Ruth's Devotion

ב"ה

When Ruth's husband, brother-in-law and father-in-law all died suddenly, Ruth stayed with her mother-in-law Naomi even as her sister-in-law Orpa returned home.

"In the time the Judges were judging...", according to the biblical book of Ruth, a rich man named Elimelekh took his family to Moav (Moab) because there was a famine in Israel. His sons, Mahlon and Khilyon, married a couple of local women, Ruth and Orpa.

Ruth as a symbol of loyalty, devotion and love

By Staying with her Mother-in-Law, Ruth also Accepted the Tora

"In the time the Judges were judging...", according to the biblical book of Ruth, a rich man named Elimelekh took his family to Moav (Moab) because there was a famine in Israel. His sons, Mahlon and Khilyon, married a couple of local women, Ruth and Orpa.

Soon after, Elimelekh died. Then his sons died. The three women were left alone. Naomi, Elimelekh's wife, then decided to return home to Israel. Her daughters-in-law said they would go with her. Naomi told them both to go home to their families. Orpa kissed her good-bye and went home to her family. But Ruth vowed to remain with her saying "Wherever you go I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people will be my people, your G-d will be my G-d."

So Ruth and Naomi went back to Israel and lived together. Though Elimelekh had been rich, their wealth had been lost and Naomi and Ruth were very poor. So they had to go to the fields and pick the food that was left by the owners as charity.

When they went to one field, the owner, Boaz, saw Ruth. He noticed that she never took anything except from what he was required to leave by Jewish law. This attracted him because he saw that she was a moral person. He asked her to marry him and she did. Together, they had a son named Oved. Oved had a son named Yishai (Jesse) and Yishai's son was David. David was the second king of Israel, the king whose descendants were a dynasty.

Because Ruth accepted the Tora on herself, we read the book of Ruth on the holiday that the Children of Israel accepted the Tora -- Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks, which comes 7 weeks after Passover in the Jewish month of Sivan. Shavuot is one of the 3 Pilgrimage holidays during which the people would come to Jerusalem. These three holidays are Passover, Shavuot and (Sukkot).

It should be noted that Ruth was the granddaughter of Eglon, the king of Moav in the time of the Judge Ehud the son of Geira. Ehud was sent (by G-d) to kill Eglon (who was oppressing the Children of Israel). When Ehud came to the king (he was left-handed, so he was able to hide his sword on the right), he said he had a message from G-d. The king stood when he heard that Ehud had a message from G-d and Ehud killed him. But because he stood at the mention of G-d's name, he merited to be the ancestor of such a great woman as Ruth.