Ruth Rabba (aka Midrash Rut)
Background and Biography Background and Biography
Excerpts Ruth Rabba, Petichta 2 - English
“It was during the days when the judges judged.” “Indolence casts into a deep sleep” (Proverbs 19:15) – because Israel were indolent in paying their respects to Joshua; that is what is written: “They buried him on the border of his inheritance… north of Mount Gaash” (Joshua 24:30). Rabbi Berekhya said: We reviewed the entire Bible and did not find a place named Gaash. What is Mount Gaash? It is because Israel was negligent [nitgaashu] in doing kindness for Joshua. At that time, the Land of Israel was being divided [among the tribes], and its division [i.e., the land] was too beloved to them. Israel were engaged in their labor; this one was occupied in his field, this one was occupied in his vineyard, this one was occupied in his olives, and this one was occupied with his planks [for construction]. “A deceitful soul will starve” (Proverbs 19:15) 6 This is the conclusion of the verse: “Indolence casts into a deep sleep, and the deceitful soul will starve” (Proverbs 19:5). – Israel was negligent [nitgaashu] in doing kindness for Joshua, and the Holy One blessed be He sought to bring an earthquake upon the world, upon all its inhabitants, as you say: “The earth shook [vatigash] and quaked” (Psalms 18:8). “A deceitful soul will starve” – because they were deceitful to the Holy One blessed be He: Some of them worshipped idols. Therefore, the Holy One blessed be He starved them of the divine spirit, as it is stated: “The word of the Lord was rare in those days” (I Samuel 3:1).
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Another interpretation: “Indolence casts into a deep sleep” (Proverbs 19:15) – due to the fact that Israel was indolent about repenting during the days of Elijah, “casts into [tapil] a deep sleep” – prophecy proliferated. Proliferated? But you said tapil.7 Tapil literally means ‘cause to fall’ or ‘cause to decline.’ It is as you say: The price of fruit has fallen. 8 Because the supply has increased, the price has declined. Rabbi Simon said: Like a person who says to another: ‘Here is a sack, here is a sela coin, arise and eat.’ 9 In other words, prophecy was readily available, like buying produce. As Rabbi Derosa said: Six hundred thousand prophets arose for Israel during the days of Elijah; Rabbi Yaakov said: One million two hundred thousand. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Between Gevat and Antipatris 10 Gevat was at the southern border of Roman Judea and Antipatris at its northern border. This expression is a way of saying ‘throughout Judea.’ there were six hundred thousand towns, and there were no towns more corrupt that Beit El and Jericho; Jericho, because Joshua cursed it (see Joshua 6:26), and Beit El, because Yerovam’s calves were situated there (see I Kings 12:28–29). It is stated: “The disciples of the prophets who were in Beit El went out to Elisha” (II Kings 2:3). “Prophets” – prophets are no fewer than two.11 If in this corrupt city there were at least two prophets, presumably there were more elsewhere. Why were their prophecies not publicized? It is because they served no purpose for future generations. On this basis, say: Any prophecy that served no purpose for future generations was not publicized. But in the future, the Holy One blessed be He will come and bring them with Him, and their prophecy will be publicized; that is what is written: “The Lord my God will come, all the holy ones with You” (Zechariah 14:5).
“A deceitful soul will starve” (Proverbs 19:15) – because they would deceive the Holy One blessed be He: Some of them worshipped idols and some of them worshipped the Holy One blessed be He. This is what Elijah said to them: “How long will you waver between the two opinions” (I Kings 18:21)? “Will starve” – the Holy One blessed be He starved them during the days of Elijah, as it is stated: “By the life of the Lord [. . .] before whom I have stood [there will not be dew or rain during these years]” (I Kings 17:1). Another interpretation: “Indolence casts into a deep sleep” (Proverbs 19:15) – because Israel were indolent about repenting during the days of the judges, a deep sleep will be cast upon them. “A deceitful soul will starve” – because they deceived the Holy One blessed be He with some of them worshipping idols and some of them worshipping the Holy One blessed be He, the Holy One blessed be He starved them with a famine during the days of their judges.Ruth Rabba, Petichta 2 - Hebrew
