Read the text of Rus 1
Transcription
Welcome to NachDaily, with the second class on the first perek of
Rus.
Verse 2: “ V’sheim ha’ish Elimelech, v’sheim ishto Naami, v’sheim
shnei vanav Machlon v’Chilyon, Ephrasim miBeis Lechem Yehudah,
vayavo’u sdei Moav, vayih’yu sham – The man’s name was
Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons
were Machlon and Kilyon. They were the nobility of Bethlehem in
Judah, yet they came to the fields of Moav and there they
remained.”
The name Elimelech implies “the kingship is mine.” It seems that
Elimelech knew the tradition that the lineage of Mashiach will come
through the tribe of Yehudah in conjunction with Lot’s descendants,
either Amon or Moav. Elimelech therefore moved to Moav so that his
sons would marry Moavite women as a way to expediate the
redemption and bring Mashiach.
The Sefer Mishb’tzos Zahav highlights the fact that Elimelech went to
the fields of Moav to recapture the neshamas of Mashiach which
were lost there. He also explains that although Elimelech was
punished for what he did, this was all part of Hashem’s Divine plan to
bring about Dovid Hamelech.
The name Naami means pleasant. The Bartenura explains that this is
Am Yisrael, who are considered na’im, pleasant, to Hashem.
The Gemarah in Bava Basra 91a brings that the real names of
Machlon and Kilyon were Yoash and Saraf. Yoash because he was
m’yaesh, lost hope in the geulah, redemption, and Saraf because
he was deserving of sreifa, punishment. Their names were changed
to Machlon, meaning that he made his body chulin, mundane, and
Kilyon from the word kalu, destruction, indicating that he was going
to be wiped out.
The Zohar Chodash Rus 78, brings that Machlon’s name comes from
the word mochel, forgiven, because in the end he was forgiven for
his sins. The Malbim explains, at the end of the sefer, that through the
yibum process Rus was able to bring down Machlon’s neshama into
the new child that was born. Machlon was forgiven for his sins
through the yibum of Rus. [We’ll explain more about that and how it
works at the end of the sefer.]
This was in contrast to Kilyon, whose name comes from kalu,
destroyed. As his wife Orpah never did yibum, his neshama never
came back down into this world and he was cut off forever.
Elimelech died, and Naami was left with her two sons and
daughters- in-law. Machlon and Kilyon, with their Moavite women
Orpah and Rus, lived in Moav for about 10 years until both men died.
Naami was left with only her two daughters-in-law.
Rus and Orpah were princesses, daughters of Eglon, the king of
Moav, and granddaughters of Balak (Sanhedrin 105b). Eglon was
killed by Ehud Ben Geira, but because Eglon rose when Ehud told
him that he came with the word of God, he merited having Rus.
Her sister was called Orpah, says the Gemarah in Sotah 42b. Her real
name was either Harafa or Orpah. Both names hint to her sexual
promiscuity. Orpah also comes from the word oreph, which means
behind, or the back of the neck. She turned her back on Kedusha by
not remaining with Naami.
The Rus Rabba 2:20 brings that because Orpah walked 4 steps with
Naami she merited to have a grandson, Golias, Goliath, who stood
in front of the Jewish army, taunting them for 40 days.
Tosfos on the Gemarah in Sotah, brings that the night Orpah left
Naami she was promiscuous with 100 men and a dog. This what
Golias hints to Dovid when he says “Do you think I come from a
dog?” alluding to the fact that he had been conceived that night.
The showdown between Dovid and Golias is rooted in Rus and
Orpah.
Lastly, we have Rus’s name. The Zohar Chadash 78a brings that her
real name was Gilit, but was changed after she married Machlon.
Bava Basra 14b says that her name was Rus because Dovid would
ultimately come from her. Dovid was “sheruya Hashem b’shiros
v’sishbachos – he would praise Hashem with song.” Again, the Zohar
Chodash 78a says that Rus comes from the word tur, meaning Dove.
Just as a dove is kosher on the altar, so was Rus kosher to come into
Am Yisrael.
Lastly, b’derech remez, Rus, reish, vav, suff equals 606. This number
plus the 7 Mitzvos Bnei Noach equals 613, to teach that Rus
accepted the rest of the 606 mitzvos and kept all 613 of them.
I hope that you’re all enjoying this. Stay tuned to the next episode of
NachDaily. We’ll be learning about Naami and Rus’s return to Eretz
Yisrael and the shame they had to tolerate.
Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day.
Rus.
Verse 2: “ V’sheim ha’ish Elimelech, v’sheim ishto Naami, v’sheim
shnei vanav Machlon v’Chilyon, Ephrasim miBeis Lechem Yehudah,
vayavo’u sdei Moav, vayih’yu sham – The man’s name was
Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons
were Machlon and Kilyon. They were the nobility of Bethlehem in
Judah, yet they came to the fields of Moav and there they
remained.”
The name Elimelech implies “the kingship is mine.” It seems that
Elimelech knew the tradition that the lineage of Mashiach will come
through the tribe of Yehudah in conjunction with Lot’s descendants,
either Amon or Moav. Elimelech therefore moved to Moav so that his
sons would marry Moavite women as a way to expediate the
redemption and bring Mashiach.
The Sefer Mishb’tzos Zahav highlights the fact that Elimelech went to
the fields of Moav to recapture the neshamas of Mashiach which
were lost there. He also explains that although Elimelech was
punished for what he did, this was all part of Hashem’s Divine plan to
bring about Dovid Hamelech.
The name Naami means pleasant. The Bartenura explains that this is
Am Yisrael, who are considered na’im, pleasant, to Hashem.
The Gemarah in Bava Basra 91a brings that the real names of
Machlon and Kilyon were Yoash and Saraf. Yoash because he was
m’yaesh, lost hope in the geulah, redemption, and Saraf because
he was deserving of sreifa, punishment. Their names were changed
to Machlon, meaning that he made his body chulin, mundane, and
Kilyon from the word kalu, destruction, indicating that he was going
to be wiped out.
The Zohar Chodash Rus 78, brings that Machlon’s name comes from
the word mochel, forgiven, because in the end he was forgiven for
his sins. The Malbim explains, at the end of the sefer, that through the
yibum process Rus was able to bring down Machlon’s neshama into
the new child that was born. Machlon was forgiven for his sins
through the yibum of Rus. [We’ll explain more about that and how it
works at the end of the sefer.]
This was in contrast to Kilyon, whose name comes from kalu,
destroyed. As his wife Orpah never did yibum, his neshama never
came back down into this world and he was cut off forever.
Elimelech died, and Naami was left with her two sons and
daughters- in-law. Machlon and Kilyon, with their Moavite women
Orpah and Rus, lived in Moav for about 10 years until both men died.
Naami was left with only her two daughters-in-law.
Rus and Orpah were princesses, daughters of Eglon, the king of
Moav, and granddaughters of Balak (Sanhedrin 105b). Eglon was
killed by Ehud Ben Geira, but because Eglon rose when Ehud told
him that he came with the word of God, he merited having Rus.
Her sister was called Orpah, says the Gemarah in Sotah 42b. Her real
name was either Harafa or Orpah. Both names hint to her sexual
promiscuity. Orpah also comes from the word oreph, which means
behind, or the back of the neck. She turned her back on Kedusha by
not remaining with Naami.
The Rus Rabba 2:20 brings that because Orpah walked 4 steps with
Naami she merited to have a grandson, Golias, Goliath, who stood
in front of the Jewish army, taunting them for 40 days.
Tosfos on the Gemarah in Sotah, brings that the night Orpah left
Naami she was promiscuous with 100 men and a dog. This what
Golias hints to Dovid when he says “Do you think I come from a
dog?” alluding to the fact that he had been conceived that night.
The showdown between Dovid and Golias is rooted in Rus and
Orpah.
Lastly, we have Rus’s name. The Zohar Chadash 78a brings that her
real name was Gilit, but was changed after she married Machlon.
Bava Basra 14b says that her name was Rus because Dovid would
ultimately come from her. Dovid was “sheruya Hashem b’shiros
v’sishbachos – he would praise Hashem with song.” Again, the Zohar
Chodash 78a says that Rus comes from the word tur, meaning Dove.
Just as a dove is kosher on the altar, so was Rus kosher to come into
Am Yisrael.
Lastly, b’derech remez, Rus, reish, vav, suff equals 606. This number
plus the 7 Mitzvos Bnei Noach equals 613, to teach that Rus
accepted the rest of the 606 mitzvos and kept all 613 of them.
I hope that you’re all enjoying this. Stay tuned to the next episode of
NachDaily. We’ll be learning about Naami and Rus’s return to Eretz
Yisrael and the shame they had to tolerate.
Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day.