Midrash sur Ruth 2:9
עֵינַ֜יִךְ בַּשָּׂדֶ֤ה אֲשֶׁר־יִקְצֹרוּן֙ וְהָלַ֣כְתִּ אַחֲרֵיהֶ֔ן הֲל֥וֹא צִוִּ֛יתִי אֶת־הַנְּעָרִ֖ים לְבִלְתִּ֣י נָגְעֵ֑ךְ וְצָמִ֗ת וְהָלַכְתְּ֙ אֶל־הַכֵּלִ֔ים וְשָׁתִ֕ית מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר יִשְׁאֲב֖וּן הַנְּעָרִֽים׃
Aie les yeux fixés sur le champ qu’elles moissonneront et marche à leur suite; j’ai bien recommandé aux jeunes gens de ne pas te molester; si tu as soif, va où sont les vases et bois de ce que les jeunes gens auront puisé."
Ruth Rabbah
“Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them; have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from what the young men have drawn” (Ruth 2:9).
“Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them; have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from what the young men have drawn” – “your eyes,” these are the Sanhedrin. The two hundred and forty-eight limbs in a person follow only the eyes; that is what is written: “Your eyes…and go after them.” “Not to touch you” – not to push away.168Not to assert that you are disqualified from marrying a natural-born Jew. “When you are thirsty, go to the vessels” – these are the righteous, who are called vessels, as it is stated: “How the mighty have fallen and the vessels of war are lost“ (II Samuel 1:27).169The verse is referring to Saul and Yonatan. “Drink from what the young men have drawn” – this is the house of the Drawing [of the Water].170A ritual performed on Sukkot when the Temple stood; see Mishna Sukka 5:1–4. Why is it called “drawing”? It is because they would draw the Divine Spirit from there, as it is stated: “You shall draw water with joy from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).
“Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them; have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from what the young men have drawn” – “your eyes,” these are the Sanhedrin. The two hundred and forty-eight limbs in a person follow only the eyes; that is what is written: “Your eyes…and go after them.” “Not to touch you” – not to push away.168Not to assert that you are disqualified from marrying a natural-born Jew. “When you are thirsty, go to the vessels” – these are the righteous, who are called vessels, as it is stated: “How the mighty have fallen and the vessels of war are lost“ (II Samuel 1:27).169The verse is referring to Saul and Yonatan. “Drink from what the young men have drawn” – this is the house of the Drawing [of the Water].170A ritual performed on Sukkot when the Temple stood; see Mishna Sukka 5:1–4. Why is it called “drawing”? It is because they would draw the Divine Spirit from there, as it is stated: “You shall draw water with joy from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).
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