The Book of Ruth is a brief, charming tale of friendship and devotion. But behind its provincial setting lies a sustained reflection on loyalty, obligation, and the transmission of life across generations.

What does it mean to choose a future beyond yourself? Ruth is a drama of two orientations: one turned toward family, continuity, and the next generation; the other turned inward, toward the self.

In this Shavuot series—drawn from previous episodes across our podcast network—Tikvah Ideas presents six conversations on the Book of Ruth, ranging from close reading to philosophy, theology, and ritual. Taken together, they trace a path from loss to renewal, and from private devotion to public covenant. Read closely, the Book of Ruth is a story about choosing life.

Inside you’ll find:

• Leon Kass on why Ruth chooses a commitment to posterity over self-enclosure, and what that means for a people's survival.
• Jon Levenson on intertextual echoes, Ruth’s ancient social and legal context, and the acts of chesed that give the narrative its structure.
• Meir Soloveichik on the agricultural rhythms of harvest and season, and the unfolding bond between Ruth and Boaz.

Leon R. Kass, MD, PhD, is dean of the faculty at Shalem College, professor emeritus in the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago, and scholar emeritus at the American Enterprise Institute. He was chairman of the President’s Council on Bioethics from 2001 to 2005. His numerous articles and books include: Toward a More Natural Science: Biology and Human Affairs, The Hungry Soul: Eating and the Perfecting of Our Nature, Wing to Wing, Oar to Oar: Readings on Courting and Marrying (with Amy A. Kass), Life, Liberty, and the Defense of Dignity: The Challenge for Bioethics, What So Proudly We Hail: The American Soul in Story, Speech, and Song (with Amy A. Kass and Diana Schaub), Leading a Worthy Life: Finding Meaning in Modern Time, and three studies on the Hebrew Bible: The Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis, Founding God’s Nation: Reading Exodus, and Reading Ruth: Birth, Redemption, and the Way of Israel (with Hannah Mandelbaum).

Jon Levenson is the Albert A. List Professor of Jewish Studies at Harvard Divinity School. He began teaching at Harvard in 1988, having previously taught at the University of Chicago and at Wellesley College. His work concentrates on the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, including its reinterpretations in the “rewritten Bible” of Second Temple Judaism and rabbinic midrash. Much of Professor Levenson’s work centers on the relationship of Judaism and Christianity, both in antiquity and in modernity, and he has long been active in Jewish-Christian dialogue. His book Resurrection and the Restoration of Israel: The Ultimate Victory of the God of Life won a National Jewish Book Award and the Biblical Archaeology Society Publication Award in the category of Best Book Relating to the Hebrew Bible published in 2005 or 2006. His other books include The Love of God: Divine Gift, Human Gratitude, and Mutual Faithfulness in Judaism and Inheriting Abraham: The Legacy of the Patriarch in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In all his work, Professor Levenson’s emphasis falls on the close reading of texts for purposes of literary and theological understanding.

Rabbi Meir Y. Soloveichik is a senior fellow and contributor at Tikvah, director of the Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University, and senior rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel, the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States. He is also the host of the popular Bible 365 and Poetry and Prayer daily podcasts. He has lectured throughout the United States, Europe, and Israel to both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences on topics relating to Jewish theology, Zionism and the miracle of modern Israel, the Hebraic roots of America, Jewish and American history, bioethics, wartime ethics, and Jewish-Christian relations. Rabbi Soloveichik’s essays on these subjects have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Commentary, Mosaic, First Things, Azure, Tradition, and the Torah U-Madda Journal. His book Providence and Power: Ten Portraits in Jewish Statesmanship was published by Encounter in 2023, and Sacred Time was published in 2024 by Koren’s Maggid Press. He is the son of Rabbi Eliyahu Soloveichik, grandson of the late Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik, and the great-nephew of the late Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik.

When you sign up, we humbly suggest a Shavuot donation of $100 to support Tikvah's important educational programming to advance Jewish and Zionist ideas. Tikvah is a 501(c)(3) charity classified as a private operating foundation. Your gift will help ensure that we can continue to:

• Bring the best teachers of Jewish, American, and Zionist ideas to thousands of students worldwide.
  
• Unapologetically defend Israel as a beacon of courage and inspiration for the Western world
• Produce essays, books, podcasts, and video courses that engage Jewish tradition and history with depth and seriousness.
• Build a new generation of committed Jews and Zionists, rooted in their heritage and anchored in community through turbulent times.

The Book of Ruth reminds us that continuity is not given—it is chosen. Tikvah is working to answer that call, forming young Jews with moral confidence and civic courage, grounded in the hard-won lessons of Jewish history. We hope this series makes your Shavuot more meaningful, and we are grateful for any gift you can make.

All episodes are selected from podcasts produced by Tikvah Ideas. You will be emailed a link to a page where you can listen to and download all of the episodes. You can listen at your own pace, as many times as you like. If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback, please contact us at info@tikvah.org.

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