Answer. Elimelech of Bethlehem departs the country for Moab, taking his wife Naomi and their two sons along. A ketana can certainly be mezukeket leyibbum (read: a female minor whose husband dies childless is obligated in yibbum or chalitza to the husbands brothers if he has any.). However, there is a minor figure in the Book of Ruth named Orpah. The rest of Genesis concentrates on the growth of this family (the people) as they move from Haran to Canaan, to the Negev, to Egypt, to Hebron, to Dan and to Beersheba. But alas, both the usual explanation (that Shavuot celebrates the spring grain harvest, which forms the setting for the book) and various lesser-known explanations (that David, a great-grandson of Ruth, died on Shavuot or that Ruths loyalty to Naomi symbolizes Israels loyalty to the Torah) touch only upon superficial connections or are clearly midrashic1 efforts to forge a connection. She would choose Moab and motherhood. Ruth 1: Ruth 2: Ruth 3: Ruth 4: Ruth's Choice: Ruth's Service: Ruth's Claim: Ruth's Marriage: Naomi and Ruth Mutual Grief: Ruth and Naomi and Boaz Mutual Pursuit: Boaz and Ruth Mutual Love: Ruth's Decision: Return with Naomi Ruth's Devotion: Provide for Naomi Ruth's Request: Redemption by Boaz Ruth's Reward: Relative of Messiah Ruth and Naomi: Ruth and Boaz This also teaches us an important lesson about the Revelation at Sinai, which we celebrate on Shavuot. They have no legal obligation to one another and can offer each other no mutual protection or support. Perhaps out of obedience, or maybe out of duty, the women continued with their mother-in-law. Report. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. As soon as Orpah parted company with Naomi and Ruth, she went to the absolute opposite extreme. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Israel and Its Enemies Judaisms Unique Claim: National Revelation, King David: Four Relevant Takeaways for Today, Rational Approach To Divine Origin of Judaism, Wisdom for Love: The Blessings at a Jewish Wedding, New Yiddish Holocaust Album is a Smash Hit, 8 Thought-Provoking Questions for Your Passover Seder. The ancient world had no mechanism for religious conversion or change of citizenship; the very notion was unthinkable. His wife and sons stay on, and the sons marry non-Jewish women - Moabite princesses by the names of Ruth and Orpah. God says to Abraham: The early chapters of Genesis are a prologue to this covenant, describing the creation of all the land in the world and of all of its peoples, until the narrative focuses on one particular family: Abrahams. Proverbs 14:12 warns us that "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." YA scifi novel where kids escape a boarding school, in a hollowed out asteroid, Existence of rational points on generalized Fermat quintics. I am also acquiring Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, as my wife, so as to perpetuate [Mahlons] name upon his estate, that [his] name may not disappear from among his kinsmen. 0 Responses The references in the Book of Ruth to Rachel, Leah and Tamar serve not only to welcome Ruth into the Judahite community by linking her with the mothers of that community, they especially lead us to view Ruth in the mold of the heroic women who ensured the preservation of the people of Israel. Ask Us! She was from Moab and was the daughter-in-law of Naomi and wife of Chilion. I believe that it is the Malbim who says that when Ruth Says Ameikh Ami Elokayikh Elokai (your nation is my nation your God is my God) it means that Ruth has taken on keeping the mitzvoth and at this point begins living as a Jew. Ruth, however, remains strong. What does the Bible say about decision-making. In all, Leah and Rachel provide Jacob with 12 sons (and one daughter), who will in turn father the 12 tribesthe people of Israel. In the blessing, the townspeople add a specific reference to Judah, the founder of Boazs tribe: May your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah (Ruth 4:12). midrash) was the son of Balak. But she didnt do it. Orpah believed in many gods and didn't stay with Naomi as Ruth had done. In this coming together of family and peoplehood, we are again reminded of the stories of the patriarchs, in which the family represents the people. or'-pa (`orpah; for meaning see below): A Moabitess, wife of Mahlon, son of Elimelech and Naomi. Was He More than an Exodus Hero? They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth.. A not so scholarly article.. LOL. Student @Christ Gospel Church, S.S.Teacher, Observer. Not even another entreaty in verse 15 can get Ruth to leave. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. Although she doesnt know it, the field she chooses belongs to a wealthy kinsman of Elimelech named Boaz. