Midrash sur Ruth 3:13

(Lev. 25:25:) ”When your relative becomes poor and sells some of his property, then his redeemer shall come.” Who is his redeemer? I am He, as stated (in Jer. 50:33-34), “The Children of Israel […] are oppressed […]. Their Redeemer is mighty, His name is the Lord of hosts […].” Seven names are given to the poor.¹⁴Cf. Lev. R. 34:6, which lists eight names. And they are the following: crushed (dakh), poor ('ani), lowly (makh), dispossessed (rash), oppressed (tekhakhim),¹⁵Cf. Lev. R. 34:6, followed by Yalqut Shim‘oni, Lev. 665, which reads dal (“impoverished”) here. wretched (misken), and pauper (evyon). [(Lev. 25:25:) “When your relative becomes poor.”] This text is related (to Ps. 106:43), “Many times He delivered them, but they rebelled; so they became poor through their iniquity.” You find that in the days that the Judges judged, Israel served idols; so they were enslaved in the hands of the peoples of the world, as stated (in Jud. 3:7-8), “Then the Children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord…. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of Cushan.” What did they do (according to vs. 9)? “The Children of Israel cried unto the Lord, and the Lord raised up a savior for the Children of Israel [to save them, i.e.,] Othniel ben Kenaz.” They immediately repented and were redeemed. So [it happened] another time, as stated (in Jud. 3:12), “Then the Children of Israel again did evil….” They immediately repented; so the Lord raised up a redeemer for them, Ehud ben Gera the Binyaminite; and they were redeemed at his hands. Then they served idols again and were sold into the hands of Sisera, as stated (in Jud. 4:3), “and he oppressed the Children of Israel with might twenty years.” What is the meaning of “with might?” With blasphemies and with curses, just as you say (in Mal. 3:13), “Your words have been mighty against me.” When they repented, He raised up Barak and Deborah as redeemers for them; and they were redeemed at their hands. Ergo (in Ps. 106:43), “Many times He delivered them…; so they became poor through their iniquity.” What is the meaning of “so they became poor through their iniquity?” That they became impoverished in the midst of the nations, as stated (in Jud. 6:6), “And Israel became very impoverished….” What is the meaning of “and Israel became impoverished?” R. Isaac and R. Levi differed. One said, “They were impoverished (rt.: dll) from good works”; and the other said, “They did not have [enough] to bring even a poor person's (rt.: dll) offering, as stated (in Lev. 14:21), ‘If, however, he is poor (rt.: dll) and does not have the means.’” Ergo (in Ps. 106:43), “so they became poor through their iniquity,” as they had become impoverished (rt.: dll). Another interpretation (of Ps. 106:43), “Many times He delivered them”: [These words] speak about people. When trouble comes to one [of them] and he repents, the Holy One, blessed be He, delivers him. So it is the first time and the second. [If he repents, that is preferable; but if not, the Holy One, blessed be He, brings trouble upon him. And you yourself know that the Holy One, blessed be He, tests Israel to know if they will repent. First, He brings punishments against the [other] nations, as stated (Zeph. 3:6-7) “I wiped out nations: Their corner towers are desolate… I thought that she would fear Me, would learn a lesson.” [If] they repented, that is preferable; but if not, He destroys their money, as stated (Hos 7:9), “Strangers have consumed his strength….” [If they] repented, that is preferable; but if not, the Holy One blessed be He, brings evil upon one of the cities of Israel, as stated (Is. 42:25), “it blazed upon them all about… it burned among them.” [If] they repented, that is preferable; but if not, what is written (in Numbers 14:35)? “In this desert they will end, and there will they die.” And a person should not say, “The evil is not coming on my account.” He should know that he [too] will die, as stated (Amos 9:10), “All the sinners of My people shall perish [by the sword], who boast, ‘Never shall the evil overtake us or come near us.’” Come and see how difficult it is for the Holy One, blessed be He, to raise His hand against a human being. So what does He do to him? When he sins, He begins by raising His hand against his assets. From whom have you learned it? From Naomi, her sons, and Elimelech her husband, who was the head of [his] generation. When famine came, what did he do? He left the Land of Israel and went to the Land of Moab. Now the Holy One, blessed be He, was angry with him because he was prince (nasi) of [his] generation. