How Ruth Became an Influencer Without Instagram

True influence doesn’t demand attention, it earns respect. It doesn’t shout, it shapes.

Sometimes, the most powerful influencers are the ones working in the background, making choices that have a ripple effect that lasts over time. One such quiet yet lasting influence can be found in the story of Ruth, a Gentile princess from Moab, a neighboring nation east of Israel.

Ruth was dissatisfied with the idol worship of her own people, and when the opportunity arose, she gave up the privileges of royalty and chose to convert and marry a man of Jewish faith.

Her loyalty and courageous choices shaped a legacy far beyond her time. Her mother-in-law, Naomi, decided to return to Israel after her husband and sons, including Ruth’s husband, died. She urged her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, to stay in Moab, and while Orpah stayed, Ruth chose to go with Naomi, reciting the famous words:

“Where you go, I will go… your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.” (Ruth 1:16)

The Book of Ruth is read in the synagogue on the holiday of Shavuot, which commemorates the giving of the Torah. It details the struggles Ruth faced on the path to conversion to Judaism.

Her story was one of more than loyalty – it was a choice to build a life of purpose; not for glory or personal gain, but out of deep moral conviction. Ruth followed Naomi back to the land of Israel and worked long hours in the fields gathering grain left behind by others, just to survive.

No one was watching, no one was applauding, and she didn’t post about it.

Here are four ways her key decisions led to her influencing the direction of the Jewish people forever, playing a crucial role in the birth of the Messiah (Moshiach):

1. Loyalty to Naomi

Instead of returning to her own people in Moab, Ruth chose to stay loyal to her Israelite mother-in-law, Naomi. This act of loyalty showed her commitment, bringing her into the community of Israel and faith in God.

2. Humility and Hard Work

Ruth’s humility was evident in her taking advantage of the Israelite custom that allowed the poor to gather leftover grain, providing for Naomi and herself. This indication of her honorable character impressed Boaz, a wealthy landowner, setting the stage for their eventual marriage.

3. Obedience and Boldness

Ruth followed Naomi’s advice and approached Boaz first, exhibiting proactive character, and this caught his attention, leading him to recognize her.

4. Ruth Married Boaz

Ruth’s loyalty, hard work, courage, and willingness to embrace a new faith and people, led her to become the great-grandmother of King David, from whom the Messiah is said to descend.

A woman with no power, no status, no audience – changed the course of Jewish destiny. That’s influence.

But Ruth didn’t just change history. She redefined what feminine leadership looks like.

In Jewish tradition, Ruth stands among a long line of matriarchs; wise women who shaped the future not through force or domination, but through inner strength, spiritual clarity, and radical compassion. We often think of matriarchy as soft – but it is deeply strategic, resilient, and spiritually fierce.

Matriarchs like Ruth aren’t just nurturers, they’re nation-builders. And their greatest influence is not just in what they do but in how they activate that same strength in other women. Ruth didn’t just follow Naomi, she absorbed her wisdom and carried it forward. She became a builder of lineage and she passed on a legacy.

The Influencer in My Life

I see my own grandmother, Anne (Chana Sarah) Ferstenberg, may she rest in peace, as having been an influencer, and like Ruth, she didn’t do it on Instagram. I credit her influence to many of the accomplishments in my life and I have a beautiful daughter named after her.

Her legacy lives on in generations, as her grandchildren remember her as the one who believed in them, told them they were the best, the smartest and were positively influenced by her actions and encouragement. She was an empowered woman before that was even a thing, someone who put on her high heels and went to work, and shared the gift of her wisdom and heart.

Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah, the moment the Jewish people received its mission to live lives of meaning and to bring light into the world. That mission doesn’t belong only to leaders or celebrities. It belongs to all of us.

Every time you choose to live by your values, you become an influencer. Every time you encourage a friend, stay loyal to what’s right, or act with integrity when no one’s watching, you’re shaping the world.

Ruth reminds us: You don’t need a million followers to influence a million lives, you just need to be someone worth following.

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