The Book of Ruth

The Book of Ruth is one of the five megillot (scrolls), part of the section of the Hebrew Bible called Writings, and is traditionally read on the holiday of Shavuot. It tells the story of Ruth, a widow of Moabite origin who insists on staying with her widowed, Israelite mother-in-law, declaring “wherever you go, I will go... your people shall be my people, and your G!d my G!d” (1:16). Ruth’s loyalty leads her to the field of her kinsman, Boaz, whom she ultimately marries.  Together they have a child, who later becomes the grandfather of King David.

In the Midrash (which is sort of like Rabbinic fan fiction on the TaNaKh), we learn that Ruth was not only Moabite but in fact Moabite Royalty, the granddaughter of Balak. 

Ruth, through her levirate marriage (see later slide) to Boaz, becomes the great-grandmother of King David. Her son, Obed, is listed as King David's grandfather.

Ruth was born Moabite, so it's interesting that she is a descendant of the first King of Israel. The Rabbis understood her choice to go with Naomi to Israel as a formal, chosen conversion to Judaism.

"Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you. For wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your G!d my G!d. Where you die, I will die; and there will I be buried…"

Deuteronomy outlines a practice called "yibbum," or in English, Levirate Marriage. Under this system the brother of a man who dies without children is permitted and encouraged to marry the widow. The child of that union then carries on the name (and inheritance) of the dead brother.

This system also offers protection for a childless widow.

The Book of Ruth illustrates the difficulty of Yibbum. Naomi planned to provide security for herself and Ruth by arranging a levirate marriage with Boaz. She instructed Ruth to uncover Boaz's feet after he had gone to sleep and to lie down. When Boaz woke up, surprised to see a woman at his feet, Ruth explained that she wanted him to redeem (marry) her. Some modern commentators see sexual allusions in this part of the story, with 'feet' as a euphemism for genitals.

There are many explanations given for the reading of Ruth on Shavuot. The most quoted reason is that Ruth’s coming to Israel took place around the time of Shavuot, and her acceptance into the Jewish faith was analogous of the acceptance of the Jewish people of G!d’s Torah.

A second explanation relates to genealogy. Since the Book of Ruth ends with the genealogy of David, whose forbearer Ruth was, it has been suggested that it is read on Shavuot because there is a legend that David died on Shavuot.

Another reason for the reading of Ruth on Shavuot is that its story takes place at harvest time, and Shavuot also occurs at the time of the spring harvest.

Naomi and Ruth are an example of characters in the Torah who have come to be interpreted as queer. The vow that Ruth makes to Naomi in Ruth 1:27, “wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your G!d my G!d.” is often used as marriage vows.

There are hints throughout the Book of Ruth about the pair’s devotion. For instance, the phrase “Ruth clung to Naomi” uses a Hebrew root (דבק) that appears throughout the Tanakh in reference to sexual intimacy 

At the end of the story, Ruth becomes pregnant with the child of Boaz. Notably, Naomi continues to live with Ruth and becomes a second mother to the child. This unusual family structure, headed by two women, is unique in the Tanakh. Many queer readers have seen this a fitting example of “chosen family” — non-traditional home-making built on love rather than societal norms. 

• https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/ruth-midrash-and-aggadah 

• https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-story-of-the-book-of-ruth/ 

• https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/how-lgbtq-jews-find-themselves-in-jewish-texts/ 

• https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/why-do-we-read-the-book-of-ruth-on-shavuot/ 

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Ruth