Read the text of Rus 3
Transcription
Welcome back to NachDaily, with the 3rd perek in Megilos Rus. This
perek primarily deals with Boaz’s commitment to be Rus’s redeemer.
The chapter opens with Naomi wanting to find a husband for Rus so
that she can be taken care of. Naomi instructs Rus to anoint herself,
get dressed in her finest clothing, and go down to the threshing floor
at night where Boaz is going to be, to encourage him to take her for
a wife.
Naomi tells Rus in verse 4 “Vihi vishavcho viyada’at es hamakom
asher yishkav sham uvas v’gilis marg’losav v’shachavt, v’hu yagid
lach es asher ta’asin – when he lies down, note the place where he
lies, and go over and uncover his feet and lie down. He will then tell
you what you are to do.”
Naomi wanted Boaz to do yivum with Rus, as discussed in the last
perek. When a man who was married dies childless it’s a miztvah for
the man’s brother or closest relative to be the “goel, redeemer,” to
marry the widowed woman. If he chooses not to, they must perform
yivum.
Naomi told Rus to “uncover his feet” to remind Boaz that he is the
closest redeemer.
The Malbim explains that the body is called a na’al, a shoe, that
houses the neshama. The removal of the shoe represents the
removal of the body from the soul, indicating that the soul will no
longer have a body to clothe and house it The soul of the man who
died childless has the opportunity to come back down into this world
when a man performs yibum with his widow.
Rus consented to do everything that her mother-in-law told her to
do. It was the middle of the night, Boaz had eaten and drank; he
was in good spirits and went down to the threshing floor. Rus quietly
approached Boaz, uncovered his feet, and lay down. Boaz was
startled by having a woman approach him in the middle of the
night. He feared that it might be a demon.
“Who are you?”
Verse 9 says, “Vatomer, anochi Rus amasecha, ufarasta chinafecha
al amas’cha, ki goel atah – ‘I am your maidservant Rus,’ she
answered. ‘Spread your garment over your maidservant, for you are
a redeeming relative.’”
In response Boaz thanks Hashem. He gives Rus a brocha, tells her not
to be afraid, and commits to be her redeemer. However, Boaz
notes, there’s a closer redeemer named ploni almoni, also known as
Tov. If Tov declines to do yivum, then he will.
The Rav Bartenura explains so beautifully throughout these pessukim
that this discussion represents Hashem and Am Yisrael. Every night
through our long galus we ask Hashem when He will redeem us with
Mashiach.
Hashem responds, “I understand how badly you want the final
redemption, but I don’t want it to be brought through other people.
In previous generations, you had the Judges and Tzaddikim through
whom the geula came about. The final redemption will come only
through Me.”
In verses 14 through 18 which the end the perek, Rus spends the
night, gets up early in the morning to return home, and is given 6
barley grains to take home to Naomi. The Meforshim add that Rus
understood, by the small amount of food given, only enough for one
meal, that Boaz would arrange the yivum ceremony as quickly as
possible.
Naomi instructed Rus to stay at home until everything would be
clarified because she knew that Boaz would try to expedite matters.
Stay tuned to the next episode of NachDaily, when we’ll finally see
the neshama of Mashiach drawn down into the world and the issue
of Moavi v’lo Moavia be settled for the rest of history.
Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day.
perek primarily deals with Boaz’s commitment to be Rus’s redeemer.
The chapter opens with Naomi wanting to find a husband for Rus so
that she can be taken care of. Naomi instructs Rus to anoint herself,
get dressed in her finest clothing, and go down to the threshing floor
at night where Boaz is going to be, to encourage him to take her for
a wife.
Naomi tells Rus in verse 4 “Vihi vishavcho viyada’at es hamakom
asher yishkav sham uvas v’gilis marg’losav v’shachavt, v’hu yagid
lach es asher ta’asin – when he lies down, note the place where he
lies, and go over and uncover his feet and lie down. He will then tell
you what you are to do.”
Naomi wanted Boaz to do yivum with Rus, as discussed in the last
perek. When a man who was married dies childless it’s a miztvah for
the man’s brother or closest relative to be the “goel, redeemer,” to
marry the widowed woman. If he chooses not to, they must perform
yivum.
Naomi told Rus to “uncover his feet” to remind Boaz that he is the
closest redeemer.
The Malbim explains that the body is called a na’al, a shoe, that
houses the neshama. The removal of the shoe represents the
removal of the body from the soul, indicating that the soul will no
longer have a body to clothe and house it The soul of the man who
died childless has the opportunity to come back down into this world
when a man performs yibum with his widow.
Rus consented to do everything that her mother-in-law told her to
do. It was the middle of the night, Boaz had eaten and drank; he
was in good spirits and went down to the threshing floor. Rus quietly
approached Boaz, uncovered his feet, and lay down. Boaz was
startled by having a woman approach him in the middle of the
night. He feared that it might be a demon.
“Who are you?”
Verse 9 says, “Vatomer, anochi Rus amasecha, ufarasta chinafecha
al amas’cha, ki goel atah – ‘I am your maidservant Rus,’ she
answered. ‘Spread your garment over your maidservant, for you are
a redeeming relative.’”
In response Boaz thanks Hashem. He gives Rus a brocha, tells her not
to be afraid, and commits to be her redeemer. However, Boaz
notes, there’s a closer redeemer named ploni almoni, also known as
Tov. If Tov declines to do yivum, then he will.
The Rav Bartenura explains so beautifully throughout these pessukim
that this discussion represents Hashem and Am Yisrael. Every night
through our long galus we ask Hashem when He will redeem us with
Mashiach.
Hashem responds, “I understand how badly you want the final
redemption, but I don’t want it to be brought through other people.
In previous generations, you had the Judges and Tzaddikim through
whom the geula came about. The final redemption will come only
through Me.”
In verses 14 through 18 which the end the perek, Rus spends the
night, gets up early in the morning to return home, and is given 6
barley grains to take home to Naomi. The Meforshim add that Rus
understood, by the small amount of food given, only enough for one
meal, that Boaz would arrange the yivum ceremony as quickly as
possible.
Naomi instructed Rus to stay at home until everything would be
clarified because she knew that Boaz would try to expedite matters.
Stay tuned to the next episode of NachDaily, when we’ll finally see
the neshama of Mashiach drawn down into the world and the issue
of Moavi v’lo Moavia be settled for the rest of history.
Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day.