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “These have abandoned My children and left the Land of Israel a wilderness.” What is written there (in Ruth 1:3)? “Then Naomi's husband Elimelech died,” but his sons were unable to learn from their father to return to the Land of Israel. And what did they do? (According to vs. 4) They also “took Moabite wives for themselves,” whom they neither immersed nor converted.¹⁶Ruth R. 2:9. (Ibid., cont.:) “The name of the one was Orpah ('rph) and the name of the second was Ruth”: Orpah ('rph), because she turned her back ('rp) on her mother-in-law; Ruth, because she esteemed (r'th) the words of her mother-in-law. (ibid., cont.:) “And they lived there about ten years.” All those ten years (in Moab) the Holy One, blessed be He, had been warning them, that they might repent and return to the Land of Israel. When He saw that they did not repent, he began to raise His hand against their camels and against their cattle.¹⁷Lev. R. 17:4; Ruth R. 2:10; PRK 7:10; PR 17:6. When He saw that they did not repent (literally, return in repentance), immediately (in vs. 5), “Both of them, Mahlon and Chilion, also died.” Thus [you may infer] that it is difficult for the Holy One, blessed be He, to raise His hand against [a human being]. So what does He do to them? He deprives them of their assets, and they sell them. When someone sins, what does the Holy One, blessed be He, do to him first? He brings poverty upon him, so that he sells his field. If he repents, then fine; but if not he sells his house. If he repents, then fine; but if not he sells himself. How is this shown? So is it written (in Lev. 25:25), “When your relative becomes poor.” If he repents, then fine; but if not, see what is written in the second section; (in Lev. 25:29), “And when someone sells a dwelling house.” If he repents, then fine; but if not, (in Lev. 25:39), “When your relative becomes poor and he is sold to you.” Why all this? Because they became poor through [their] iniquities. (Lev. 25:25:) “Then his redeemer shall come.” R. Simeon ben Johay said, “Elimelech, Salmon, So-and-So,¹⁸Peloni Almoni. According to Ruth 4:1, this was the “name” of Ruth’s most closely related redeemer. and Naomi's father were all descendants of Nahshon ben Amminadab;¹⁹BB 91a. See Ruth 4:20–21; also Exod. 6:23, according to which Nahshon ben Amminadab was Aaron’s brother-in-law. and Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion were leaders²⁰Rt.: PRNS. Cf. the Gk.: pronoos (“prudent”). of the generation.” So for what reason were they punished? Because they went abroad from the Land of Israel. Thus it is stated (in Ruth 1:19), “the whole city was excited over them, [and the women said, ‘Is this Naomi?’]” What is the meaning of, “Is this (Hazot) Naomi?” You saw (hazitem) Naomi when she went abroad from the Land of Israel. What has happened to her? (Lev. 25:25:) “Then his redeemer shall come, the one most closely related (qarov).” This is Boaz. When? When Naomi sold the field, as stated (in Ruth 4:3), “the parcel of land which belonged to our relative, [Elimelech].” (Lev. 25:25:) “Then his redeemer shall come, the one most closely related to him.” This is Boaz, since it is stated (in Ruth 2:20), “The man is our relative (qarov), [he is one of our redeeming kin (go'el)].” At that time Ruth went to Boaz. Her mother-in-law said to her (in Ruth 3:2), “see, he is winnowing barley on the threshing floor tonight.” [If] he was a prince (nasi), would he have been winnowing on a threshing floor? It is simply because his generation was dissolute in matters of theft, and [so] he went out to guard his threshing floor. She said to her (in vs. 3), “You are to wash and anoint yourself.” Then after that (ibid), “and go down to the threshing floor.” "And I shall go down" is the actual written text (ketiv)]. What is the meaning of "and I shall go down?" She said to her, “My merit will go down with you.” Hence it is written, "And I shall go down."