somewhat abstract Midrash and offers a powerful insight into our obligation to serve Hashem at all times. He maintains that the Torah is informing us that we must maintain our eternal commitment to the values and lessons of the Torah – regardless of the setting. Fire always rises to a higher plane. Regardless of the direction in which a match is turned, the flame always rises. We have to follow the flame that's lights the way for us. Water, on the other hand always flows to the lowest possible point. Therefore, Chazal say that the Torah leaves a person who is haughty and goes to one who is humble, for just like water the Torah goes from the high to the low.
These two elements, fire and water, represent the up-and-down phases in the human being’s life, while the desert represents the love that the B’nei Yisroel displayed to Hashem – following Him in the harsh, barren desert with total bitachon.
Rus, the megillah that is read on Shavuos, highlights the tribulations of Rus and Nomi, two individuals who personified the up-and-down nature of life. Despite the hardships they face, they remain true to following the Torah, the words of Hashem.
The Gemara relates a comment of Rebbi who said that when he learned by רבי אליעזר בן שמוע, there would be six students sitting in the space of an אמה, which is about two feet. Rav Zilberstein asked how is it possible that six students could sit in so small a space? It’s impossible!
Then, he heard a story from an officer in the army that during the Yom Kippur war, when they were in an area up north, one of the tanks suddenly veered off the path & went up in flames. Everyone who was nearby started to run for cover looking for a place to hide which could mean the difference between life & death. The only viable option was another tank that was nearby. The officer continued, that tank which normally could fit only four men at most, now had ten men squeezed in! How was this possible? It could only be that the desire to live was so great it transcended space! So, too, with the students of Reb Eliezer; their desire to learn was so great it transcended space too! They were the desert that sacrificed comfort for the sake of learning Torah.
Nachlas Yosef, a commentary of Megillas Rus, makes an interesting point. He directs our attention to the other relative whom Boaz says is closer to Nomi than he is and is therefore first in line to marry Rus. He is referred to as Ploni Almoni rather than his actual name. Nachlas Yosef explains that he didn’t merit having his name mentioned in the megillah, not because he did something wrong but because he didn’t do anything right such as being mekayaim yibum with Rus. Whereas Ploni Almoni remains anonymous in the megillah, Rus and Nomi are highlighted by their endless bitachon in Hashem.
The story of the origin of Gateshead, England, lends support to this concept of not remaining anonymous with Hashem. When Dovid Dryen decided to open a kollel in Gateshead, a place not especially known for Torah scholars, he sent letters to 22 people whom he would consider to be Rosh Kollel. Twenty never even bothered responding; one declined the invitation and the last answered maybe with a request to meet to discuss the kollel. The person who answered, “maybe”, turned out to be Rav Eliyahu Dessler, not particularly well known at that time. His leadership of the kollel gained him prominence. What happened to the other 21 candidates? They remain unknown.
We have to take the lesson of Rav Dessler as well as that of Rebbe Eliezer’s students to heart. We cannot just ride the waves of up-and-down that life affords us. We must take action in the hostile environment – the desert- of our galus, and demonstrate through our behavior, even if it means giving up comforts in order to learn we have to show our total dedication to Hashem!
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