Shavuot, at first a biblical harvest festival, evolved or was shifted by rabbinical times to a holiday celebrating the giving of the Torah, as approximately befits biblical dating. As such, appropriately, this holiday reflects the Jewish tradition of evolution, generations standing on the shoulders of those who came before, even as there is change.
In the last few decades, biblical research has made prodigious progress in understanding how later stories rely on earlier ones for literary material and thematic sources.
The Book of Ruth is such a book. It is a late work, though it purports to be old and tries to antiquate its terminology, it includes words unknown in First Temple times. The book itself has a perspective of looking back, the entire tale extending beyond itself, “at the time of the Judges,” only up to the birth of King David. It tells of Ruth, coming from a Moabite background to join the Jewish people who, through acts of kindness, dedication, and determination, becomes the worthy great-grandmother of King David.
In doing so, the book chooses to rely on phraseology and stories of the past to tell its tale, both by way of comparison and explanation. Beyond its being an inspiring story, it can be enjoyed as a moving example of how tradition can grow. Toward that end, I here note a few of those borrowings and developments, some of them quite complex.
Moab
There is a historical hint that King David had some relationship with Moab, because he places his parents there in time of war (I Samuel 22:3). The origin of the Moabites as the Bible tells it is less than edifying when viewed from a distance. The text in Genesis 19 is not critical of the action of the actors, one should note. Lot, after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, is seduced at night, after drinking, by his two daughters, and from one of these unions, Moab, the eponymous founder of this people, is born. That is scarcely an honorific pedigree for King David. In our text, Ruth is sent by Naomi to Boaz, a relative, at night, possibly with seduction in mind. However, Boaz, also after drinking, does not sleep with Ruth. Instead, he goes to court (to consult with the elders) the next day and maneuvers a legitimate legal decision and then marries Ruth, David’s great-grandmother. The book overshadows the earlier tale, building a better future.
Similarly, Moab is earlier banned from mixing with the Jewish people, for not having supplied food and water when the former traveled from Egypt (Deuteronomy 23:4-7). Our text provides a heroine of Moabite background who valiantly supports her Jewish mother-in-law and provides for her sustenance. An ancient enmity is healed.
Judah and Tamar
It is related that Judah, a leading son of Jacob, inadvertently slept with his daughter-in-law, who had dressed as a prostitute to seduce him, because of his inattention to her plight (Genesis 38). From that union, twins were born, one being Peretz. He, in turn, is the ancestor of Boaz, and in 10 generations, of King David. Once again, propriety and responsibility succeed an earlier drama, and David’s pedigree is improved.
Abraham and Lot
When Abraham and his nephew Lot find their small clans in conflict, Abraham, standing with Lot looking down at the Dead Sea, proposes that they “separate” (Genesis 13). Lot accepts. Many years later, in our book, Ruth and Naomi ascend from Moab toward Bethlehem, into the very mountains overlooking the Dead Sea where Abraham stood. Naomi proposes that they “separate” (same term). In a dramatic speech, Ruth refuses, enshrining the position that families should try to stay together. Again, the past is redeemed.
Traveling for a mate
Abraham sends his servant eastward to find a bride for his son, Isaac (Genesis 24), and in the next generation, Jacob travels eastward and finds brides (Genesis 28-29). Ruth, a widow, later travels westward, there to find her husband. In a parallel manner, on Jacob’s trip, a woman, Rachel, dutifully rushes to provide sustenance to him and his camels. In the Book of Ruth, the male workers are told to provide the food for Ruth. In both instances, a greater centrality and higher position is granted to women than in the earlier texts.
Similarly, Abraham is told to leave his land, his birthplace, and his father’s home to go to an unnamed place (Genesis 12:1). Boaz relates that it is said of Ruth that she “left her mother, her father, and her birthplace for a land she did not know.” The spiritual descendant of Abraham is a woman.
And more
I mention two other citations. The Book of Judges ends (chapters 19-21) with a horrid story of rape and slaughter, based in Bethlehem. Our text replaces this with a tale of peace and kindness.
Ruth is expected to be at the end like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel, a historical reference reflecting that David united the 12 tribes into one national entity.
All references are based not only on themes and location, but also terminology. These usages attest to the Book of Ruth as a brilliant work, ever looking backward while serving the present.
The writer is the author of several biblical commentaries, including The Book of Ruth: Paradise Gained and Lost (Gefen Publications and Schechter Institute, 2021). ■