Midrash for Ruth 1:17
בַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר תָּמ֙וּתִי֙ אָמ֔וּת וְשָׁ֖ם אֶקָּבֵ֑ר כֹּה֩ יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה יְהוָ֥ה לִי֙ וְכֹ֣ה יֹסִ֔יף כִּ֣י הַמָּ֔וֶת יַפְרִ֖יד בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵינֵֽךְ׃
where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; the LORD do so to me,and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.’
Ruth Rabbah
“Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried; so may the Lord do to me, and so may He continue, as death will separate between you and me” (Ruth 1:17).
“Where you die, I will die” – there are the four court-imposed death penalties: Stoning, burning, beheading, and strangling.121Ruth was accepting upon herself mitzvot, including the consequences they carry. “And there I will be buried,” these are the two cemeteries designated for the court, one for those stoned and burned, and one for those beheaded and strangled. “So may the Lord do to me, and so may He continue” – [Naomi] said to her: ‘My daughter, amass as many mitzvot and acts of righteousness that you can amass in this world, but in the future “death will separate between you and me.”122After death one can no longer perform mitzvot, and each person is rewarded according to what he or she has done during their lifetime.
“Where you die, I will die” – there are the four court-imposed death penalties: Stoning, burning, beheading, and strangling.121Ruth was accepting upon herself mitzvot, including the consequences they carry. “And there I will be buried,” these are the two cemeteries designated for the court, one for those stoned and burned, and one for those beheaded and strangled. “So may the Lord do to me, and so may He continue” – [Naomi] said to her: ‘My daughter, amass as many mitzvot and acts of righteousness that you can amass in this world, but in the future “death will separate between you and me.”122After death one can no longer perform mitzvot, and each person is rewarded according to what he or she has done during their lifetime.
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