A Jewish Narnia Book 1: Ruth

Over the past several weeks I have suggested that the Sefirot would be an appropriate theme from which to construct a Jewish Narnia. Following the path C.S. Lewis discovered for us by Michael Ward, each book would create an atmosphere permeated with one of the Sefirot thus allowing the reader to “look along the beam” of that particular Sefirah and perceive God. In this post I would like to advance the idea that such a book already exists for the first Sefirah, Kindness: the book of Ruth. 

The book of Ruth is replete with examples of kindness. Let’s quickly review the main story. Elimelech, an important citizen of the city of Bethlehem in Judea, leaves his homeland due to famine and settles in Moab. He eventually dies and his two sons marry Moabite women and, after 10 years, they also die. At that point Naomi, Elimelech’s widow, decides to return to Judea having heard that the famine is over. She encourages her daughters-in-law to remain with their families in Moab, for neither she nor they can hope for a fulfilled life in Judea. Despite Naomi’s directive and the logic of her argument, one of her daughters-in-law, Ruth cleaves to her widowed mother-in-law and accompanies her home to Judea. 

In Judea, Naomi is too ashamed to be seen in public and it is Ruth who must support their needs. She does this happening upon a field where the poor are (as allowed by biblical law) collecting wheat (and later barley) that has fallen from the harvesters. It turns out that the owner of the field, Boaz, is related to Elimelech. He goes to see how the harvesters are doing and notices Ruth. He offers her food and water, and the opportunity to stay in his fields, essentially pledging support, explaining that he has heard of the great kindness she has performed for Naomi. 

Upon returning home, Naomi sees that Ruth has been incredibly successful. After hearing Ruth’s story she is galvanized to action and becomes determined to repay the kindness shown to her by arranging Ruth’s marriage to Boaz (though perhaps Naomi herself would have been better suited). Skipping over the details of her plan and its execution, Boaz agrees, though Ruth is a stranger in a foreign land. In fact, he declares that it is Ruth who is performing a kindness since her sterling character would certainly ensure she would have many credible suitors. The story ends with God’s payment in kind, blessing Ruth with a son who becomes a substitute for the two Naomi lost and is the progenitor of the Davidic dynasty. 

The major acts of kindness are obvious:

1. Ruth refusing to leave Naomi
2. Boaz’s support of Ruth
3. Naomi attempting to arrange for Ruth’s happiness in marriage
4. Boaz agreeing to marry Ruth
5. Ruth agreeing to marry Boaz
6. God blessing their offspring with the monarchy of Israel

Of course, the simple theme of kindness is insufficient to fulfill our criteria for a novel of Jewish Narnia. The book must be permeated with the atmosphere of the Sefira, and indeed it is. Subtle and small acts of kindness abound. Just to name a few: Boaz kindly greets his workers blessing them in the name of God, Ruth going home to Naomi every evening though she is invited to stay with Boaz’s clan, God granting a child for Naomi to care for in place of her own, and more. 

Beyond the acts of kindness themselves, Ruth strongly parallels Abraham, the personality most associated with the Sefirah of Kindness. Both are strangers who travel to Canaan/Israel to form a covenantal relationship with the true God. Both suffer from childlessness and are affected by famine. Once in Canaan/Israel both are rewarded with children from apparently elderly spouses eventually leading to the Jewish people and the Jewish monarchy. Of course, both exhibit acts of kindness. 

Other symbols of the Sefirah of kindness also weave their way into various parts of the story. The setting for much of the story are the grain fields of Boaz. Such fields are referred to by our Sages as “fields of white,” white being the color of the Sefirah of Kindness. Along similar lines, the Sefirah of Kindness is representative of God’s fourth utterance in Creation, “And God said, 'Let the Earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed…” (Genesis 1:11). Boaz offers that Ruth drink “from what the servants draw” referring to water. However, the verb drawing echoes the joyful drawing of water (Isaiah 12:3) performed during the Festival of Sukkot. There the drawing was not only of physical water but the drawing of the “upper waters,” that of divine inspiration (Jerusalem Talmud, Sukkah 22b). Finally, Ruth marries into the tribe of Judah which is represented by a lion, another symbol of the Sefirah of Kindness. 

One final point, despite the complete lack of overt miracles in the story, God’s name is constantly invoked. No doubt, this is due to God’s acts of kindness that exist “behind the scenes.” Ruth happens to end up in Boaz’s field, Boaz happens to be walking by, and so on. The emphasis on God is also to drive home that the kindness described in the book should teach us not only about human kindness, but should serve as a beam of light along which we can perceive the kindness of God. 

In summary, the book of Ruth may represent, or be a model for, the first book of a Jewish Narnia. Ruth’s main theme, side descriptions of the character's actions, and setting, all reflect the first Sefirah, Kindness, and its symbols. Furthermore, while the story can be told without invoking God as a character, God’s name is constantly mentioned, demonstrating that the book can be used to enlighten us on God’s kindness with humanity. 

Perhaps there are other sections of the bible that reflect other ones of the Sefirot and can also serve as a model for books of a Jewish Narnia. Feel free to chime in with ideas and I’ll let you know if I find any.