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. She willingly submitted herself to them all. One may read Ruth's care for Naomi as a performative, prophetic act of faith. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Ruth is a foreigner coming 'to a people that [she] does not know' ( . @bookofruth Moabite is an demonym not a religion. And Ruth's sister-in-law Orpah followed that advice. Orpah's husband was Chilion. The outcome of Orpahs choice is not known. Who Were the Philistines, and Where Did They Come From. As is clear from the Talmud (Yevamot 47b), they were not doing so as a mere courtesy. Her many publications include Zephaniah (Doubleday, 1991), Biblical Poetry Through Medieval Jewish Eyes (Indiana Univ. The book of Ruth with four chapters started with Naomi and her husband, Elimelech who left their . Anonymous (via GotQuestions). Ever since, Jews would not be able to sit still. The whole theme is that of the need of redemption of those unable to rescue themselves by a kinsman redeemer. How can the soul prosper as stated in 3 John vs 2? And Goliath fell to David in battle in what was in essence a battle between two worldviews physical versus spiritual. With regard to when she converted, both Ibn Ezra and Ralbag seem to believe that she converted before she married Machlon, being that we don't find any mention of her conversion afterwards and Boaz certainly would not have married her otherwise. should I perhaps add it to the original question? Podcast: Play in new window | Download (0.0KB) | Embed. Unlike her sister Ruth she returned to her own people after escorting Naomi on her way to Judah ( Ruth 1:4 ). Her choice was practical, not spiritual. It is clear (at least from the p'shat of the text)that she didn't go through any formal conversion process that we would recognize today. Undoubtedly, the land/family motif helps to explain why the author emphasizes certain details and ties the story to the Torah and rest of the Old Testament. So Ruth spoke: "Do not plead with me to abandon you, to turn back from accompanying you; for where you go I shall go, and where you spend the night I shall spend the night. But Ruth's love for Naomi caused her to stay with her mother-in-law, even when such devotion seemed illogical and downright foolish. What age was Jehoiachin when he began his reign? Your people will be my people and your God my God. The gentile women in Jesus ancestry are explicitly brought out by the Gospel writers and demonstrate how foreigners are grafted in to the native family tree of Israel. Jasper Soriano, March 18 2021 Leah and Rachels eagerness to bear children for Jacob is again emphasized when they argue over who shall use the aphrodisiac mandrakes found by Leahs son (Genesis 30:1416). Just like African-Americans are Americans of African descent. When Boaz visits the field and hears of Ruths loyalty to his kin Naomi, he instructs his workers to allow her to glean unmolested and even to leave additional grain in her path. Ruth is also one of the few women who are mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus found in the book of Matthew. In the patriarchal stories the main concern was the establishment of the family linethe quest for an heir whom God will designate as the one through whom the people of Israel will be born. In Judah she was considered worthless as a widow. The promise to Abraham of progeny and land is renewed in the promise to David of the dynasty and the kingdom. Ruth (/ r u /; Hebrew: , Modern: Rt, Tiberian: R) is the person after whom the Book of Ruth is named. Questions. What did Jesus mean when he said, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees"? The higher the vote, the further up an answer is. Abarbanel writes that Shmuel Hanavi wrote Ruth after he anointed David to highlight David's ancestry and to show that he came from noble stock. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, and Ruth hugged Naomi forsaking her father and mother to go with Naomi and resisted the separation from her. . Orpah did what one expects. Orpah. What does the Bible say about decision-making? How to determine chain length on a Brompton? We know from Orpah that we can choose familiarity or faitheternity or obscurity and darkness. I'm saying I don't even think it's pashut pshat. Naomi even later tested them to see if they have converted. Why can't Ploni Almoni be a real name, in Ruth? Ruth's faithful resolve, when set next to Orpah's prudent way, challenges the notion that a bioethic of care is innately feminine, and may further call women and men corporately to participate in a kind of care that is strenuous work. I would