Tafsiran Rut 1:7: Tze'enah Ure'enah & Rashi

“She left the place” [1:7]. She left the city where she had been and her two daughters-in-law with her and they went on they way to return to the land of Judah. Our sages ask: why does it have to say that they left the city? It says previously that they returned from the plains of Moab and when they returned, they must have departed? The answer is that it shows that when a righteous person [zaddiq] leaves a city, the beauty and praise of the city leaves with him.²⁶Genesis Rabbah, 68.6; Yalkut Shimoni, Ruth, Remez 601. Therefore it says, “she left the place.” This means, and she left the city, that is to say, her departure made an impression in the city.

She left the place. Why is this stated? It is already stated, “and she returned from the fields of Mo’av,”¹³Above, verse 6. and from where could she return if not from the place where she had been? Rather the phrase tells us that the departure of a righteous person from a place is noticeable and makes an impression; its splendor departs, its glory departs, the praise of the city departs. And similarly, “And Yaakov left Be’er Sheva.”¹⁴Bereishis 28:10.