By Rabbi Tuly Weisz By declaring her allegiance to God and the Jewish people, Ruth became one of a small number of righteous non-Jews in the Bible who stand out for recognizing God. Jethro, for example, moved by what he heard about the...
By Rabbi Tuly Weisz The books of the Writings were written through divine inspiration, without direct communication from God. Since these works were not written through direct communication with God, there was some uncertainty as to which...
By Rabbi Tuly Weisz Every year, the Jewish people read the Book of Ruth on the holiday of Shavuot (Pentecost), which falls out towards the end of May or early June. Shavuot is one of the three central pilgrimage festivals, and is the day...
By Rabbi Tuly Weisz In Psalm 39, David writes that he generally guards his mouth and refrains from questioning God, no matter what troubles befall him. But at some point, staying silent becomes too difficult to bear and he feels compelled...
When Moses presented the Jews with the prospect of receiving the Torah at Sinai, they respond: "All that Hashem has spoken we will do!” (Exodus 19:8). This expression of acceptance was repeated and expanded in a phrase that has...
The story of the Children of Israel descending into Egypt, so central to the rest of the Bible, is interrupted by the anomalous story of Judah and Tamar. A deeper look at the story will reveal why Judah and Tamar are also essential to the...
According to one of the Sages, the Book of Ruth was written in order to teach the great reward for doing acts of kindness. Kindness is a point of pride amongst the Jewish people, the hallmark of Abraham and something that every Jew must...
The story of Ruth is one of the most beloved stories in the Bible. Verse 1:16 is part of Ruth's moving speech in which she declares her allegiance to her mother-in-law Naomi, as well as the People and the God of Israel. Ruth follows her...
