Komentarz do Rut 1:1

And it happened in the days when judges judged. [During the period] before King Shaul reigned, when the generations were administered by judges;¹There was no individual judge who could exercise control over all of Yisroel, rather there were many judges. (Malbim) Alternatively, this was a period when God judged the judges. (Gra) and this occurred in the days of Ivtzan, as our sages said, “Ivtzan is Bo’az.”²Maseches Bava Basra 91a; and Bo’az is a central figure in Megillas Rus.

In the days when the judges judged: The first letters of Vayehi bi’yemei shefot hashoftim spell shuvah, return/repent. All of the prophets prophesied that they people should return to God but they did not turn; therefore, there was a famine in the land. It might also be related to the statement of the sages: At a time when the voice is the voice of Jacob, the hands of Esau have no power.¹This is a reference to Gen 27:22, So Jacob drew close to his father Isaac, who felt his arms and wondered out loud, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, yet the hands are the hands of Esau.” Possibly this means that in that generation, the voice of Jacob was muted so the hands of Esau took precedence. It is also taught, “If there is no Torah there is no bread.”²Pirkei Avot 3:17 There is an allusion to this - the numerical value of Kol Kol is the same as the word raav. famine, 272. When there is neglect of Torah, Esau, the demonic realm rules and there is prosecution from above. Thus, the verse states, “In the days when the judges judge.” Torah decreased and it caused a famine in the land.

And a man went. He was very wealthy,³איש denotes an important person, as Targum renders, גברא רבא, “a great man.” and the leader of the generation. He left Eretz Yisroel for regions out of the land because of stinginess, for he was miserly toward the poor who came to press him;⁴He was the only man to leave Eretz Yisroel because of the famine. Because of his stature and greatness he was severely punished for leaving Eretz Yisroel and remaining in Mo’av. (Malbim) therefore he was punished.⁵He was afraid that the poor would unite and confiscate all of his possessions. (Malbim)