Ruth – Great-Grandmother of King David

The traditional custom of most Jewish communities around the world is to read the Book of Ruth on the Festival of Weeks (AKA Sha'vu'ot, Pentecost & Holiday of the First Fruit). There are several reasons for this, but one of the main reasons, which I grew up with, is that Ruth was the Great-Grandmother of David, and, since he was born (and died) on this Holy Day – we honour him by reading about his ancestry – as Ruth was the first woman to convert to Judaism (as far as we know) and accept the Torah Law. In addition, this is the day that our ancestors received the Law at Mount Sinai, and this is the reading (Exodus 20:1-14) from the Chumash (Five Books of Moses) that is the traditional reading by all Jewish Congregations (as far as I know)!

When I was growing up, I had very limited sources to get stamps from collectors in countries other than Israel (where I lived) & Canada (where I was born). The reason I am mentioning this, is that even though I now have access to stamps from every country in the world, and many different catalogues – I could not find any stamp, except for Israel who issued a stamp showing an artist's depiction of Ruth.

So, the story of Ruth begins with a terrible famine that affected the Judean Tribe of Israel, and a wealthy man left Bethlehem in Judea with his wife and Two sons, and lived in Moab for Ten years. His Two sons married Moabite women, Ruth & Orpah and then they died, childless.

We are told by our Prophets, that in the End Times there will be no more hunger, which, in my opinion is an amazing blessing & promise. Most prominently and clearly in the words of Ezekiel: “and bring no famine upon you” (36:29).

However, it is difficult for me to accept that this will be fulfilled through the UN declaration of 1963 as the International Year of “Freedom from Hunger”! I am not the only one who shares this sentiment of skepticism. A member of Parliament in the UK, Mr. Phillip Noel-Baker, made the following inquiry on March 20^th, 1963: “What is the purpose of this formidable organization of effort and good will? It is not charity. It is not to buy food for hungry mouths. It is, say the organizers, twofold, and I quote their words: First, to make known the facts of hunger in our twentieth century world, to explain the urgency of the problem, and how it can be conquered; second, to show the peoples of the underdeveloped countries"— it is more convenient to call them, as I shall call them, the developing countries — what they can do successfully to help themselves. The committee wants to do this — by raising funds to be used for starting work of permanent value in as many places as possible”.

Here is how Israel showed this call by the UN on their stamp issued on March 21^st, 1963:

And, here is the stamp from Israel, issued on September 4^th, 1984 showing Ruth carrying the sheaves of wheat that Boaz gave her to take to her widowed Mother-in-law, Naomi:

The verse quoted is from the second Chapter of Ruth: "and you went (came) to a nation that was foreign to you until recently" (Ruth 2:11)