The Time of the Judges
The Book of Ruth

To understand the surprising twists and turns of the Book of Ruth, we must first look at the times in which they took place. The era of the Judges was a time when “everyone did what was right in his eyes,” a period of terrible chaos. But while human weakness often reigned, sometimes human greatness triumphed. Rabbi Wein makes clear how the struggle between self-discipline, lawlessness, and everything in between gave rise to the quintessential Jewish leader, King David.

• Moses, Joshua, and the advantages of a single leader
• the contradictions of Samson’s rule
• Elimelech and his choices
• how the Book of Judges compares to democracy as we know it