Midrash sur Ruth 2:11
וַיַּ֤עַן בֹּ֙עַז֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָ֔הּ הֻגֵּ֨ד הֻגַּ֜ד לִ֗י כֹּ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂית֙ אֶת־חֲמוֹתֵ֔ךְ אַחֲרֵ֖י מ֣וֹת אִישֵׁ֑ךְ וַתַּֽעַזְבִ֞י אָּבִ֣יךְ וְאִמֵּ֗ךְ וְאֶ֙רֶץ֙ מֽוֹלַדְתֵּ֔ךְ וַתֵּ֣לְכִ֔י אֶל־עַ֕ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יָדַ֖עַתְּ תְּמ֥וֹל שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם׃
Booz lui répliqua en disant: "On m’a fidèlement rapporté tout ce que tu as fait pour ta belle-mère après la mort de ton mari: que tu as quitté ton père, ta mère et ton pays natal pour te rendre auprès d’un peuple que tu ne connaissais ni d’hier ni d’avant-hier.
Ruth Rabbah
“Boaz answered and said to her: It has been told to me, everything that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband; and you left your father and your mother, and the land of your birth, and you went to a people that you did not know before” (Ruth 2:11).
“Boaz answered and said to her: It has been told [huged hugad] to me.” Why [is the term “told” stated] twice; “huged hugad to me”? I have been told [what you have done] in the house and I have been told [what you have done] in the field. “Everything that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband,” and, it goes without saying, during the life of your husband. “And you left your father and your mother, and the land of your birth,” – your country. “You left your father and your mother” – your idol worship, as it is stated: “They say to a tree, you are my father, and to a stone, you have given birth to me” (Jeremiah 2:27). “The land of your birth” – this is her neighborhood. “And you went to a people that you did not know before,” as had it been before, you would not have been.180At an earlier time, you would not have been able to marry an Israelite from birth. This is because previously the verse: “An Ammonite and a Moavite shall not enter the congregation of God” (Deuteronomy 23:4), had not been expounded to exclude Moavite women.
“Boaz answered and said to her: It has been told [huged hugad] to me.” Why [is the term “told” stated] twice; “huged hugad to me”? I have been told [what you have done] in the house and I have been told [what you have done] in the field. “Everything that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband,” and, it goes without saying, during the life of your husband. “And you left your father and your mother, and the land of your birth,” – your country. “You left your father and your mother” – your idol worship, as it is stated: “They say to a tree, you are my father, and to a stone, you have given birth to me” (Jeremiah 2:27). “The land of your birth” – this is her neighborhood. “And you went to a people that you did not know before,” as had it been before, you would not have been.180At an earlier time, you would not have been able to marry an Israelite from birth. This is because previously the verse: “An Ammonite and a Moavite shall not enter the congregation of God” (Deuteronomy 23:4), had not been expounded to exclude Moavite women.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy