פּירוש אויף רות 1:16

“And Ruth said” [1:16]. And Ruth said, do not ask me to leave you and to turn back from you. Rather, where you go, I will also go and where you spend the night, I will also lodge, and your God is my God. Our sages learn from the example of Ruth how one should behave toward a convert. Therefore, the word “return” is written three times. When a person wishes to convert, one should dissuade them three times and one should test them to see if they wish to be a proper convert, for the sake of God or for the sake of money. Ruth said: if you do not want to have me as a convert, then I will go to another Jew and become Jewish. I would rather become a convert by your hand. When Naomi heard this, she turned to Ruth and told her about several commandments that she should observe. She began, my dear daughter, it is not appropriate for Jewish daughters to go alone into a gentile house, as gentile women do. Ruth responded, where you go, I will also go. Naomi said, my dear daughter, a daughter of Israel is not allowed to live in a house where there is no mezuzah. Ruth responded, where you will spend the night; there I will also spend the night.³⁶Yalkut Shimoni, Ruth, Remez 601.

Some sages say that she said to Ruth: we have been commanded that one is not allowed to walk outside the boundary on the Sabbath. She responded: where you will go there I will also go. Naomi said to her: we have been commanded that a woman cannot be in a room with a strange man. Ruth responded: where you will spend the night there I will spend the night. Naomi said, Israel is separated from the nations of the world by six hundred and thirteen commandments. Ruth answered; your people are my people with commandments. Naomi said: we have been forbidden to worship foreign gods. Ruth responded: your God is my God.³⁷Yalkut Shimoni, Ruth, Remez 601.

Do not urge me. Do not press me.

For wherever you go, I shall go. From here our Rabbis of blessed memory derived²⁴In Maseches Yevamos 47b. that if a [prospective] proselyte comes to convert, we inform him of some of the punishments [for violating the commandments] so that is he decides to renege [from his intention to convert], he can renege; for out of the words of Rus, you can learn what Naomi said to her. [Naomi said.] “We may not venture outside the boundary [of 2000 cubits beyond city limits] on Shabbos.” She [Rus] replied to her, “For wherever you go I shall go.”²⁵Alternatively, just as you are going to Eretz Yisroel for the sake of your religion, so it is my purpose to go there in order to be able to keep the Torah’s commandments. (Malbim) [Naomi then said,] “We are prohibited to allow a woman to be secluded with a man who is not her husband.” She [Rus] replied, “Where you lodge, I will lodge.” [Naomi said,] “Our nation is separated from other nations by 613 commandments,” [and Rus replied,] “Your people are my people.” [Naomi said,] “Idolatry is forbidden to us,”²⁶Although idolatry is forbidden to Noahites, they are forbidden to worship idols only if they do so exclusively, but not if they worship God in conjunction with their idolatry. (Torah Temimah) [to which Rus replied,] “Your God is my God.” [Naomi then said,] “Four [types of] death penalties were delegated to Beis Din [to punish transgressors],” [and Rus replied,] “Where you die, I will die.” [Naomi continued,] “Two burial plots were delegated to Beis Din [to bury those executed], one for those stoned and those burned, and one for those decapitated and those strangled.” She [Rus] replied, “And there I shall be buried.”