Midrasch zu Rut 2:9
עֵינַ֜יִךְ בַּשָּׂדֶ֤ה אֲשֶׁר־יִקְצֹרוּן֙ וְהָלַ֣כְתִּ אַחֲרֵיהֶ֔ן הֲל֥וֹא צִוִּ֛יתִי אֶת־הַנְּעָרִ֖ים לְבִלְתִּ֣י נָגְעֵ֑ךְ וְצָמִ֗ת וְהָלַכְתְּ֙ אֶל־הַכֵּלִ֔ים וְשָׁתִ֕ית מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר יִשְׁאֲב֖וּן הַנְּעָרִֽים׃
Richte deinen Blick auf das Feld, wo sie ernten, dass du hinter ihnen hergehst. Ich habe den Knechten befohlen, dass man dich nicht anrühre. Und dürstest du, so gehe zu den Geräten und trinke von dem, was die Knechte schöpfen.
Ruth Rabbah
“Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them; have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from what the young men have drawn” (Ruth 2:9).
“Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them; have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from what the young men have drawn” – “your eyes,” these are the Sanhedrin. The two hundred and forty-eight limbs in a person follow only the eyes; that is what is written: “Your eyes…and go after them.” “Not to touch you” – not to push away.168Not to assert that you are disqualified from marrying a natural-born Jew. “When you are thirsty, go to the vessels” – these are the righteous, who are called vessels, as it is stated: “How the mighty have fallen and the vessels of war are lost“ (II Samuel 1:27).169The verse is referring to Saul and Yonatan. “Drink from what the young men have drawn” – this is the house of the Drawing [of the Water].170A ritual performed on Sukkot when the Temple stood; see Mishna Sukka 5:1–4. Why is it called “drawing”? It is because they would draw the Divine Spirit from there, as it is stated: “You shall draw water with joy from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).
“Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them; have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from what the young men have drawn” – “your eyes,” these are the Sanhedrin. The two hundred and forty-eight limbs in a person follow only the eyes; that is what is written: “Your eyes…and go after them.” “Not to touch you” – not to push away.168Not to assert that you are disqualified from marrying a natural-born Jew. “When you are thirsty, go to the vessels” – these are the righteous, who are called vessels, as it is stated: “How the mighty have fallen and the vessels of war are lost“ (II Samuel 1:27).169The verse is referring to Saul and Yonatan. “Drink from what the young men have drawn” – this is the house of the Drawing [of the Water].170A ritual performed on Sukkot when the Temple stood; see Mishna Sukka 5:1–4. Why is it called “drawing”? It is because they would draw the Divine Spirit from there, as it is stated: “You shall draw water with joy from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).
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