וַיְהִ֗י בִּימֵי֙ שְׁפֹ֣ט הַשֹּׁפְטִ֔ים וַיְהִ֥י רָעָ֖ב בָּאָ֑רֶץ וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ אִ֜ישׁ מִבֵּ֧ית לֶ֣חֶם יְהוּדָ֗ה לָגוּר֙ בִּשְׂדֵ֣י מוֹאָ֔ב ה֥וּא וְאִשְׁתּ֖וֹ וּשְׁנֵ֥י בָנָֽיו׃
Pada zaman ketika para hakim memimpin, terjadilah kelaparan di negeri itu. Lalu seorang laki-laki dari Betlehem di Yehuda pergi untuk tinggal sementara di padang Moab, ia bersama istrinya dan kedua anaknya laki-laki.
Avot DeRabbi Natan
Joshua received from Moses – as it says (Numbers 27:20), "Give him some of your majesty, so that the whole congregation of the children of Israel will heed him." The Elders received from Joshua – as it says (Judges 2:7), "The people served the Eternal all the days of Joshua and all the days of the Elders who lived on after Joshua and who had seen all the great works that the Eternal had performed for Israel." The Judges received from Joshua – as it says (Ruth 1:1), "And it was in the days that the Judges judged." The [early] Prophets received it from the Judges – as it says (Jeremiah 7:25), "And I sent you all My servants, the prophets, daily and persistently." Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi received from the Prophets. The Men of the Great Assembly received from Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. And they said three things: Be deliberate in judgment, and raise up many students, and make a fence around the Torah.
Megillah
Vayehi in the days of Ahashverosh (Esther 1:1) — there was Haman. Vayehi in the days when the judges judged (Ruth 1:1) — there was a famine. Vayehi when man began to multiply (Genesis 6:1) — then God Saw that the wickedness of man was great.
Megillah
Five times we find the expression: “Vayehi in the days" “Vayehi in the days of Ahashverosh” (Esther 1:1), “Vayehi in the days when the Judges judged” (Ruth 1:1), “Vayehi in the days of Amrafel” (Genesis 14:1), “Vayehi in the days of Ahaz” (Isaiah 7:1) “And it came to pass in the days of Yehoiakim” (Jeremiah 1:3).