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Appletree

The Mysteries Of Ruth

What does the strange conclusion to this story tell us?

ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
AppleTree Editor

magine a story filled with pas-
sionate love, profound friend-
ship, famine, perseverance and
incomparable loyalty. Then at
the near-conclusion of the tale, the
narrative turns into a genealogical
.
record.
Family history and researching your
roots are popular these days, but does
anyone really want to read a listing of
who was whose grandmother and
great-grandfather, just when you
expect to find a riveting conclusion?
Yet that's exactly what happens in
the Book of Ruth, which we read on
Shavuot.
Is there a reason for all this listing
of names, or was the author of the
Book of Ruth just tired of his story
and trying to wrap things up?
Of course, there was a reason, and
it's as intriguing as the tale itself.
The Book of Ruth is one of five
megillat, or scrolls, in Jewish liturgy.
Comprising four chapters, the book
tells the story of a woman named
Ruth from a place called Moab.
Here's what happens:
A man named Elimelech has a wife,
Naomi, and two sons, Mahlon and
Chilion. The four live in Beit-lechem
(Bethlehem) in Judah, where there is
a famine.
In an effort to escape this terrible
situation, the family moves to Moab.
But life here is difficult as well.
When Elimelech dies, the dis-
traught Naomi feels she can only
return home to Beit-lechem.
The couple's sons, meanwhile, take
Moabite women for their wives.
Chilion marries Orpha, while
Mahlon marries Ruth.
But then come more deaths, name-
ly Mahlon and Chilion. And then,
something quite unusual: Orpha and
Ruth say they will go with Naomi
back to Beit-lechem. That's right —
the women offer to go to a famine-
ridden land and live with their moth-
er-in-law. Naomi tries to dissuade
them.
You're right, Naomi, Orpha says.
What was I thinking? I'm outta here!
But Ruth says, I'm coming with
you.

And off they go.
But Ruth doesn't just accompany
Naomi to Beit-lechem. She decides to
become a Jew, though Naomi has
done her best to dissuade her.
According to tradition, Naomi is
concerned that, as a convert, Ruth
will not be accepted among other
Jews. Naomi also stresses that living a
life according to Halachah (Jewish
law) is not easy. No longer will Ruth
be allowed to live just anywhere. If
she chooses Judaism, Naomi says,
Ruth must find her place in a house
where there is a mezuzah (tiny parch-
ment scroll affixed to a doorpost). It
is then that Ruth utters those famous
words, "Whither thou go, I go."
Life is not easy in Beit-lechem. The
women arrive just as barley is being
harvested, and they have no money.
They eventually begin gleaning the
wheat, taking those portions set aside
for the poor. Fortunately, though,
they meet up, with a wealthy relative,
Boaz, who eventually marries Ruth.
(But talk about a May-December
romance — tradition says that at the
time of her marriage, Ruth was 40
and Boaz was 80.)
And here's how the story ends.
Boaz and Ruth have a son, Obed,
who is the father of Jesse, who is the
father of King David.
Why, you might wonder, is the tale
ended with such a seemingly mun-
dane conclusion?
In fact, many scholars say this end-
ing is the very point of the whole
story. We are to remember that Ruth
not only was not born into a distin-
guished Jewish family, she wasn't even
born a Jew. Yet she accepted Judaism,
and followed Halachah, and led an
exemplary life. And it is this woman
who became the great-grandmother
of Judaism's greatest king, David,
who, in turn, is the antecedent of
Mashiach (the Messiah).
Various commentaries speak of
Ruth as an incredible woman. She
was modest and had impressive man-
ners. She never wavered in her Jewish
faith and she was loyal — qualities
that made her worthy of becoming
King David's great-grandmother.
Scholars often note that the story
of Ruth and her famous great-grand-
son parallels that of other great lead-

ers in the Jewish community (for
example, Jacob). In such stories, we
are made to understand how chal-
lenging life can be for the antecedents
of great men.
Scholars also have commented that
the Book of Ruth illustrates how God
seemingly "works behind the scenes"
creating His world, even in difficult
moments. (Yet interestingly, this book
is only one of two places in which the
phrase, "God, who did not withhold
His kindness" appears [the other
occurs in the story of Abraham]).
What if there had been no famine;
Elimelech would never have gone to
Moab. What if Ruth, like Orpha, had
decided not to go with Naomi? What
if Ruth's first husband had not died,
and she had not married Boaz? What
if Ruth had not wanted to embrace
Judaism? The answer is obvious: King
David never would have been born.
There is no such thing as chance,
the story says; there is only God at
work.

Questions To Ask
Your Children About
The Book Of Ruth:

#1) Why do you think God chose a
convert to be King David's great-
grandmother?

#2) Can you think of seeming coinci-
dences in your life that, in fact, show
God's presence?

#3) What is the name of your great-
grandmother? What kind of person
was she? How did she help shape
your life?

#4) Do you believe that hard times in
our lives can sometimes bring good?
Why or why not? Think about a
painful or challenging incident you
experienced and consider how it
affected your character.

#5) What if Ruth had decided not to
go with Naomi back to Beit-lechem.
What do you think would have hap-
pened to the Jewish people? ❑

