룻기 1:17 해설: Tze'enah Ure'enah, Rashi & Ralbag Ruth

“Where you die, I will die” [1:17]. Where you will die, there will I also die and be buried. So He should do good for me and so should He continue to do, and only death will separate me from you. Naomi said to Ruth: Four deaths have been commanded to Israel. One is that one is stoned if they transgress God’s commandments. The second is that one is burned. The third is that one is killed with the sword. The fourth is that one is hanged and strangled. Ruth responded: the way you die, so will I also die. Naomi said: there are two graves. One is where those who are stoned and those who are burned are buried, and a cemetery where those who are killed by the sword and are strangled are brought. Ruth responded: where you will be buried, there will I also be buried. Naomi said to Ruth: my dear daughter, fulfill as many commandments as you can in this world, since one cannot fulfill any commandments in the other world.³⁸Yalkut Shimoni, Ruth, Remez 601.

This is the meaning of the verse “if anything but death parts me from you” [1:17]. That is to say, fulfill commandments in this world, since death will separate between you and me. Do not think that the righteous person stands near the evil one. Every righteous person has a canopy of his or her own, as we find in the story of Rabbi Simeon ben Halaftah. One Friday he did not have what to eat for the Sabbath. He went outside the city and prayed to God. A hand came and handed him a precious stone. He immediately went to the storekeeper, sold it, and bought fine food in honor of the Sabbath. His wife said to him: where did you get the money with which you purchased the goods for the Sabbath? She said to him: if you do not tell me, I will not eat it. He told his wife the story of what occurred. His wife said: swear that you will return the precious stone on Saturday night, if not, I won’t eat. Rabbi Simeon asked why? His wife said, do you want that your canopy and chair in the other world should be lesser than those of your colleagues? What you have in this stone is a piece of the other world. You will have less in the other world. Then Rabbi Simeon went to Rabbi [Judah the Prince] and told him the story of his wife’s request. Rabbi [Judah] said to him. Tell your wife that if your chair or canopy in the other world will need anything, I will rectify it with my share. Rabbi Simeon went and told his wife what Rabbi [Judah] had said. His wife responded, show me your teacher who taught you Torah. They both came before Rabbi [Judah] and Rabbi Simeon’s wife said to Rabbi [Judah]. In the other world, will one righteous person be able to see into the canopy of his neighbor, since each righteous person has his own separate canopy. Why do you, Rabbi [Judah], want to give of your canopy to Rabbi Simeon? Then Rabbi Simeon went to return it and a hand came and took the precious stone. The latter miracle was greater than the first one, because heaven gives, but it does not take things back up. When he took the precious stone from the hand, the hand of Rabbi Simeon was underneath and the hand of the angel was over the hand of Rabbi Simeon. Now, when he returned the precious stone, the hand of the angel was underneath and the hand of Rabbi Simeon was above, over the hand of the angel, just like when a person lends something to his friend.³⁹Exodus Rabbah, 52.3.

Concerning this the verse says, “if anything but death parts me from you” [1:17]. This means that Naomi said to Ruth, do not think that you will become rich from this and have the world because you converted. In this world there is no difference between one and another. For the person who is pious, after their death, in the other world, there is a difference between the righteous who are separate and the evildoers who are separate. This is the meaning of the verse “if anything but death parts me from you” [1:17]. This means, death separates us. That is to say, in the other world.

So may Adonoy do to me. As He has begun to afflict [me], for His hand has gone forth against me to kill my husband and to cause me to lose my possessions.

And even more. If anything but death separates me from you.