Be Bold

Over the holiday of Shavuot (Feast of Weeks), as I read the Book of Ruth, I found myself reflecting not just on her loyalty, but on her boldness. Ruth didn’t quietly follow Naomi—she left her country, her people, her gods, and her comfort zone to start again. Later, she approached Boaz at night on the threshing floor and, in a moment that could have gone terribly wrong, asked him to redeem her. It was audacious. It was courageous. And it worked.

Her story got me thinking: What does holy boldness look like? And who else in the Bible made brave, even shocking moves that changed the course of our history?

As I looked, I found a thread connecting five extraordinary women: Tamar, Rachav, Yael, Ruth, and Chanah. None of them came from traditional power structures. Some weren’t even born into the people of Israel. But each one stepped up at a critical moment, risking reputation, comfort, or safety to move the story of Israel forward.

Tamar’s story in Bereishit begins with injustice. Widowed twice, she’s promised a third husband who never materializes. Rather than wait passively, Tamar disguises herself and ensures Judah fulfills his obligation to her. When confronted with her pregnancy, Tamar does not name names—she simply presents Judah’s staff, seal, and cord. Judah recognizes the truth and says: “She is more righteous than I.”

That one sentence reframes everything. Tamar’s seemingly scandalous action is revealed to be a deeply righteous act. From her line comes Peretz, the ancestor of King David—and ultimately, the Messiah.

Rachav risks everything to hide two Israelite spies in Jericho. She defies her king, protects strangers, and asks only that her family be spared in the coming invasion. Why does she do it? Because she sees what others do not:

Her faith—spoken from the lips of a Canaanite woman—becomes the key to her redemption. Her home, marked by a scarlet cord, is spared. And her legacy continues in Jewish tradition as the ancestor of prophets and kings.

Yael’s story feels like a scene from an epic drama. After Israel defeats the Canaanite army, their general Sisera flees to Yael’s tent. She welcomes him in, gives him milk, and lets him fall asleep. Then, in a moment of startling resolve, she kills him with a tent peg. It’s not the battlefield anyone expected—but it’s the battlefield that mattered. Deborah, the prophet and judge, sings Yael’s praises:

Ruth’s story is front and center on Shavuot, but it’s easy to overlook just how radical her choices are. When Naomi urges her to go home, Ruth responds:

It’s a full conversion of heart, identity, and destiny. Later, she lies at Boaz’s feet, asking him to spread his cloak over her—a symbolic proposal, bold and risky. Boaz blesses her:

Her boldness leads to a marriage, a legacy, and ultimately the Davidic line.

Chanah’s bravery looks different. She doesn’t wield weapons or make deals. Her boldness comes through her broken heart and her quiet prayer. In Shmuel Alef, she prays silently—something no one had done before. Her lips move but no sound emerges. The priest Eli assumes she’s drunk. When he confronts her, she doesn’t retreat:

Her prayer, bold in its innovation and honesty, becomes the model for Jewish prayer to this day. And her son—Shmuel—is one of the greatest prophets Israel ever knew.

What do all of these women have in common? They weren’t perfect. They weren’t expected. But when the moment came, they acted. They didn’t wait for permission. They didn’t retreat into silence or decorum. They stepped forward—each in her own way—to bring redemption into the world.

And isn’t that the essence of Shavuot?

We stood at the foot of a mountain—not a dazzling palace, but a simple mountain in the desert. We were a people barely out of slavery. No army, no infrastructure. Just trembling souls. And yet we said: “נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע” – We will do, and we will hear. (Exodus 24:7). It was bold. Maybe even reckless. But it was holy.

So here’s the challenge.

What in your life today looks mundane—but could become a vessel for holiness? What bold step have you been avoiding because it feels uncomfortable, or because it might raise eyebrows? Maybe it’s in your workplace, but maybe it’s in your relationship with God.

These five women didn’t wait until everything was perfect. They acted with what they had. Rope, a tent peg, a vow, a field of barley, a silent prayer. They remind us that holiness doesn’t always look polished. Sometimes it looks like courage in the mess.

As we carry the Torah forward from Shavuot, may we find the boldness to act when the world needs us most—and may we see that even our small, imperfect tools can shape a future of redemption.

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