הַֽ֭אֱנוֹשׁ מֵאֱל֣וֹהַ יִצְדָּ֑ק אִ֥ם מֵ֝עֹשֵׂ֗הוּ יִטְהַר־גָּֽבֶר׃
קען אַ מענטש פֿאַר גאָט זײַן גערעכט?צי קען פֿאַר זײַן באַשעפֿער רײן זײַן אַ מאַן?
Bamidbar Rabbah
“It was on the day that [Moses] concluded…” – that is what is written: “Will a man be more just than God…?” (Job 4:17). Rabbi Berekhya HaKohen said: When Jacob went to Pharaoh, he did not leave his presence until he blessed him, as it is stated: “Jacob blessed Pharaoh” (Genesis 47:10). What did he bless him? He said to him: May the Nile rise to your feet.3It signified the end of the famine. I, too, when I come to you, I come laden with blessings. Where did He allude to it to them? It was at Sinai. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: By means of an allusion, the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel that they should craft the Tabernacle and He would give them blessings when He came, as it is stated: “You shall craft for Me an altar of earth…in every place that I mention my name, I will come to you and I will bless you” (Exodus 20:21). So, He did; when He came to the Tabernacle, He blessed them, as it is stated: “May the Lord bless you and protect you” (Numbers 6:24). When? It was “on the day that [Moses] concluded [erecting the Tabernacle].” We learned that man is not more just than God. That is, “will a man be more just than God…?” No. It is, rather, that the Holy One blessed be He, too, blessed Israel when He came to them. That is why it is written: “May the Lord bless you and protect you,” and it juxtaposed to it: "It was on the day that [Moses] concluded…”
Pesikta DeRav Kahana
"Comfort, O comfort, my people." (Is. 40:1.)
"Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be purer than his Maker?" (Job 4:17.) Now, is [it even possible to fathom that] there a man who is more righteous than his Creator? Rather, [what is the meaning of] "Can a man be purer than his Maker?" Said the Holy One Blessed be He, Boaz provides comfort; should I not provide comfort? [And how did] Boaz provide comfort? "Boaz answered and said to her, 'It has been repeatedly told (huged hugad (הוגד הוגד)) to me...." (Ruth 2:11.) And why [does the verse say] huged hugad two times? For he [actually] said to her, "It was told to me in the house, and it was told to me in the field." [The verse then relates what Boaz had been told:] "All that you did for your mother-in-law after after the death of your husband" -- and needless to say, during the lifetime of your husband. "And that you left your father and your mother" -- [that is] "your actual father and mother." "And the land of your birth" -- [that is] "your neighborhood." Another interpretation: "And you left your father and your mother" -- that is "your idols," [as it is said,] "They say to wood, 'You are my father,' and to stone, 'You gave birth to me.'" (Jer. 2:27.) "And the land of your birth," that is "your province" (אפרכייה).*Buber suggests that this refers to a government principality, as opposed to a small township, with the relevance here being that in this way Ruth's leaving would signify her permanently alienating herself from the reigning power of her former home, i.e., Moab, rather than simply leaving one's home. "And you came to a people who you did not know of yesterday or the day before yesterday" (Ruth 2:11): He was saying to her, "For if you had come to our place yesterday or the day before yesterday (i.e., anytime in the past), we would not have accepted you," for the halacha [that "An Ammonite and a Moabite shall not enter the congregation of God" (Deut. 23:4)] had not yet been revised [to exclude only] a male Ammonite, but not a female Ammonite, and a male Moabite, but not a female Moabite. § "May the Lord recompense you for your deeds...." (Ruth 2:12): He was saying to her, "He who in the future will bestow upon the righteous their reward, he will bestow upon you your reward. "And it shall be your full (sh'lemah) reward": "Shlomo" (i.e., King Solomon) is written. Said Rabbi Yosei, he said to her, "Solomon will arise from you." "From the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you have come to seek refuge under His wings (k'nafav)." (Ruth 2:12.) Said Rabbi Abun, we have heard that there are wings for the earth, wings for the dawn, wings for the sun, wings for the Cherubs, wings for the Chayot, wings for the Seraphim. Wings for the earth, as it