1. Ruth the Moabite lived in the time of the Judges before there was a king in Israel. Her story is what Megillat Ruth is all about.
2. Ruth was the daughter of Eglon the King of Moab. When Judge Elimelech’s family moved to the fields of Moab because of famine in Israel, Ruth married Machlon the son of Elimelech and Naomi.
3. In Moab both sons of Elimelech and Naomi died and Elimelech also died leaving Naomi a childless widow. Naomi urges Ruth and her sister Orpah to go back home but Ruth steadfastly refuses and begs Naomi to stay with her and to convert to Judaism. They both return to Bethlehem and meet Boaz who is a family relation.
4. Boaz ends up marrying Ruth and they are the parents of Oved.
5. Oved was the grandfather of King David so Ruth was King David’s great grandmother.
6. Our sages teach us that Ruth numerically hints to her becoming a convert. Ruth equals 606. Every person is obligated in the 7 Noahide commandments and Ruth upon becoming Jewish accepted upon herself 606 additional commandments.
7. Ruth also means quenched in Hebrew and our sages tell us David quenched G-d’s desire for songs and praises. (Bava Batra 14a)
8. There are a few reasons why we read Ruth on Shavuot: King David was born and died on Shavuot. The story of Ruth also takes place during the wheat harvest which is also the time of Shavuot.
9. More reasons include: the story of Ruth is the story of kindness and our Torah is a Torah of kindness. Ruth was a convert that accepted the Torah and on Shavuot we all accept the Torah.
10. The verses don’t mention where Ruth is buried but there are traditions that she and Jesse her grandson are buried on the Tel Romeida hill in Hebron.
