Commentary for Ruth 4:10
וְגַ֣ם אֶת־ר֣וּת הַמֹּאֲבִיָּה֩ אֵ֨שֶׁת מַחְל֜וֹן קָנִ֧יתִי לִ֣י לְאִשָּׁ֗ה לְהָקִ֤ים שֵׁם־הַמֵּת֙ עַל־נַ֣חֲלָת֔וֹ וְלֹא־יִכָּרֵ֧ת שֵׁם־הַמֵּ֛ת מֵעִ֥ם אֶחָ֖יו וּמִשַּׁ֣עַר מְקוֹמ֑וֹ עֵדִ֥ים אַתֶּ֖ם הַיּֽוֹם׃
Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I acquired to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place; ye are witnesses this day.’
Rashi on Ruth
To perpetuate the name of the deceased upon his inheritance: Since his wife goes and comes on the estate and brings in and takes out [items], people say, “This is Machlon’s wife,” and thereby his name is remembered upon it.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Nachal Eshkol on Ruth
So as to perpetuate the name of the deceased upon his estate. The first letters of, “The name of the deceased,” (shem hamet al) have the same numerical value as Solomon (375). The Holy Spirit sparkled in him so that he merited to see Solomon in his sovereignty, just as he had prayed for her earlier, “May your recompense be whole (Sheleimah/Shlomo). The sages say that in this way he established the verse, “he had a throne placed for the queen mother;” (l Kings 2:19) Ruth became the mother of the monarchy.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy