“The book of Ruth starts with the words, “Vayehi Bi’ymei Sh’fot Hashoftim”, “And it came to pass in the days that the judges judged” (Ruth 1:1). These words set the book of Ruth in the time period of the Shoftim, Judges. When we take a deeper look at the last five chapters of the book of Judges, we see many signs that the book of Ruth actually serves as a “Tikkun”, or correction, for many of the terrible acts that the Israelites perform in Judges chapters 17-21.
Though these terrible acts will include lying, rape, stealing, killing and civil war, the people in the text often perceive their own actions as virtuous. In that way the stories describe a society where on the surface everything is fine, but beyond the surface lies depravity and sin. In contrast, the book of Ruth is largely about Israelites meeting a woman, Ruth, who on the surface is a foreigner of little concern, and then discovering what a true “Eshet Chayil”, woman of valor, she is (Ruth 3:11). In this way the Israelites learn to look beyond the surface and recognize true virtue.”
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