say that it was because, even though Ruth and Orpah were both Moabites by birth who had been married to Jewish men, Ruth had apparently developed a belief in the God of Israel in a way that Orpah had not. I don't see that in the Malbim. Community answers are sorted based on votes. Why did Ruth and Orpah make a different decision? Why did the first kinsman redeemer in Ruth refuse to marry her. I propose a much more fundamental and far-reaching link between Ruth and the Torahindeed, with the entire Biblea link that goes to the very heart of the overarching theme of the Bible. In the face of Naomi's logic, she said goodbye and went home. In what context did Garak (ST:DS9) speak of a lie between two truths? Orpah chose the familiar path while Ruth chose the faithful way. If this suggests that the Book of Ruth is an anomaly, I propose to show that, on the contrary, its thematic connections with the rest of the Bible are much stronger than we generally perceive. Today I am acquiring from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and to Chilion and Mahlon [his sons]. We are studying ruth 3 (selected verses) for sunday, august 18. Who was naomi in the bible? Naomis daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, accompany her along the road. then the conversion has to be investigated. And we were instructed eternally after with the mission of striving towards Him of bridging the gap between the physical world and the Divine. In the third sermon of the "Decisions that Make a Difference" series, Ashwin compares the choices made by Orpah and Ruth. We have a natural drive to make something of ourselves, to achieve immortality. The Book of Ruth begins with a tale of famine in the Holy Land. 982, page 76), based on some other Midrashic statements, that at the time of her marriage Ruth was halachically not yet an adult, because she was an ailonis (a woman who never undergoes the normal bodily changes of puberty) but didn't exhibit the symptoms thereof (listed in Rambam, Hil. The book of ruth ruth's lowly service: Why did ruth and orpah make different decisions? That the Book of Ruth is read in the synagogue on the festival of Shavuot, which commemorates the giving of the Torah (the Five Books of Moses), alerts us to the books possible connections with the Torah. Naomi is left with two daughter in laws. Abrahams family is first called a people in Exodus: A new king arose over Egypt, and he said: Look, the Israelite people (am bnei yisrael) are much too numerous for us (Exodus 1:8, 9). Gods covenant with Abraham lies at its heart. What does the Bible mean by, "shedding of innocent blood"? With the decisions of the two sister-in-laws, it is often thought that Ruth did the right thing, while Orpah failed and some might criticize Orpah for perceiving unfaithfulness. On the other hand, Zohar Chadash strongly takes issue with the idea that Machlon could have married a non-Jew; it explains that basically he coerced her into converting (and then, only after her husband's death, did she accept Judaism voluntarily). Ezra/Nehemiah recount the peoples return to the land and the restoration of the community in it. Ultimately, Orpah chose to remain behind, and Ruth decided to journey to Bethlehem with Naomi. Sarah, at first barren, provides a surrogate mother (Hagar) for Abraham, and later, when she bears her own son, Isaac, sees to it, with Gods approval, that henot Ishmaelis the designated heir. If we would properly do so, there would be no limit to what we could achieve and to how meaningful our relationship with God would become. Clarify What happened to Orpah is what we find happening to many great people throughout history. There are indeed a lot of opinions on when Ruth underwent conversion. Why is the birthright so emphasized in the Bible? 1 In the days when the judges ruled,[ a] there was a famine in the land. As soon as Orpah parted company with Naomi and Ruth, she went to the absolute opposite extreme. There her husband died, and her sons married Moabite women named Ruth and Orpah. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. Encourage everyone in the group to read the book. She would have witnessed the faith of Naomi, her husband and her sons, yet there is no record that she and her sister-in-law ever denied their gods and converted to Judaism. Land plays a large role in the Book of Ruth. She reminded the women there would be no marriage prospects. What did it mean to spread the corner of your garment over someone? Note that answer would ostensibly also have to assume that Orpah was an ailonis as well. Once more Naomi made the attempt to persuade Ruth to follow her sister-in-law, saying, "Behold, your sister-in-law is gone back to her people and to her gods. What does the Bible say about decision-making. Dig into more than 9,000 articles in the Biblical Archaeology Societys vast library plus much morewith an All-Access pass. Clarify Share Report Asked March 10 2014 Anonymous (via GotQuestions) Answers (2) Discuss. How did a woman with such potential greatness go to such wild extremes? @msh210 I believe the two points are intertwined, the fact that she is continually called a moabite seems to indicate the she has not converted. Who should be making the financial decisions for a church body? Orpah almost became great. Share Why did Ruth and Orpah make different decisions? "Where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge," she insists. Ruth vows, Your people will be my people and your God my God, a declaration of love and loyalty cemented when Ruth marries Elimelechs wealthy kinsman, Boaz. Naomi stands on the road to Judah as her two Moabite daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, beg to accompany her to her native land in this watercolor by Salvador Dali. However, Alshich writes the opposite. Are we allowed to ask someone if he's a convert? The higher the vote, the further up an answer is. Before that Yaweh was probably part of Ruths ovreall Pantheon of Gods, a Trinity or more of Gods. Who Was Moses? Is it okay for a Christian to play Bedwars on Minecraft? Advantages of converts (in spiritual terms). In Christian Bibles it is slipped in between Judges and Samuel, among the historical books. Background: Elimelech and his sons. Ruth said, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. What is the significance of Ruth telling Naomi, Wherever you go, I will go (Ruth 1:16)? In Moab, as a mother and wife, she had hope. Leaving her remaining family was heartbreaking. Orpah, by contrast, disappears from the story and is forgotten. Who was Ruth in the Bible? Land was not to be alienated from its original owner or from his descendants. With each step, leadership lessons become clear to me from Ruth's life: 1. However, Naomi tried to persuade both . I think that anyone who uses Ruth to do so is absolutely wrong and doing something atrocious. The name Ruth means "companion, friend, woman of beauty," but it can also mean "a feeling of pity, distress of grief." As we will learn as we begin to study Ruth, she lives up to all these . They went into the country of Moab and remained there. It does not seem to fit neatly into the sequence of biblical books. Normality's appetite stops at satisfaction" (Ruth, in Reading Ruth: ed .J. The theme of family continuity becomes the theme of national continuity. Spam, Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army. How is physical death related to spiritual death? Orpah chose the familiar path while Ruth . Did Job believe God would kill him (Job 13:15)? Can I ask for a refund or credit next year? She was willing to give her all for her beliefs, to follow Naomi no matter what the cost. "Your people shall be my people, and your God my God" (Ruth 1:16). Isn't Boaz a wealthy man, famous. Although distant relatives, the Moabites and Israelites cultivated a long-standing dislike for each other. Why did Ruth and Orpah make different decisions? Not everything missing never happened. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. David represents both the United Monarchy at its height and the promise of its eternal existence. You can read more from Tamela at www.livingoneword.com, on Facebook, and Instagram. How can I make the following table quickly? 0 responses Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. When Boaz awakes, startled to find Ruth at his feet, she asks him to spread his robe over hera symbolic act of espousalbecause Boaz is a redeeming kinsman, that is, one who has a right to redeem Elimelechs property and at the same time to marry his sons widow so as to perpetuate the name of the deceased upon his estate (Ruth 4:5). Review invitation of an article that overly cites me and the journal. GotQuestions.org Audio Pages. Leah, during a hiatus in her childbearing, does the same by giving her maidservant Zilpah to Jacob as a concubine. While many believe Ruth converted when she said in 1:16, that your G-d is my G-d, Gersonides, also known as Ralbag interpreted chapter 1 to be saying that Orpah and Ruth converted to Judaism prior to marrying Mahlon and Chilion, and the proof is that her conversion is not mentioned for Boaz. They are a means of developing ourselves, of directing our drive to achieve towards spirituality and perfecting the world. It tells of a relationship between two women-Naomi, the senior of the two, and her daughter-in-law Ruth. Boaz reunites the family with its land