²¹Ruth R. 5:12. But she did not do as her mother-in-law had told her. What did Ruth do? [Only] after she went down to the threshing floor, she did what she was told, as stated (in vs. 6), “She went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her.”²²In other words, since she only obeyed Naomi after she had arrived at the threshing floor, she must have neglected to wash and anoint herself before then. Why? It is simply that she said, “The generation was dissolute in sexual matters. What if they see me made up and say, ‘Perhaps she is a harlot?’” Therefore, “She went down to the threshing floor and” afterwards “she did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her.” (Vs. 7:) Then, when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry.” What is the meaning of “and his heart was merry?” That he was occupied with words of the Torah.²³Ruth R. 5:15. Thus it is stated (Prov. 4:2), “As a good teaching…,” and it is [also] written (about wisdom in Prov. 9:5), “Come and eat of my bread.” (Ruth 3:7, cont.:) “And when he came to lie down beside the grain pile, then she came in secret.” What is the meaning of, “in secret (lt; rt.: lwt)?” [It is] just as you say (in I Sam. 21:10), “here it is wrapped (rt.: lwt) in a mantle.” (Ruth 3:8:) “Now it came to pass in the middle of the night that the man was startled. So he turned aside, [and here was a woman lying at his feet].” What is the meaning of, “turned aside (rt.: lpt)?” [It is] just as you say (in Jud. 16:29), “And Samson embraced (rt.: lpt) the two middle pillars.” That righteous man began to yell. [Fear] embraced him. (Ruth 3:9:) Then he said, “Who are you?” And she said, “I am your handmaid Ruth.” He said to her, “What have you come here to do?” She said to him, “To fulfill the Torah (in Lev. 25:25), ‘When your relative becomes poor [… then his redeemer shall come].’ Arise and fulfill the Torah.” He said to her, “Since you have come to fulfill the Torah, (Ruth 3:13:) ‘Spend the night; then it shall come to pass in the morning that, if he will redeem you, good (tov)’”; for he had a relative older than he, whose name was Tov. R. Hanina said, “She said to him, ‘And are you dismissing me with words?’” He said to her (ibid., cont.), “’As the Lord lives,’ I am not dismissing you with words.” (Ruth 4:1:) “Then Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the redeemer of whom Boaz had spoken was passing by.” He said to him, “Sit down, and we shall look into the Torah; what is written there? Is it not written (in Lev. 25:25), ‘When your relative becomes poor and sells some of his property, [then his redeemer shall come, the one most closely related to him, and redeem…]’” Boaz said to Tov (in Ruth 4:3–4), “’Naomi is selling the parcel of land which belonged to our relative Elimelech […]. And I thought I should disclose it to you, saying, ‘Buy it,’” since you are a senior redeemer than I [and have the right] to redeem it. [Hence] (as in vs. 4, cont.,) “If you will redeem it, redeem it.” (Vs. 6:) “Then the redeemer said, ‘Acquire it for yourself.’” At that time Boaz redeemed what Naomi had sold. Now from where did Boaz learn [what to do]? From this section (in Lev. 25:25), “When your relative becomes poor and sells [some of his property, then his redeemer shall come, the one most closely related to him, and redeem…].” And who else was [like] this? Jeremiah was [like] this. At the time that the Holy One, blessed be He, said (in Jeremiah 32:7), “Behold Hanamel the son of Shalum your uncle is coming to you…,” [Jeremiah said] (in Jeremiah 32:8), “And just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the prison compound.” Immediately, Jeremiah fulfilled this section [of the Torah], as stated (in Jeremiah 32:9), “And I bought the field.” Now from where did he learn [what to do]? From this section (in Lev. 25:25), “When your relative becomes poor and sells some of his property, [then his redeemer shall come, the one most closely related to him, and redeem…].”

