פּירוש אויף רות 1:19

“And the two went on” [1:19]. The two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they came to Bethlehem, the whole city was amazed that this was Naomi. Our sages say how beloved by God is the convert, that as soon as Ruth had the determination to convert, Scripture says, “And the two went on.” This means that the two of them went. Scripture compares Ruth to Naomi.⁴⁰Ruth Rabbah, 3.5. It should have read, “and Ruth went with her.” This means that Ruth went with her.

Our sages say that on the same day that Ruth came to Bethlehem, the wife of Boaz was carried out to the cemetery. The whole world came to perform an act of lovingkindness for the wife of Boaz and accompanied her to the cemetery. She was carried out of Boaz’s house when Ruth wandered into the city. Everyone was there, great and small, and they saw Naomi coming. The whole city was amazed and said, is this Naomi who used to ride in a decorated carriage and now she walks barefoot and in torn clothes? They said: is this Naomi whose face shined with beauty from good food and drink? Now it is different and her face is green and yellow. Naomi said: don’t call me Naomi, which means lovely with good deeds, and my deeds are not lovely. My deeds are seldom lovely. Has not God punished me and done bad things to me? It is a parable. Someone sells an ox to plow at the market and he praises the ox that plows well and it is very strong for the work. The people answered. If the ox is so good, why does it have welts and wounds? Naomi spoke similarly. If my deeds were so good, why did God punish me?⁴¹Ruth Rabbah, 3.6.

Rabbi Hiyya said: All sufferings are difficult for the person, but the suffering of poverty is more difficult than other sufferings. With all the other forms of suf- fering, they come and when they depart the person was as before. However, the sufferings of poverty make a person gloomy, as Scripture says, “my eyes pine away from affliction” [Psalms, 88:10]. This means that my eyes have been darkened because of poverty. A story occurred to a pious person who did not want to take anything from any person. He did not have more than a garment, and a sheet and he cried the whole night and prayed to God. Finally, he was so poor that he lay on the garbage heap with torn clothes. Elijah the prophet encountered him and stood opposite him and asked him, would you like me to lend you two pennies, so that you might engage in commerce with it and you should feed yourself with it. He said, yes, took them, and engaged in business with them. That same year he became very rich from this and forgot to pray and to fulfill other commandments, because of his great fortune. The Holy One said to Elijah. I had a pious person in the world who prayed with concentration. Now, you have chased him away. Elijah went to him again and found him working in a big business and said to him. I am the man who lent you the two pennies. Give them back to me. He gave them back and not long thereafter the pious man was again very poor, as before. He again sat on the garbage heap in torn clothes. Elijah the Prophet again came to him and asked him, how are things going for you? He responded, very difficult. Elijah said to him: will you swear to me that you will be pious if you will become rich again and pray with concentration. He said, yes. He took the two pennies and became rich, as before.⁴²Yalkut Shimoni, Ruth, Remez 601.

So the two of them went on. Rabbi Abahu said, “Come and see how dear the proselytes are before the Holy One, Blessed Is He. As soon as she decided to convert, Scripture compared her to Naomi [by stating, “the two of them...”].²⁸Despite leaving her home and family, Rus’ determination was so strong that Scripture ranks her equally with Naomi.

The whole city was astir. The whole city became astir. They had all gathered to bury the wife of Bo’az, who had died that very day.²⁹Apparently the people of the city were gathered together because “the whole city” learned so quickly of their return. Rashi therefore explains why they had gathered.

Is this [really] Naomi. The hai is vowelized with a chataf because it is in the interrogative. Is this Naomi who was accustomed to travel in covered wagons and with the mules?³⁰Because of the affliction and the hunger that she endured, Naomi’s appearance changed so drastically that they were hardly able to recognize her. Have you seen what has befallen her because she went abroad [i.e., outside Eretz Yisroel]?