Each year, during the Jewish holiday of Shavuot (celebrated this year from June 1 to 3), synagogues worldwide read a surprising text: the Book of Ruth. Shavuot marks the moment when G-d gave the Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai, a foundational event in Jewish history. Yet the chosen reading is not filled with miracles or dramatic divine intervention. Instead, it tells a quiet, human story. A Moabite woman, recently widowed and newly converted, follows her also-widowed mother-in-law back to Bethlehem. There, she begins again with humility and grace.

This choice of text may seem puzzling. Why, on the very day that commemorates the giving of the Torah, a moment defined by awe and revelation, do we read a book where no explicit miracles take place, no laws are given, and no epic battles unfold?

The ancient sages offer a profound answer. They teach that the Book of Ruth was written to highlight the value and impact of chesed, or........

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