Another interpretation (of Eccl. 7:26): AND I FIND <THE WOMAN> MORE BITTER THAN DEATH. If a person is worthy, (according to Prov. 18:22) THE ONE WHO HAS FOUND A WIFE HAS FOUND HAPPINESS; but if not, (Eccl. 7:26:) AND I FIND <THE WOMAN> MORE BITTER THAN DEATH. (Eccl. 7:26:) THE WOMAN ('ShH). When she is good, (Prov. 31:10:) WHAT A FIND IS A GALLANT WIFE (from 'ShH)! When she is bad, (Eccl. 7:26:) AND I FIND <THE WOMAN> MORE BITTER THAN DEATH. (Eccl. 7:26, cont.:) HE WHO IS GOOD BEFORE GOD ESCAPES HER. This refers to Joseph. (Ibid., cont.:) BUT A SINNER IS TAKEN BY HER. This refers ot Zimri (of Numb. 25:6–15). Another interpretation (of Eccl. 7:26): [ONE WHO IS GOOD.] This refers to Boaz, when he says to Ruth (in Ruth 3:13): SPEND THE NIGHT. (Ibid., cont.:) BUT A SINNER IS TAKEN BY HER. This refers to Samson. Another interpretation (of Eccl. 7:26): HE WHO IS GOOD BEFORE GOD ESCAPES HER. This refers to Palti (of I Sam. 25:44).²¹On Palti, see Lev. R. 23:10; but cf. Sanh. 19b, which regards Palti’s marriage to Michal as unlawful. (Ibid., cont.:) BUT A SINNER IS TAKEN BY HER. This refers to Absalom.

“Stay tonight, and it will be, in the morning, if he will redeem you, good, he will redeem; but if he will be unwilling to redeem you, I will redeem you, as the Lord lives, lie until the morning” (Ruth 3:13).
“Stay tonight” – tonight you are lying without a man, but you will not lie another night without a man. “It will be in the morning, if he will redeem you, good, he will redeem; but if he will be unwilling to redeem you…” Rabbi Meir was sitting and expounding in the study hall in Tiberias, and Elisha his teacher was passing through the marketplace riding a horse on Shabbat. They said to Rabbi Meir: Elisha your teacher is coming and passing in the marketplace. He emerged to him. [Elisha] said to him: ‘In what were you engaged?’ He said: ‘“The Lord blessed the latter period of Job more than his beginning”’ (Job 42:12).’ [Elisha] said: ‘What did you say in its regard?’ He said: ‘“Blessed” [indicates that] He doubled his property for him.’ [Elisha] said to him: ‘Akiva your teacher did not say so; rather, the Lord blessed the latter period of Job due to his beginning, thanks to the repentance and good deeds that he had to his credit initially.’
[Elisha] said to him: ‘What else did you say to them?’ [Rabbi Meir said:] ‘“The end of a matter is better than its beginning”’ (Ecclesiastes 7:8). [Elisha] said to him: ‘What do you say in its regard?’ He said to him: ‘There can be a person who purchases merchandise in his youth and he loses, and [he purchases again] in his old age and he profits. Alternatively, “the end of a matter is better than its beginning,” there can be a person who performs evil deeds in his youth and in his old age he performs good deeds. Alternatively, “the end of a matter is better than its beginning,” there can be a person who studies Torah in his youth and forgets it and he reviews it in his old age; that is: “The end of a matter is better than its beginning.”’ [Elisha] said to him: ‘Akiva your teacher did not say so; rather, “the end of a matter is good,” when it was good from “its beginning.”
‘There was an incident involving me. My father Avuya was one of the prominent leaders of the generation. When he came to circumcise me, he invited all the prominent residents of Jerusalem, and he invited Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua among them. When they had eaten and drunk, some began to sing songs and others recited alphabetical poems. Rabbi Eliezer said to Rabbi Yehoshua: ‘These are engaged in theirs, but we are not engaged in ours.’ They began with Torah, and from Torah to Prophets, and from Prophets to Writings, and the matters were as joyous as when they were given from Sinai. Fire began burning around them. During their actual giving at Sinai, were they not given in fire? As it is stated: “The mountain burned with fire until the heart of the heavens” (Deuteronomy 4:11). [Avuya] said: Since the power of Torah is so great, this son, if he endures, I will devote him to Torah. Because his intention was not for the sake of Heaven, my Torah did not endure in me.’
