The Book of Ruth.
Ruth in Boaz field, by J. von Carosfeld
The story of Ruth is in the Old Testament, and is read each year during the holiday of Shavuot.
The story depicts how Elimech and his wife Naomi - an Israelite couple - leave Bethlehem where there is a famine, and go to Moab, a country nearby.
They live among the Moabites for several years, Elimelech dies, and at some point their two sons Mahlon and Chilion marry Moabite women.
The two sons then die two. Naomi decides to go back to Bethlehem and tells her daughters-in-law to stay in Moab and remarry.
One of her daughter-in-law reluctantly accepts, but the other one, Ruth, refuses to leave her mother-in-law. They go together to Bethlehem, and arrive at the time of the barley harvest. Ruth decides to glean to support Naomi and herself, and goes to the fields of a wealthy man, Boaz, who is kind to her.
It so happens that Boaz is a distant relative of Naomi, and as such should marry Ruth in order to carry on the family line. After a bit of manipulation from Naomi, Ruth goes to Boaz and asks him to marry her. He accepts , they get married, and have a son named Obed, who will be David's grandfather.
The story is important in Judaism because it depicts the story of a convert to Judaism who understood Jewish principles and took them to heart. It is read during Shavuot probably because it happens during harvest times, like the holiday.
The story depicts how Elimech and his wife Naomi - an Israelite couple - leave Bethlehem where there is a famine, and go to Moab, a country nearby.
They live among the Moabites for several years, Elimelech dies, and at some point their two sons Mahlon and Chilion marry Moabite women.
The two sons then die two. Naomi decides to go back to Bethlehem and tells her daughters-in-law to stay in Moab and remarry.
One of her daughter-in-law reluctantly accepts, but the other one, Ruth, refuses to leave her mother-in-law. They go together to Bethlehem, and arrive at the time of the barley harvest. Ruth decides to glean to support Naomi and herself, and goes to the fields of a wealthy man, Boaz, who is kind to her.
It so happens that Boaz is a distant relative of Naomi, and as such should marry Ruth in order to carry on the family line. After a bit of manipulation from Naomi, Ruth goes to Boaz and asks him to marry her. He accepts , they get married, and have a son named Obed, who will be David's grandfather.
The story is important in Judaism because it depicts the story of a convert to Judaism who understood Jewish principles and took them to heart. It is read during Shavuot probably because it happens during harvest times, like the holiday.
