By: Binyamin Katsman
6/3/14
Ruth
Chapter 1
In the days before the kings, judges of Israel; there was a
famine in BetLechem. The famine made many people go, and leave from BetLechem
to somewhere else. Naomi (The mother-in-law of Orpah, and Ruth), Orpah, and
Ruth went to Moab. A while before the famine, Naomi’s Orpah’s and Ruth’s
husbands all died. When Naomi heard that the famine in BetLechem ended, she and
Ruth went back BetLechem; and Orpah stayed in Moab.
This Famous line that Ruth said to Naomi before she went
with her to BetLechem.
“For wherever you go,
I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people;
your G-d shall be my G-d; where you die, I will die and be buried.”
Ruth
Chapter 2
Naomi had a relative on her late husband’s side. The
relatives name was Boaz. One day, Ruth said to Naomi that she was going to
glean in the fields. The Torah says that when we harvest crops, we shall not
pick up the stalks of whatever you planted; you have to leave the stalks that
have fallen to the ground for the poor to glean. Ruth did just that. Ruth went
to the fields which happened to the fields of Boaz to glean. When Boaz sees who
was gleaning in his fields, he told Ruth…
“Stay gleaning in
these fields. Boaz told the men not to bother Ruth. If Ruth wants a drink, she
can get a drink from the men’s jars of water which they have drawn.”
Boaz makes sure that Ruth gets enough food to eat. Boaz
tells his men to leave some extra stalks for Ruth to glean. When Ruth gets
home, she tells Naomi all about Boaz. Naomi then says…
“Bless be he of the
Lord who has not failed in his kindness to living or to the dead. For the man
is related to us. He is one of our redeeming kinsman.”
That means that Boaz could be Ruth’s late husband and
provide security for Ruth.
Ruth
Chapter 3
Naomi
was then struck with an idea. Naomi says to Ruth… “I must find a home for you
which you will be happy there.” Naomi tells Ruth to dress up, and go to the
threshing floor. When Boaz sits down Ruth shall
uncover Boaz’s feet when he lies down.
Boaz told Ruth…
“There is someone else in
line before you. In the morning if he redeemer, good! Let him. But if he does
not, I will be a redeemer for you.”
Ruth
Chapter 4
When
Boaz went to the city gate, he saw someone else who was closer related to
Ruth’s late Husband. Boaz says to this relative (Ploni Almoni) about the land
that belongs to the late son of Naomi’s late husband, and that Ploni Almoni has
the right to refusal in purchasing the land.
Boaz says…“If you are willing to redeem the land, and
redeem it. But if you don’t, then tell me.”
Ploni says he will redeem the land.
Boaz says…“If you
want to redeem the land, you also must marry Ruth, the widow, so that her late
husband’s name will be perpetuated.”
Ploni says that he will now not redeem the land.
In the end Ruth and Boaz were married and they had a son
named Obed, who was the father of Jesse, who was the father of David, who
became King of Israel.
