Personalities in Megillat Ruth
Ruth and Orpah, Naomi (and Elymelech, Machlom and Kilyon), Boaz and King David. Join Rabbi David Sedley as he explores the personalities in Megillat Ruth.
Personalities in Megillat Ruth: Elimelech, Machlon and Kilyon
We begin learning Megillat Ruth. This class focuses on only the first five verses. In that time, we are introduced to Elimelech, his wife Naomi and their sons Machlon and Kilyon. A few verses later, all the men are dead.
We will ask who they were, why they were punished and why they went to Moav of all places.
Personalities in Megillat Ruth: Naomi, Ruth and Orpah
In this class, we learn about the three women of the story through the Talmud and midrashim.
Naomi, who followed her husband, now takes control of her life and heads back to Israel.
Ruth and Orpah choose opposite paths. Ruth follows her mother-in-law, converting to Judaism, and ultimately becoming the great grandmother of King David.
Orpah turns her back on Naomi, and becomes the great grandmother of Goliath.
Personalities in Megillat Ruth: Boaz
This class looks at Boaz through the eyes of the rabbis of the Talmud and Midrash. What he saw in Ruth, how he risked his reputation to protect her and marry her, and how he was punished for not inviting Samson’s parents to his children’s weddings.
Personalities in Megillat Ruth: King David
In this class I claim that the entirety of the Book of Ruth is the greatest and most successful reputation management ever. The Book was used to both justify David as king and to promote his plan of uniting the nation.
Rabbi David Sedley lives in Jerusalem with his wife and six children. He was born and raised in New Zealand before making Aliya in 1992. He left Israel temporarily (for eight years) to serve as a communal Rabbi in Scotland and England and returned to Israel in 2004. He has translated Rabbeinu Yonah's commentary on Pirkei Avos and is the co-author of Sefiros: Spiritual Refinement Through Counting the Omer (both Judaica Press). Over the years Rabbi Sedley has worked as a journalist, a translator, a video director and in online reputation management. He also writes a weekly Torah blog on the Times of Israel.