Vayerah 5772

The Torah seems to devote inordinate attention to the origin of the nations of Moav and Amon. In great detail we are told that, in the aftermath of the destruction of Sodom, the daughters of Lot committed incest with him and gave birth to sons who became the founders of those nations. When the text of the Sefer Torah was given to the Jewish people at the end of the forty years in the Midbar, it was undoubtedly a mystery why this story was considered worth recording. Only later in Jewish history was the veil lifted; two female converts from these nations, Ruth of Moav (great grandmother of Dovid HaMelech) and Na’amah of Amon (wife of Shlomo HaMelech, and mother of his successor Rechavam) play a critical role as progenitors of the Messianic dynasty.

Why is this necessary? Why must the seed of Moshiach come from a foreign source? Why can it not simply sprout from the “grassroots” of the Jewish people?

Maharal (Netzach Yisrael Ch. 32) explains that Moshiach is an entirely new phenomenon and thus cannot come from within; if its roots were already contained within the spiritual makeup of the Jewish people, it would not be truly new. Yet, Maharal does not explain exactly what the novel contribution of Ruth and Na’amah is.

The Torah (Devarim 23:4-5) tells us that male converts from the nations of Moav and Amon may not marry native-born Jews because, “…they did not greet you with bread and water on the way as you left Egypt and because they hired Bila’am son of Be’or from Pesor Aram Naharayim to curse you.”  Ramban explains that these nations should have had an enormous debt of gratitude to the Jewish people as their ancestor, Lot, was only spared from the destruction of Sodom in the merit of our ancestor, Avraham. Their failure to express gratitude disqualifies them from entry into the Jewish fold. Although, we are dealing with a prospective convert who, in any case, is engaged in the process of fundamental change, apparently this trait of ingratitude is so deeply rooted in the nature of Moav and Amon that, in the Torah’s estimation, it cannot be uprooted. (Incidentally, this law and its underlying rationale demonstrate the primacy of character perfection in the Torah’s hierarchy of values.)

However, this proscription only applies to male converts not to females. It seems that the women of Amon and Moav do have the power to change in this critical way. It is worth noting that among the exemplary characteristics that Ruth demonstrates – loyalty, perseverance, kindness – the trait of gratitude for even the smallest favors stands out. (See Ruth 2:10.)

We can suggest that this potential for radical self-transformation is the unique contribution that these righteous converts bring to the Messianic line. When kingship lacks this ability to change itself, adapting to new circumstances and challenges, it becomes stagnant and lethargic. In the worst-case scenario, it dooms its subjects to societal collapse and catastrophe as it cannot abandon failed policies and ideologies. The righteous convert, for whom essential change is the most basic feature of his life and temperament, is uniquely suited to make this positive contribution to our spiritual genome.