is written, "From the wing (k'enaf, i.e., extremity) of the earth we heard singing." (Is. 24:16.) Wings for the dawn, as it is written, "If I take wing (kanfei) with the dawn, etc." (Ps. 139:8.) Wings for the sun, as it is written, "And there shall rise for you -- those who fear My Name -- a sun of righteousness, and it will heal with its wings (b'kanafeha), etc." (Mal. 3:20.) Wings for the Cherubs, as it is written, "And the sound of the wings of the Cherubs, etc." (Ez. 10:5.) Wings for the Chayot, as it is written, "And the sound of the wings of the Chayot." (Ez. 3:13).) Wings for the Seraphim, as it is written, "And the Seraphim were standing above Him, six wings [each], etc." (Is. 6:2.) Said Rabbi Abun, Great is the power of those who perform acts of kindness, because they do not take shelter, neither in the shade of the wings of the earth, nor in the shade of the wings of the dawn, nor in the shade of the wings of the sun, nor in the shade of the wings of the Cherubs, nor in the shade of the wings of the Chayot, nor in the shade of the wings of the Seraphim. And in whose shade do they take refuge? In the shade of the Holy One Blessed be He. That is what is written, "How precious is Your lovingkindness, O Lord, and humankind takes shelter in the shade of Your wings." § "And she said, 'Let me find favor in your eyes, my lord, because you comforted me (nachamti), [and because you spoke to the heart of your maidservant, although I am not [even of so high a rank] as one of your maidservants." (Ruth 2:13.) "And Boaz said to her" (Ruth 2:14): He said to her (lah), "No (lo)! How can you say this? Heaven forbid! Should you be counted as one of the handmaidens (aimahot)? Rather, you shall only be counted as one of the matriarchs (imahot)!" And behold these matters may be deduced a fortiori: If, regarding Boaz, who spoke to the heart of Ruth words of kindness, words of comfort, and she was comforted, how much more so when the Holy One Blessed be He comes to comfort [the heart of] Jerusalem as one, [and thus it says,] "Comfort, O comfort, my people, says your God." (Is. 40:1.)
"Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be purer than his Maker?" (Job 4:17.) Now, is [it even possible to fathom that] there a man who is more righteous than his Creator? Rather, [what is the meaning of] "Can a man be purer than his Maker?" Said the Holy One Blessed be He, Boaz provides comfort; should I not provide comfort? [And how did] Boaz provide comfort? "Boaz answered and said to her, 'It has been repeatedly told (huged hugad (הוגד הוגד)) to me...." (Ruth 2:11.) And why [does the verse say] huged hugad two times? For he [actually] said to her, "It was told to me in the house, and it was told to me in the field." [The verse then relates what Boaz had been told:] "All that you did for your mother-in-law after after the death of your husband" -- and needless to say, during the lifetime of your husband. "And that you left your father and your mother" -- [that is] "your actual father and mother." "And the land of your birth" -- [that is] "your neighborhood." Another interpretation: "And you left your father and your mother" -- that is "your idols," [as it is said,] "They say to wood, 'You are my father,' and to stone, 'You gave birth to me.'" (Jer. 2:27.) "And the land of your birth," that is "your province" (אפרכייה).*Buber suggests that this refers to a government principality, as opposed to a small township, with the relevance here being that in this way Ruth's leaving would signify her permanently alienating herself from the reigning power of her former home, i.e., Moab, rather than simply leaving one's home. "And you came to a people who you did not know of yesterday or the day before yesterday" (Ruth 2:11): He was saying to her, "For if you had come to our place yesterday or the day before yesterday (i.e., anytime in the past), we would not have accepted you," for the halacha [that "An Ammonite and a Moabite shall not enter the congregation of God" (Deut. 23:4)] had not yet been revised [to exclude only] a male Ammonite, but not a female Ammonite, and a male Moabite, but not a female Moabite. § "May the Lord recompense you for your deeds...." (Ruth 2:12): He was saying to her, "He who in the future will bestow upon the righteous their reward, he will bestow upon you your reward. "And it shall be your full (sh'lemah) reward": "Shlomo" (i.e., King Solomon) is written. Said Rabbi Yosei, he said to her, "Solomon will arise from you." "From the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you have come to seek refuge under His wings (k'nafav)." (Ruth 2:12.) Said Rabbi Abun, we have heard that there are wings for the earth, wings for the dawn, wings for the sun, wings for the Cherubs, wings for the Chayot, wings for the Seraphim. Wings for the earth, as it is written, "From the wing (k'enaf, i.e., extremity) of the earth we heard singing." (Is. 24:16.) Wings for the dawn, as it is written, "If I take wing (kanfei) with the dawn, etc." (Ps. 139:8.) Wings for the sun, as it is written, "And there shall rise for you -- those who fear My Name -- a sun of righteousness, and it will heal with its wings (b'kanafeha), etc." (Mal. 3:20.) Wings for the Cherubs, as it is written, "And the sound of the wings of the Cherubs, etc." (Ez. 10:5.) Wings for the Chayot, as it is written, "And the sound of the wings of the Chayot." (Ez. 3:13).) Wings for the Seraphim, as it is written, "And the Seraphim were standing above Him, six wings [each], etc." (Is. 6:2.) Said Rabbi Abun, Great is the power of those who perform acts of kindness, because they do not take shelter, neither in the shade of the wings of the earth, nor in the shade of the wings of the dawn, nor in the shade of the wings of the sun, nor in the shade of the wings of the Cherubs, nor in the shade of the wings of the Chayot, nor in the shade of the wings of the Seraphim. And in whose shade do they take refuge? In the shade of the Holy One Blessed be He. That is what is written, "How precious is Your lovingkindness, O Lord, and humankind takes shelter in the shade of Your wings." § "And she said, 'Let me find favor in your eyes, my lord, because you comforted me (nachamti), [and because you spoke to the heart of your maidservant, although I am not [even of so high a rank] as one of your maidservants." (Ruth 2:13.) "And Boaz said to her" (Ruth 2:14): He said to her (lah), "No (lo)! How can you say this? Heaven forbid! Should you be counted as one of the handmaidens (aimahot)? Rather, you shall only be counted as one of the matriarchs (imahot)!" And behold these matters may be deduced a fortiori: If, regarding Boaz, who spoke to the heart of Ruth words of kindness, words of comfort, and she was comforted, how much more so when the Holy One Blessed be He comes to comfort [the heart of] Jerusalem as one, [and thus it says,] "Comfort, O comfort, my people, says your God." (Is. 40:1.)
Midrash Tanchuma
(Numb. 7:1:) “So it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished.” R. Berekhyah the Priest Berabbi said,101Similarly Numb. R. 12:2. “Before the Tabernacle was erected, when Israel stood before Mount Sinai, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them an intimation that when His Divine Presence would dwell among them, He would then bless them. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, ‘When I come unto you, I will come loaded with blessings.’” R. Berekhyah Berabbi [also] said (citing Job 4:17), “’Shall a human be more righteous than God […]?’ When Jacob went to Pharaoh, he did not depart from him until he had blessed him. And how did he bless him? He said to him [that] the Nile102Gk.: Neilos; Lat.: Nilus. would rise to his foot. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Gen. 47:7), ‘and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘Also when I come unto you, I shall come loaded with blessings.’” And where did they have an intimation of [such blessings]? At Sinai, since it is stated (in Exod. 20:21), “An altar103Of course, such an altar would naturally stand in the Tabernacle. of earth you shall make for Me… I will come unto you and bless you.” Then when He came unto them He blessed them, as stated (in Numb. 6:24), “The Lord bless you […].” When? On the day that the Tabernacle was erected. (Numb. 7:1:) “So it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished (kallot).” Kallat (which means "bride of") is [what is really] written.104PRK 5:1; see especially Numb. R. 12:8, end, which greatly expands this interpretation. [Thus the passage would allude] to the day that [the] bride (kallah) entered the wedding canopy.105In other words, Israel is the bride of the Holy One, and the Tabernacle, her wedding canopy.