Ruth and Boaz: A Love Story?

(1) AND IT came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the field of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. (2) And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. And they came into the field of Moab, and stayed there awhile. (3) And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left with only her two sons. (4) And they took Moabite women as wives: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth; and they dwelt there about ten years. (5) And Mahlon and Chilion both died; and the woman was left with neither her two children nor her husband. (6) Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the field of Moab; for she had heard in the field of Moab how that the LORD had remembered His people in giving them bread. (7) And she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.

A man went- This man was very rich, and the pillar of the community. He left the land of Israel to live outside the land because of his stinginess, as he was tired of people coming to him for support. It is due to this stinginess that he was punished.

​Is this Naomi: The “hey” is vowelized with a “hataf” because it is in the interrogative. Is this Naomi who used to go out in covered wagons and with mules? Have you seen what happened to her because she left the Holy Land?

(4) An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth generation shall none of them ever enter into the assembly of the LORD.

(1) And Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a mighty man of valour of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz. (2) And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi: ‘Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of corn after him in who might allow me to.’ And she said unto her: ‘Go, my daughter.’ (3) And she went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to end up gleaning in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

(5) Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers: ‘Who is this young woman connected to?’ (6) And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said: ‘She is that Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the field of Moab; (7) and she said: Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves; so she came, and has continued from the morning until now, except when she took a brief break in the house.

(8) Then Boaz said to Ruth: ‘Have you not yet heard, my daughter? Do not go to glean in another field, nor leave here, but stay around here with the young ladies who live with me. (9) Take whatever you want from the field; I have made sure that the young men won't say anything negative to you. When thou are thirsty, feel free to take a drink from the water which the young men have drawn.’ (10) Then she fell on her face, and bowed down to the ground, and said to him: ‘Why are you being so nice to me,seeing I am a foreigner?’ (11) And Boaz answered and said unto her: ‘It has been fully told to me all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband; and how you have left your father and mother, and your homeland to come to a nation that you did not know. (12) The LORD will pay you back for all that you have done with a complete reward, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have taken refuge.’ (13) Then she said: ‘Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; as you have comforted me, and have spoken to my heart even though I am not one of the women who lives in your house. (14) And Boaz said unto her at meal-time: ‘Come here and eat of the bread, and dip your piece in the vinegar.’ And she sat beside the reapers; and they passed her parched corn; she ate and was satisfied, and left. (15) When she got up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying: ‘Let her glean among the sheaves, and don't embarrass her.(16) Also pull out some crops from the bundles and leave it out, and let her glean it, and don't rebuke her.

(20) And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law: ‘Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not forgotten to show kindness to the living and to the dead.’ And Naomi said unto her: ‘The man is near of kin to us, one of our near kinsmen.’ (21) And Ruth the Moabitess said: ‘He also said to me: Stay near my young men until they have finished my harvest.’ (22) And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law: ‘It is good, my daughter, that you stay near his maidens, and that you do not go to another field.’ (23) So she stayed near Boaz's maidens to glean until the end of the barley and wheat harvest; and she lived with her mother-in-law

(1) And Naomi her mother-in-law said to her: ‘My daughter, isn't it my responsibility to make your life better? (2) What do you think about Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens you have been spending time? Behold, tonight he will be winnowing barley in the threshing-floor. (3) Wash yourself and put on perfume and makeup, and go down to the threshing-floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he is done eating and drinking. (4) And then, when he lies down, note where he went to lie down, go in, uncover his feet, and lay down; and he will tell you what to do.’ (5) And she said unto her: ‘All that you have said I will do.’ (6) And she went down unto the threshing-floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law said. (7) And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn; and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. (8) And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was startled, and woke up; and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. (9) And he said: ‘Who are you?’ And she answered: ‘I am Ruth your handmaid; therefore "spread your wings" over your handmaid; for you are a near kinsman.’

(10) And he said: ‘Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter; you have shown more kindness in the end than at the beginning, inasmuch as you did not go after the young men, whether poor or rich. (11) And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to you all that you request; for all the men in the gate of my people do know that you are a virtuous woman. (12) And now it is true that I am a near kinsman; however there is a kinsman nearer than I. (13) Stay this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform for you his responsibility to marry you, let him marry you; but if he is not willing to marry you then I will marry you. As God lives; lie down until the morning.’ (14) And she lay at his feet until the morning; and she rose up before one could discern another. For he said: ‘Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing-floor.

As God lives: She said to him, “You are dismissing me with words.” He jumped up and swore to her that he would not dismiss her with words.

"As the L-rd lives, lie (here) until the morning." Because the yetzer hara (the evil inclination) sat and aggrieved him (Boaz) the whole night, saying: You are single and need a wife, and she (Ruth) is single and needs a husband, and you know that a woman is acquired (as a wife) by intercourse — Arise and sleep with her and let her be your wife — he swore to his yetzer hara "As the L-rd lives," I will not touch her. And to the woman he said: "Lie (here) until the morning."

"And she laid by his feet until morning, and she left at the first sign of light". She was laying by his feet for 6 hours. That whole night, Boaz put his hands over his face, "Ribbono Shel Olam, it is known and clear to you that I have not touched her, that I have not publicly disgraced Your name."

(1) Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there; and, behold, the near kinsman about whom Boaz spoke came by. Boaz said to him, 'Hey, come over here and sit down'. And he came over and sat down. (2) And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said: ‘Sit down here.’ And they sat down. (3) And he said unto the near kinsman: ‘Naomi, that has come back from the field of Moab is selling the parcel of land which was our brother Elimelech’s; (4) and I thought I should let you know, saying to you: Buy it before them that sit here, and before the elders of my people. If you are willing to redeem it, redeem it; but if you are not willing to redeem it, then tell me, for there is nobody before you in line to redeem it, and I am after you.’ And the man said: ‘I will redeem it.’ (5) Then said Boaz: ‘On the day when you buy the field from Naomi—you will also have acquired responsibilities towards Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance?’ (6) And the near kinsman said: ‘I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mess up my own inheritance; Boaz, you take my right of redemption; for I cannot redeem it.’— (9) And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people: ‘You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from Naomi. (10) Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I have acquired to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead not be cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place. You are all witnesses this day.’

And Boaz took Ruth: The rabbis learned from this language that he died the night she came to him

(22) ובקצרכם AND WHEN YOU REAP, YOU SHALL NOT CLEAR THE CORNER OF THE FIELD—

Rabbi Avdimi the son of Rabbi Joseph says: Why does Scripture place this [passage] in the very middle of [the laws regarding] the Festivals-with Passover and Atzereth (Shavuoth) on one side and Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the Festival [of Succoth] on the other? To teach you that whoever gives לֶקֶט, gleanings, שִׁכְחָה, forgotten sheaves, and פֵּאָה, the corners , to the poor in the appropriate manner, is deemed as if he had built the Holy Temple and offered up his sacrifices within it. —.