Who Can Truly Comfort a Grieving Nation

"Comfort." (Isaiah 40:1) "Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his Maker?" (Job 4:17). Now is there any man more righteous than his Creator? Rather, read it: shall a man be purer than his Maker. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Boaz comforts, and shall I not comfort? Boaz comforts, as it is written, "And Boaz answered and said to her, It has fully been told me" (Ruth 2:11). And why "told, told" two times? He said to her: It was told to me at home and it was told to me in the field. "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband" (ibid.); there is no need to mention what you did in your husband's lifetime. "And how you have left your father and your mother" (ibid.); your father and your mother, certainly. "And the land of your birth" (ibid.), this is your neighborhood. Another interpretation: "And how you have left your father and your mother" (ibid.), this refers to your idolatry, as it says, "They say to a tree, You are my father, and to a stone, You gave us birth" (Jeremiah 2:27). "And the land of your birth" (Ruth ibid.), this is your province. "And have come to a people that you did not know before" (ibid.). He said to her: For had you come to us before, we would not have received you, since the law had not yet been newly established that an Ammonite man but not an Ammonite woman, a Moabite man but not a Moabite woman is forbidden. "The LORD recompense your work" (Ruth 2:12). He said to her: He who is destined to give the reward of the righteous, may He give your reward. "And may your wages be full" (ibid.); it is written "complete" [pointing toward the name Shelomo, Solomon]. Rabbi Yose said: He said to her, Solomon shall arise from you. "From the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge" (ibid.). Rabbi Abun said: There are wings to the earth, wings to the dawn, wings to the sun, wings to the cherubim, wings to the living creatures, wings to the seraphim. Wings to the earth, as it is written, "From the wing of the earth we have heard songs" (Isaiah 24:16). Wings to the dawn, as it is written, "If I take the wings of the dawn" (Psalms 139:9). Wings to the sun, as it is written, "And to you who fear My name the sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in its wings" (Malachi 3:20). Wings to the cherubim, as it is written, "And the sound of the wings of the cherubim" (Ezekiel 10:5). Wings to the living creatures, as it is written, "And the sound of the wings of the living creatures" (ibid. 3:13). Wings to the seraphim, as it is written, "Seraphim stood above Him; each one had six wings" (Isaiah 6:2). Rabbi Abun said: Great is the power of those who perform acts of lovingkindness, for they take refuge neither in the shadow of the wings of the earth, nor in the shadow of the wings of the dawn, nor in the shadow of the wings of the sun, nor in the shadow of the wings of the cherubim, nor in the shadow of the wings of the living creatures, nor in the shadow of the wings of the seraphim. And in whose shadow do they take refuge? In the shadow of the Holy One, blessed be He. This is what is written, "How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God, and the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings" (Psalms 36:8). "And she said, Let me find favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me" (Ruth 2:13). "And Boaz said to her" (ibid. 14): He said to her, Do not say so, God forbid, that you are reckoned among the maidservants; you are reckoned only among the matriarchs. And the matter follows by an argument from minor to major: if Boaz, who spoke to the heart of Ruth good words, comforting words, words of consolation, then when the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to comfort Jerusalem, how much more so! "Comfort, comfort My people, says your God" (Isaiah 40:1).