Komentarz do Rut 4:6

For I would mar my own inheritance. נַחֲלָתִי =] my offspring, as in, “the inheritance of Adonoy is children;”⁴Tehillim 127:3. to give my offspring a stigma, for it is stated, “Neither an Ammonite nor a Mo’avite may enter [into Adonoy’s community],”⁵Devarim 23:4. but he erred [by not interpreting it as] “an Ammonite but not an Ammonitess.”⁶He was not aware that the Torah prohibited only the male Mo’avites from entering the ranks of Bnei Yisroel, but the females were permitted. Alternatively, he knew that females were permitted to enter the ranks of Bnei Yisroel, but he feared that in future generations the ruling may be challenged, as it was in Dovid’s time by Do’eg.

…Lest I impair my own estate. The sages say in the Midrash⁷⁴Ruth Rabbah 7:7 The first redeemer is called ploni almoni, simply an anonymous person. Based on the second word, almoni, Rabbi Shmuel understands it as Ilaim, mute or unknowing. “Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: He was mute [ilem] from matters of Torah. He said, ‘The first ones, Maḥlon and Kilyon, died because they took her, because they married Orpah and Ruth, and should I take her? Heaven forbid that I take her, I do not want to taint my children, I do not want to mix dross with my children.’ But he did not know that the halachah had already been changed: “An Ammonite,” but not an Ammonite woman, “a Moabite,” but not a Moabite woman.” But one could ask, why didn’t Boaz and the others who sat in the gate fulfill the commandment, “Speak up for the dumb,” (Pro. 31:7) by telling him, “Don’t you know that the halachah has already been introduced that she is permitted?” It might be that after this they said to him that a ruling and halachah has been disseminated that the law applies to a Moabite man and not Moabite women. But since he knew so little Torah, he was still in doubt. How could this law be hidden from all the leaders of Israel…therefore he suspected that maybe that erred. That is why he said, “Lest I impair my own estate,” in the language of doubt.⁷⁵A better translation might be as (“I might impair…”)