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Act Out
Exercise: Act out the text in Hebrew while looking at the
English text.
The Story of Ruth – Part 1
On Shavuot we read the Book of Ruth.
Many years ago there was a great famine in the Land of Israel. Elimelech, who was a very
important man, says to his wife Naomi: We must leave the Land of Israel and go to the Land
of Moav because we need to give food to our children Makhlon and Kilion. Elimelech, his
wife and his sons go to the Land of Moav. In Moav, Makhlon and Kilion marry Moabite
women. Elimelech and their two sons die in Moav.
Naomi stays in Moav with her two daughters-in-law – Orpah and Ruth. She hears that there is
food in Israel and she wants to return to Israel. Naomi says to her daughters-in-law: I want to
return to Israel, but you don’t need to come with me. You can stay in Moav and get married
again.
Orpah listnes to Naomi and returns to her parents, and Ruth says to Naomi: I want to come
with you, because your people are my people, your God is my God. Naomi understands that
Ruth really does want to come with her and they go together to the Land of Israel.
The Story of Ruth – Part 2
When Naomi and Ruth come to the Land of Israel, their situation is difficult – they don’t have
food and they don’t have money to bring flour. Ruth goes to the field and takes the wheat that
remains after the reapers leave. Ruth reaches Boaz’s field. Boaz is a very rich man and also a
relative of Naomi’s. Boaz asks the reapers who work in his field, “Who is that young woman
who is taking the sheaves of barley?”
They tell him, “This is Ruth. She has come with Naomi from Moav and asks to take the
sheaves that remain in the field.” Boaz approaches Ruth and says, “Hello, Ruth. I hear that
you are helping Naomi, your mother-in-law, you have left your home and have come to
Israel. You may stay here with the young women who work in the field. You don’t need to go
to a different field. When you want water, you may drink from our water.” Ruth replies,
“Thank you, Boaz.”
At the end of the wheat harvest, Boaz makes a big party in his field. Naomi tells Ruth to go to
Boaz and tell him: You are the closest relative of my husband and his father Elimelech. You
must help us, please.
Ruth listens to Naomi and speaks to Boaz. Boaz loves Ruth and marries her. Boaz and Ruth
have a child: Oved. Oved has a son whose name is Yishai. Yishai has a son – David. David
was born on Shavuot. After a few years, David is the king of Israel.
That is how Ruth the Moabite, who leaves her people and comes to Israel alone, is the great-
grandmother of David, King of Israel. That is the reason that we read The Book of Ruth on
Shavuot.
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העתקה והפצה אסורים, כל שימוש.אור-כל הזכויות שמורות לאולפן
