Ruth: From Princess to Pauper and Back Again

Why do we read The Book of Ruth on Shavuot? Unlike other holidays where the readings are directly linked (e.g., Megillat Esther on Purim, Eichah on Tisha B’Av, etc.), Megillat Ruth doesn’t appear to have a clear connection to Shavuot itself. In fact, there are multiple reasons given as to the why. A few include: the correlation between the wheat harvest mentioned in the story and the time of year it’s read; the fact that Ruth converted and accepted upon herself the 613 mitzvot in the Torah, just as the Jewish people accepted the Torah on Shavuot; Shavuot is King David’s yahrzeit (anniversary of passing) and since Ruth is his great-grandmother, we read The Book of Ruth. I’d like to offer a different reason, and it starts at the beginning of the story itself.

The Book of Ruth begins with Naomi, her husband, Elimelech, and their sons, Machlon and Killion, fleeing the famine in Eretz Yisrael and settling in Moav. When Elimelech dies, Naomi’s sons marry women from Moav. But not just any women. Machlon marries Ruth, who according to Rashi is the daughter of Eglon, a king of Moav (Ruth 1:2). In other words, she is a princess, no doubt used to a life of wealth and luxury. So when Machlon dies, it’s a wonder Ruth chooses to stay with Naomi, who has since become destitute. As much as Naomi tries to convince Ruth to return to her home—to her life of royalty—Naomi is unsuccessful. With her famous words, “Where you will go, I will go; where you will lodge, I will lodge; your people are my people; and your G-d is my G-d; where you will die, I will die,” Ruth makes her choice to convert to Judaism, rather than return to her previous lifestyle¹.

Once Naomi and Ruth return to Eretz Yisrael, Ruth, undaunted by the fact that she was born a princess, offers to glean amongst the fields so that she and Naomi will have something to eat. According to the Malbim, this act of going out and gleaning like a common poor person in order to spare Naomi from having to do so and embarrassing herself is a testament to Ruth’s righteousness². Imagine for a moment a princess who was used to the finest comforts in life relegated to the status of pauper. One might expect her to feel ashamed and humiliated. But this is not the case with Ruth. In her abundant kindness and commitment to Naomi and the Torah, Ruth goes without hesitation or concern for her personal honor. She goes to the field of Boaz, where her modest behavior is apparent to him³. And it is from her initial act of offering to go to the fields to glean, that Ruth eventually marries Boaz and becomes the great-grandmother of King David. 

The choices Ruth made throughout her life takes her on a circuitous journey from one form of royalty to another. Born a non-Jewish princess, one can assume that Ruth’s life was easy and lavish until she married into Naomi’s family. It is at the point when her husband dies that she makes her first life-altering decision. She can simply return home, where she has food, shelter, and can eventually remarry one of her own people. Nobody would think any less of her. But she doesn’t. Ruth has been living with Naomi for quite some time and influenced by the ways of the Torah. She yearns for a Jewish life and therefore, decides to give everything else up as long as she can continue living her life as a Jew. Next, she decides on her own that despite her distinguished background, she will glean in the fields to spare Naomi embarrassment. Later, she follows Naomi’s instruction to ask Boaz to redeem and marry her. Being much younger than Boaz, one might think that Ruth would prefer to look elsewhere for a spouse. But again, her decision is not one made for personal gratification. She wants Boaz to marry her because he is a relative of her deceased husband and can perform the mitzvah of keeping her husband’s memory alive, should they have children. The end result of her decision: a son. This son eventually becomes the progenitor of the Davidic dynasty. Through all the choices she made, Ruth became the “Matriarch of Royalty” and merited to live until King Solomon’s reign, where she had a special seat to the right of him⁴.  

The Book of Ruth on Shavuot conveys that it is possible to rise up again to a place of royalty. By committing herself to a Jewish life of Torah and mitzvot, Ruth becomes the mother of royalty.

Now, let’s revisit the original question. Why is Megillat Ruth read on Shavuot? Based on the information presented, I’d like to propose an additional reason. Perhaps Klal Yisrael’s journey parallels Ruth’s life. Like Ruth, who was born into royalty, so are the Jewish people. We are daughters and sons of the King on High, Hashem Himself. He chose us as His people. And though we started out on a high level, we find ourselves today “impoverished.” Many of us feel disconnected, simply gleaning among the sheaves, for whatever spark of spirituality we can find. Shavuot reminds us that Hashem chose the Jewish people as a nation and gave us the Torah. Reading The Book of Ruth on Shavuot conveys that it is possible to rise up again to a place of royalty. By committing herself to a Jewish life of Torah and mitzvot, Ruth becomes the mother of royalty. Similarly, if we make the right choices in life, even though sometimes they may be hard, Hashem can and will once again restore us to our former glory and rebuild the Beit Hamikdash—may it be speedily in our days. 

¹ Ruth 1:16-17

² Ruth 2:2

³ Torah Temimah on Ruth 2:6

⁴ Rashi I Kings 2:19