룻기 2:4 해설: Tze'enah Ure'enah

“Presently Boaz arrived from Bethlehem” [2:4] Presently Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and he said to the reapers, God be with you, and they responded, and may you be blessed by God. Some ask about this verse, why does it say about Boaz that he said to the reapers, “God be with you” [2:4], with the name [of God] first, and they responded, “may you be blessed by God” [2:4], with the name [of God] last? This is the reason for the custom that when someone greets someone, he says, peace unto you [shalom aleikhem] and the other one responds, unto you peace [aleikhem shalom]. The word peace last and the word peace first. Our sages say that we learn from this verse that one should not be arrogant, even if he is very rich. He should even greet his servants and maids. Not like many communal leaders, who do not greet their servants and maids, out of great arrogance. Therefore, the verse describes how Boaz, who was both a Judge and a communal leader, greeted his servants and maids and blessed them.