Beneath the simple surface of this story, the Sages trace a web of primal issues, including the Serpent in the Garden of Eden; the jealousy of Cain; the painful break between Abraham and Lot; and the mystery that is the mitzvah of yibum.

The fiber that binds together all these issues is love. Love is the key to this story, which culminates in the unique love of Ruth and Boaz, and the ancestors of the once and future king, David, whose very name means love!

Moshe Miller is a graduate of Yeshivat Ner Yisrael and holds a master's degree in philosophy from Brown University. He has been an educator for nearly fifty years and immigrated to Israel in 2010. He lives in Jerusalem, where he continues to teach and write.