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Why does Rashi (רש"י) identify Rus HaMoavis as the "box of worms" needed in every Jewish leader's past? The shiur explores the Gemara (גמרא)'s teaching that leaders must have skeletons in their closet to maintain humility. Rus's ancestry—originating from Lot's incestuous relationship with his daughter—provides that humbling stigma, ensuring every king of Israel carries a sobering awareness of flawed lineage rather than pure aristocratic pride.
This shiur addresses a fundamental question about leadership and humility in Jewish thought, focusing on a cryptic statement by Rashi (רש"י) regarding Rus HaMoavis. The Gemara (גמרא) teaches that "ein odum lema'am parnasah ulsibra elen kein kupa shel shvatzim yufshem ha'acharov"—a person should not be appointed as a leader unless there is a "kupa shel shvatzim" (a box of worms or skeletons in the closet) attached to them. Rashi identifies this "box of worms" with Rus HaMoavis. The shiur opens by acknowledging that this identification is not simple or obvious. Rabbi Zweig notes that Rus HaMoavis herself was a righteous convert, so extraordinary that Shlomo HaMelech built a chair next to his throne for her as the "eim hamalchus"—not merely as his personal mother, but as the mother of the kingdom of Israel itself. There is even a halachic principle that one is forbidden to remind a convert of their past transgressions. Given Rus's elevated status, how can she be called a "kupa shel shvatzim"? The question is particularly pointed given that reminding Rus of her Moabite origins would seem to violate the prohibition against shaming a convert.
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Parshas Vayigash, Rashi on Rus HaMoavis
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