On Shavuot, we walk in loyalty and chesed

By Rabbi Elizabeth Hersh

Published May 20, 2026

The Book of Ruth is a story, on many levels, of loyalty. In the words of Lynn Greenhough, Ruth speaks the following to Naomi:

“You gave me friendship and community. I brought you loyalty and grain. Together we found sustenance and love and family. And we continue to walk.”

On Shavuot, we walk toward Sinai, each of us as an individual and as a community, to receive the words of Torah, words of love and responsibility. Each year, we stand at the base of a mountain, filled with holiness, the place where Divinity and Humanity embrace. Standing with every Jewish soul who has been and will be, we close our eyes, open our minds and hearts and imagine a desert where all is possible. And we are never alone.

And we continue to walk. The relationship between Ruth and Naomi is intertwined. Each woman provides what the other is missing. They complement each other. They walk forward, not looking behind, but in the present in an intentional and meaningful way. Ruth is dedicated to Naomi, to her people and to God. The Book of Ruth encompasses so much of the rich and lasting values in Torah. To read and understand this book is to know Judaism.

Every time I study Ruth, I am drawn to a passage written by Dr. Judith Kates: “Ruth has traditionally been called the book of chesed, a word usually translated as lovingkindness or benevolence. It refers to acts of care and love that go beyond obligation and to a quality of generosity, of abundance of giving.”

Usually, when speaking about such kindness, the Tanach refers to God. Here, each woman gives of her authentic self.

Ruth clings to Naomi and hence to the Jewish people. One commentator suggested that Ruth made Naomi feel holy, especially at a time when she had lost so much. Aristotle taught that true friendship is possible only between equals. Ruth is drawn to Naomi’s strength and perhaps the source of that power, God.

Francine Klagsbrun argues that “Naomi offers Ruth strength and confidence and a vision of possibility. For Naomi, Ruth provides youth and a chance to undo the past.”

In the Torah, we are commanded to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Hillel claimed that the entire Torah could be summarized as, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.”

Various philosophers brought meaning to this sentiment and even questioned HOW one could possibly love another as oneself. Nachmanides directed us to “love others as we love God for ourselves. We should free ourselves from jealousy and rejoice in our neighbor’s good fortune. But we should not tolerate injustice in the name of ill-considered love.”

Essentially, Ruth, the Moabite, is the essence of how one can love another. It is her loyalty that preserves a family and continues another through King David. Her actions are holy. She is consistent and unwavering in her beliefs.

Why do we read this ancient book on Shavuot? It is a great story of hope. Ruth and Naomi have the power to make choices and the ability to actualize change. It shows our potential. The Book of Ruth is a bridge to Shavuot. The narrative occurs during the wheat harvest, the third Pilgrimage Festival. Ruth’s acceptance of the Torah and her embrace of Judaism is our ancestors’ experience in the desert at the foot of Mount Sinai. King David, the great grandson of King David was believed to have been born and died on Shavuot.

There is more. The Torah is a love letter to the Jewish People. Ruth is a story of chesed, of lovingkindness, of the ultimate teaching in Judaism. Both are teachings of loyalty. The Torah is our history. It contains our values and all that binds us to one another.

In Leviticus 26:12 we read, “I will be ever present in your midst: I will be your God, and you shall be My people.”

Ruth 1:16-17 spoke the words: “Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following you. For wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried.”

Together we walk. We walk towards Sinai and Torah. We walk in chesed. And we continue to walk.