Ruth 2:14-17
רוּת ב:יד-יז
יד וַיֹּאמֶר לָה בֹעַז לְעֵת הָאֹכֶל, גֹּשִׁי הֲלֹם וְאָכַלְתְּ מִן-הַלֶּחֶם, וְטָבַלְתְּ פִּתֵּךְ, בַּחֹמֶץ; וַתֵּשֶׁב, מִצַּד הַקֹּצְרִים, וַיִּצְבָּט-לָהּ קָלִי, וַתֹּאכַל וַתִּשְׂבַּע וַתֹּתַר. טו וַתָּקָם, לְלַקֵּט; וַיְצַו בֹּעַז אֶת-נְעָרָיו לֵאמֹר, גַּם בֵּין הָעֳמָרִים תְּלַקֵּט--וְלֹא תַכְלִימוּהָ. טז וְגַם שֹׁל-תָּשֹׁלּוּ לָהּ, מִן-הַצְּבָתִים; וַעֲזַבְתֶּם וְלִקְּטָה, וְלֹא תִגְעֲרוּ-בָהּ. יז וַתְּלַקֵּט בַּשָּׂדֶה, עַד-הָעָרֶב; וַתַּחְבֹּט אֵת אֲשֶׁר-לִקֵּטָה, וַיְהִי כְּאֵיפָה שְׂעֹרִים.
[14] At mealtime, Boaz said to her, "Come over here and partake of the meal, and dip your morsel in the vinegar." So she sat down beside the reapers. He handed her roasted grain, and she ate her fill and had some left over. [15] When she got up again to glean, Boaz gave orders to his workers, "You are not only to let her glean among the sheaves, without interference, [16] but you must also pull some [stalks] out of the heaps and leave them for her to glean, and not scold her." [17] She gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned - it was about an ephah of barley.

Suggested Discussion Questions:

1. What different Jewish obligations is Boaz fulfilling in this excerpt?

2. What does Boaz do that decreases and/or increases Ruth's dignity?

3. In what ways does Boaz embellish his obligations going beyond what is required?

4. In what ways is Boaz a model for us today on the ways that we should feed the hungry and provide for the poor?

Time Period: Biblical (early ancestors to 165 BCE)