by redeeming Elimelechs land and by marrying Ruth, the widow of Elimelechs son, Mahlon. Loved it so much. Although many of us would like to picture ourselves as the Ruth in this story, we may often find ourselves making more choices as Orpah did. So Machlon had her converted as a child (as per the halachah - Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 268:7), but once she reached halachic adulthood she had the opportunity to renounce her conversion (ibid.) At first it would seem that the ties that bind Naomi, Ruth and Orpah after the deaths of their husbands do not make them a family in any customary sense. For me this circumstance reinforces the message of Christ that what is in an individuals heart is what countswhat had always counted, but the Law and its observance had been intended to maintain a close relationship between God and his Chosen People until the coming of Jesus and the new, simpler, covenant. We are to take our strongest feelings and emotions and direct them towards God. She is one of the few women to serve as the President of the Society of Biblical Literature. In Bethlehem, the story begins with the barley harvest (Passover) and concludes at the wheat harvest (Pentecost/Shavuos). FREE ebook: Ancient Israel in Egypt and the Exodus. At what point, chronologically, did she in fact convert? However, the family and people part of the covenant theme is more prominent than the land part in the Book of Ruth. 2 The man's name was Elimelek, his wife's name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. The theme that unites the books from Genesis through Kings and informs much of the Prophets and the Writings is the land and the people. Why did Ruth and Orpah make different decisions? His wife and sons stay on, and the sons marry non-Jewish women Moabite princesses by the names of Ruth and Orpah. Orpahs arch nemesis was Ruth the one who did hold on, and who turned her commitment to achieve into a lifetime of greatness. After Naomi's continued encouragement, Orpah agreed and returned to her family (Ruth 1:14).Naomi then told Ruth, "Look . In this shiur Rabbi Daniel Glatstein makes the point, based on the Tzafnas Paneach, that it is possible that Rus and Orpah converted before they married but that their conversion was in doubt. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Vote Up I once suggested (Kovetz Haoros Ubeurim Oholei Torah, no. Naomi makes another plea to which Ruth replies with the well-known "entreat-me-not-to-leave-thee" soliloquy. We will discuss how Providence and human choice interacts to shape the history on individuals and nations, God . Vote Up At times we choose the familiar, more comfortable route, and other times, we embrace the unexplored way and trust God to lead. 25 Boaz married Ruth. The story of Ruth and Naomi is one of the best-loved stories in the Bible. She is joining herself to Naomi not only on the private family level, but also on the national peoplehood level. Ruth lived in the time of the judges. Share The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Sign Up to view the rest of this answer. Instead of becoming a spiritual giant, she became a mother of physical giants. She had married the son of an Israelite family while they were living in Moab, but at some point her father-in-law, her husband, and her husband's only . I see this so called Church down on its luck do to its worship of a failed messiah who had nothing left to lose but to glaum on to the one nation that still had the grace of God on it. It is available as both book and ebook. "In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. This transaction raises legal questions, but more importantly, the proper inheritance of land has special significance in the Bible. When the famine abates, Naomi returns to Bethlehem. Asked March 10 2014 PDF | This study aims to conduct a theological study to answer questions, including: why did Boaz want to marry Ruth? Rashi (to Ruth 1:12) states that she (and Orpah) were still gentiles when they were on the road back to Eretz Yisrael (indeed, we derive from their conversation the halachah that we are to attempt to dissuade a prospective convert (Yevamos 47b)).On the other hand, Zohar Chadash strongly takes issue with the idea that Machlon . Now we would think that Orpah was not that bad a character. Ruth said, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn . Why does the second bowl of popcorn pop better in the microwave? Significantly, when Ruth said, "May the Lord . But wherever the story of Ruth appears in your Bible, you will want to find it and study it again after you read RuthBig Theme, Little Book, originally published in the August 1996 issue of Bible Review.