וַיְהִי בִּימֵי שְׁפֹט הַשֹּׁפְטִים, (משלי יט, טו): עַצְלָה תַּפִּיל תַּרְדֵּמָה, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁנִּתְעַצְּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲשׂוֹת גְּמוּל חֶסֶד לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (יהושע כד, ל): וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אוֹתוֹ בִּגְבוּל נַחֲלָתוֹ מִצָּפוֹן לְהַר גָּעַשׁ, אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה חָזַרְנוּ עַל כָּל הַמִּקְרָא וְלֹא מָצִינוּ מָקוֹם שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ גַּעַשׁ, וּמַהוּ הַר גַּעַשׁ, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁנִּתְגָּעֲשׁוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעֲשׂוֹת גְּמִילוּת חֶסֶד לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה נֶחְלְקָה אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהָיְתָה חִלּוּקָהּ חֲבִיבָה עֲלֵיהֶם יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי, וְהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹסְקִין בִּמְלַאכְתָּן, זֶה עוֹסֵק בְּשָׂדֵהוּ, זֶה עוֹסֵק בְּכַרְמוֹ, וְזֶה עוֹסֵק בְּזֵיתָיו, וְזֶה עוֹסֵק בְּפָצוּמוֹ לְפָרֵשׁ (יהושע כד, ל): וְנֶפֶשׁ רְמִיָּה תִרְעָב, נִתְגָּעֲשׁוּ מֵעֲשׂוֹת גְּמִילוּת חֶסֶד לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, וּבִקֵּשׁ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהַרְעִישׁ אֶת הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ עַל יוֹשְׁבָיו, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (תהלים יח, ח): וַתִּגְעַשׁ וַתִּרְעַשׁ הָאָרֶץ. וְנֶפֶשׁ רְמִיָּה תִרְעָב, עַל שֶׁהָיוּ מְרַמִּין לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, מֵהֶם עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים, לְכָךְ הִרְעִיבָן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ, דִּכְתִיב (שמואל א ג, א): וּדְבַר ה' הָיָה יָקָר בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, עַצְלָה תַּפִּיל תַּרְדֵּמָה, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁנִּתְעַצְּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִלַּעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה בִּימֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ, תַּפִּיל תַּרְדֵּמָה, רָבְתָה הַנְּבוּאָה. רָבְתָה, וְאַתְּ אֲמַרְתְּ תַּפִּיל, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר נְפַל שַׁעֲרֵיהוֹן דְּפוּרְיָא. אָמַר רַבִּי סִימוֹן כְּאִינִישׁ דַּאֲמַר לְחַבְרֵיהּ הָא סַקָּא וְהָא סַלְּעָא וְהָא סְאָה קוּם אֱכֹל. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי דְרוֹסָא שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא נְבִיאִים עָמְדוּ לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בִּימֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ, רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב אָמַר מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים רִבּוֹא. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִגְּבַת וְעַד אַנְטִיפְרָס שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא עֲיָרוֹת הֵן, וְאֵין לְךָ עֲיָרוֹת מְקוּלְקָלוֹת מֵהֶן מִבֵּית אֵל וִירִיחוֹ, יְרִיחוֹ עַל שֶׁאֵרַרָהּ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, בֵּית אֵל עַל שֶׁהָיוּ עֲגָלִים שֶׁל יָרָבְעָם עוֹמְדִים שָׁם, וּכְתִיב (מלכים ב ב, ג): וַיֵּצְאוּ בְנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים אֲשֶׁר בֵּית אֵל אֶל אֱלִישָׁע, נְבִיאִים, אֵין נְבִיאִים פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁנַיִם, וּמִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא נִתְפַּרְסְמָה נְבוּאָתָם, שֶׁלֹא הָיָה בָּהּ צֹרֶךְ לְדוֹרוֹת. אֱמֹר מֵעַתָּה כָּל נְבוּאָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ צֹרֶךְ לְדוֹרוֹת לֹא נִתְפַּרְסְמָה, אֲבָל לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בָּא וּמְבִיאָן עִמּוֹ וְתִתְפַּרְסֵם נְבוּאָתָם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (זכריה יד, ה): וּבָא ה' אֱלֹהַי כָּל קְדשִׁים עִמָּךְ. וְנֶפֶשׁ רְמִיָּה תִרְעָב, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיוּ מְרַמִּים לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, מֵהֶם עוֹבְדִין לַעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים, וּמֵהֶם עוֹבְדִים לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, הוּא שֶׁאֵלִיָּהוּ אוֹמֵר לָהֶם (מלכים א יח, כא): עַד מָתַי אַתֶּם פּוֹסְחִים עַל שְׁתֵּי הַסְּעִפִּים. תִרְעָב, הִרְעִיבָן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּימֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים א יז, א): חַי ה' אֲשֶׁר עָמַדְתִּי לְפָנָיו. דָּבָר אַחֵר, עַצְלָה תַּפִּיל תַּרְדֵּמָה, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁנִּתְעַצְּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִלַּעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה בִּימֵי שׁוֹפְטִים, תַּפִּיל תַּרְדֵּמָה. וְנֶפֶשׁ רְמִיָּה תִרְעָב, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיוּ מְרַמִּים לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, מֵהֶם עוֹבְדִין לַעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים, וּמֵהֶם עוֹבְדִים לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, הִרְעִיבָן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּרְעָבוֹן בִּימֵי שׁוֹפְטֵיהֶם.
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Embeded
Ruth Rabba, Petichta 2 - English and Hebrew (sefaria.org)Chronology
Year Reference Corrections Notes 13th century BCE not specified none
- The events in Joshua's life are generally dated to the 13th century BCE
Effects
- Israel was negligent [nitgaashu] in doing kindness for Joshua, and the Holy One blessed be He sought to bring an earthquake upon the world, upon all its inhabitants, as you say: “The earth shook [vatigash] and quaked” (Psalms 18:8)
Locations
- Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash (sourced from the Book of Joshua)
Sources Sources
Online Versions and Further Reading References