13: Book of Ruth: Part I

The Book of Ruth is considered the most beautiful story in the Bible and one of the most beautiful short stories ever written.

Ruth's story takes place around 1100 BCE when Israeli society was still tribal. A tribe was a cluster of extended families living in the tribe's territory, maintaining mutual responsibility and protecting their people.

During one of the drought years that afflicted Israel, Elimelech, Naomi's husband from the tribe of Judah, fell into heavy debt. To pay his debt, Elimelech had to mortgage his land, and he, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, left their home in Bethlehem to live in an ancient land that no longer exists, called Moab.

In Moab, Mahlon and Chilion married two local girls: Ruth and Orpah. However, shortly after, a great tragedy befell the small family: Elimelech and his two sons passed away, leaving behind three poor and heartbroken widows.

After the tragedy, Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem, but first, she released her ownership of Ruth and Orpah. Orpah indeed returned to her father's house in Moab, but Ruth tied her fate to Naomi's and arrived with her in Bethlehem.

To support herself and Naomi, Ruth went to glean ears of grain in one of the wheat fields near Bethlehem, where she met Boaz, the wealthy farmer who owned the field. Boaz and Ruth fell in love, married, and had a son named Obed, who became the grandfather of King David.

On the surface, this story seems simple, even bland, but the opposite is true.  It is a complex legal document written in the form of a story.

In the three episodes, we dedicate to Ruth's book, we reveal the social and legal system hidden within the story.

Elimelech, who mortgaged his land to a foreign creditor, pledged a portion of the tribe of Judah's territory. To prevent the tribe's territory from shrinking, one of his relatives was obligated to "redeem his land." That is, to pay the debt and return the land to the possession of the tribe of Judah (which Boaz does in our story).

We mentioned that before Naomi's return to Bethlehem, she released her ownership of Ruth and Orpah. Naomi did this because, in the Book of Deuteronomy (25), there is a law stating that the widow remained in the possession of her deceased husband's family and that she was not allowed to act as she pleased or remarry on her own accord.

From the day Naomi released Ruth and Orpah, the familial and legal relationships between her and Ruth ended. Although Ruth stayed with Naomi, this did not change the fact that between the two women who loved each other like mother and daughter, no formal relationships existed anymore, and Ruth did not belong to any tribe or family in Bethlehem. She didn't have any social or legal protection in Israel. Ruth's vulnerable situation explains why Boaz extended his protection to her, and why to secure her future Naomi wanted her to marry Boaz.

Boaz, who paid Elimelech's debt, did not marry Ruth in a regular marriage, but according to the levirate marriage law. By doing so, the land whose debt he paid made a U-turn and returned to the possession of Elimelech's house. Obed, the son Ruth bore, was formally considered the son of Mahlon, Ruth's first husband, and Naomi's grandson, continuing her family line that had effectively become extinct.

As we said, on the surface, Ruth's book seems naive. In reality, this story is a fascinating, genius creation because the many laws contained within it form an integral part of the story. Those who read the story without understanding tribal society and its laws read a beautiful but flat story lacking any depth.