[Rabbi Meir said to Elisha:] ‘What do you say regarding [the verse]: “Gold and glass cannot equal it” (Job 28:17)?’ He said to him: ‘What do you say in its regard?’ [Rabbi Meir] said to him: ‘These are matters of Torah that are as difficult to acquire as gold vessels and are as easily lost as glass.’ [Elisha] said to him: ‘Akiva your teacher did not say so. Rather, just as vessels of gold and glass, if they are broken, can be repaired. So, too, a Torah scholar who forgot his learning can recover it.’
[Elisha] said to [Rabbi Meir]: ‘Go back.’ [Rabbi Meir] said to him: ‘Why?’ [Elisha] said to him: ‘The Shabbat boundary extends [only] to here.’ [Rabbi Meir] said to him: ‘How do you know?’ [Elisha] said: ‘From the [number of] steps my horse [has taken, I can tell] that it has already gone two thousand cubits.’ [Rabbi Meir] said to him: ‘You have all this wisdom and yet you do not repent?’ [Elisha] said to him: ‘I do not have the strength.’ [Rabbi Meir] said to him: ‘Why?’ [Elisha] said to him: ‘I was riding my horse and sauntering behind a synagogue on Yom Kippur that coincided with Shabbat, and I heard a divine voice thundering and saying: “Repent wayward children” (Jeremiah 3:22), “Return to Me and I will return to you” (Malachi 3:7), except for Elisha ben Avuya, who was aware of My might but rebelled against Me.’
From where did he adopt this course of action?²¹³Why did Elisha abandon his religious observance? They said: One time, he was sitting and studying in the Geinosar Valley and he saw a certain person who climbed to the top of a palm tree and took the mother bird and the fledglings, and he climbed down unharmed. After Shabbat, he saw a certain person who climbed to the top of a palm tree, took the fledglings and sent away the mother bird. He climbed down and was bitten by a snake and died. [Elisha] said: ‘It is written: “Send away the mother and take the fledglings for yourself, so it will be good for you and you will prolong your days” (Deuteronomy 22:7). Where is the goodness for this one? Where are the prolonged days for this one?’ But he did not know that Rabbi Akiva had publicly expounded on it: “So it will be good for you,” in the world that is entirely good; “and you will prolong your days,” in the world that is entirely long.²¹⁴The World to Come.
Some say, it was because he saw the tongue of Rabbi Yehuda the baker in the mouth of a dog. He said: ‘If for the tongue that toiled in Torah all his days it is so, for a tongue that does not know and does not toil in Torah, all the more so.’ He said: ‘If so, there is no reward given to the righteous and no revival of the dead.’ Some say, it was because when his mother was pregnant with him, she passed houses of idol worship. She smelled [the offering they had sacrificed in their idolatrous rite] and they gave her from that food and she ate it. It was seething in her stomach like the venom of a serpent.²¹⁵Because Elisha’s mother had eaten from the idolatrous sacrifice, Elisha had an ingrained desire for sin (Etz Yosef).
Years passed and Elisha ben Avuya fell ill. They came and said to Rabbi Meir: ‘Elisha your teacher is ill.’ He went to him. [Rabbi Meir] said to him: ‘Repent.’ [Elisha] said to him: ‘Is [repentance] accepted even in such [circumstances]?’ Rabbi Meir said to him: ‘But is it not written: “You turn man to contrition [daka] [and say: Return, son of man]” (Psalms 90:3) – until his soul is crushed?’²¹⁶The term daka can mean contrition or crushed. Thus, the verse is interpreted to mean that God wants man to repent even if it is at the very end of his life. At that moment Elisha ben Avuya cried, and he died. Rabbi Meir was joyful. He said: ‘It appears that my teacher departed in repentance.’
