Commentary for Ruth 3:13
לִ֣ינִי ׀ הַלַּ֗יְלָה וְהָיָ֤ה בַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ אִם־יִגְאָלֵ֥ךְ טוֹב֙ יִגְאָ֔ל וְאִם־לֹ֨א יַחְפֹּ֧ץ לְגָֽאֳלֵ֛ךְ וּגְאַלְתִּ֥יךְ אָנֹ֖כִי חַי־יְהוָ֑ה שִׁכְבִ֖י עַד־הַבֹּֽקֶר׃
Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman’s part; but if he be not willing to do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth; lie down until the morning.’
Rashi on Ruth
Stay the night. Stay over [one more night] without a husband.
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Nachal Eshkol on Ruth
“As Adonai lives! Lie down until morning.” The first letters of the expression, shichvi ad haboker, “Lie down until the morning,” spells sha’ah (hour). That is, at this exact hour. The word sha’ah has the same numerical value as shleimah, perfect/whole, because a perfect child shall come forth from you. This is similar to the way Boaz prayed when he said, “May you have complete (shleimah) recompense,” (Ruth 2:12) because a shlomo, a complete child, shall go forth from you, as is said in Midrash Rabbati.69See Pesikta D’Rav Kahanah 16:1
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Rashi on Ruth
As Adonoy lives. She said to him, “You are dismissing me with words [i.e., excuses].” He jumped up and swore to her18‘חי ה is the Biblical form of an oath, as in I Shmuel 19:6. that he would not dismiss her with words. Some of our Rabbis said that he swore to his evil inclination, for his evil inclination was inciting him [by saying], “You are not married and she is not married; be intimate with her.” So he swore that he would not be intimate with her except with marriage.
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