When they buried him, fire came to burn his grave. They came and said to Rabbi Meir: ‘The grave of your teacher is burning.’ He emerged and spread his garment over it. [Rabbi Meir] said to [Elisha]: “Stay tonight,” (Ruth 3:13) in this world that is entirely night. “It will be in the morning, if he will redeem you, good, he will redeem” (Ruth 3:13). “It will be in the morning,” – in the world that is entirely good. “If he will redeem you, good, he will redeem,” – this is the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “The Lord is good to all” (Psalms 145:9). “But if he will be unwilling to redeem you, I will redeem you, as the Lord lives, lie until the morning” (Ruth 3:13).²¹⁷Rabbi Meir is requesting that Elisha be allowed to rest in peace as long as he himself is alive. When Rabbi Meir dies, he will advocate on behalf of Elisha. [The fire] subsided.
They said to [Rabbi Meir]: ‘Our teacher, in the World to Come, if they say to you: What do you request,²¹⁸For whom would you request protection from punishment. your father or your teacher, what will you say?’ [Rabbi Meir] said: ‘My father and then my teacher.’ They said to him: ‘Will they listen to you?’ He said: ‘Is it not a mishna: “One may rescue the casing of a scroll with the scroll, and the casing of phylacteries with the phylacteries” (Shabbat 16:1)? They will rescue Elisha due to the merit of his Torah.’²¹⁹Just as the casing is saved from fire on Shabbat due to the scroll, Elisha should be saved due to his Torah. Years later, [Elisha’s] daughters came and demanded charity from Rabbeinu.²²⁰Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi He said: “Let no one extend kindness to him; and let no one be gracious to his orphans” (Psalms 109:12). They said: ‘Rabbi, do not look at his actions, look at his Torah.’ At that moment, Rabbi wept and decreed that they should be supported. If one whose Torah was not for the sake of Heaven produced such,²²¹Produced such a disciple as Rabbi Meir; alternatively, produced daughters with such wisdom and modest comportment (Etz Yosef). one whose Torah is for the sake of Heaven, all the more so.
Rabbi Yosei said: There are three whose evil inclination came to attack them, but each and every one of them outdid it with an oath. These are Joseph, David, and Boaz. Joseph, as it is written: “How can I perform this great wickedness [and sin to God]?” (Genesis 39:9). Rabbi Ḥunya in the name of Rabbi Idi: Is this verse lacking? “I will sin to the Lord,” is not written here, but rather, “I will sin to God [Elohim].”²²²The Bible generally refers to sinning before the Lord rather than sinning before God. Elohim appears as an expression of oath in the language of the Sages. . and said: ‘By God! I will not sin, and I will not perform this great wickedness.’
David, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “David said: As the Lord lives; rather the Lord will smite him” (I Samuel 26:10).²²³The verse is David’s response to the suggestion of Avishai ben Tzeruya that he kill Saul. Saul had come with an armed force to kill David, but David and Avishai had sneaked into their camp and could easily have killed Saul. To whom did he take an oath? Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman, Rabbi Elazar said: He took an oath to his evil inclination. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: He took an oath to Avishai ben Tzeruya. He said to him: ‘As the Lord lives, if you touch him, I will mix your blood with his blood.’
Boaz, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “As the Lord lives, lie until the morning” (Ruth 3:13). Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Ḥunya, Rabbi Yehuda says: That entire night his evil inclination was agitating him and saying: ‘You are single and seeking a wife and she is single and seeking a husband. Arise and consort with her and she will become your wife.’ He took an oath to his evil inclination and said: ‘As the Lord lives, I will not touch her.’ He said to the woman: “Lie until the morning… if he will redeem you, good, he will redeem.” Rabbi Ḥunya said: “A wise man is strong [baoz]” (Proverbs 24:5), a wise man is Boaz. “And a man of knowledge increases strength” (Proverbs 24:5), but he outdid his evil inclination with an oath.