Introduction
"Have you not heard, my daughter" - You See How They Speak in Your Favor
וַיֹּאמֶר בֹּעַז אֶל־רוּת הֲלוֹא שָׁמַעַתְּ בִּתִּי אַל־תֵּלְכִי לִלְקֹט בְּשָׂדֶה אַחֵר וְגַם לֹא תַעֲבוּרִי מִזֶּה וְכֹה תִדְבָּקִין עִם־נַעֲרֹתָי׃ - Boaz said to Ruth, "Have you not heard, my daughter? Do not go to glean in another field, nor cross over from here; and stay close here with my maidens."
The Vilna Gaon explains: Boaz was telling her, see how you hear and see how they praise you here, what favorable things they say on your behalf - qualities that warrant my taking you as a wife. This connects to the Malbim's explanation: When Boaz arrived and saw the large quantity she had gleaned, he wondered in his heart whether she had taken something from the sheaves that was not permitted to her. Then the youth, his worker, came and explained to him that everything she did was completely legitimate and permissible, and that she had not taken anything forbidden. Therefore, Boaz said to her: "Have you not heard, my daughter" - do you see how favorably you are judged here, how they speak in your defense? Therefore, "Do not go to glean in another field," for there they may not look upon you kindly and may not give you the benefit of the doubt.
And what is added by "nor cross over from here"? To this Boaz says: Do not move even among my own fields. For I have many fields, and you might think: "They respect me on Boaz's estate, so I will go to another field of his." He tells her: No. Stay specifically in this field, for it is possible that the overseer there or the lads themselves will not be pleased with you, will not treat you properly, and might even mistreat you. Therefore: "nor cross over from here."
Beyond this, since there was a concern regarding modesty, he added: "and stay close here with my maidens." In the field there were both young men and young women, male and female laborers, working in two separate areas - these reaping here and those there. Boaz told her: Walk alongside the maidens and not alongside the young men. And why? Because I see that you are modest, and on the contrary - my wish is that you preserve your modesty.
"And When You Are Thirsty, Go and Drink" - A Special Privilege in the Waters of Bethlehem
עֵינַיִךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר־יִקְצֹרוּן וְהָלַכְתְּ אַחֲרֵיהֶן הֲלוֹא צִוִּיתִי אֶת־הַנְּעָרִים לְבִלְתִּי נׇגְעֵךְ וְצָמִת וְהָלַכְתְּ אֶל־הַכֵּלִים וְשָׁתִית מֵאֲשֶׁר יִשְׁאֲבוּן הַנְּעָרִים׃ - "Keep your eyes on the field that they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men draw."
"Keep your eyes on the field that they reap" - meaning the maidens; "and go after them" - after the maidens. And do not fear that the young men might take offense and say to you: "Why are you going there? Is it not good for you to glean near us? Have we done you any harm?" To this he reassures her: "Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you?" - I have instructed them not to say a word to you and not to rebuke you for leaving their area and going over to the maidens' side.
Not only this, but he granted her an additional privilege that was not given to others: "And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men draw." For if not for this, what is the novelty? It would have been enough to say "and when you are thirsty, drink"; furthermore, would water be withheld from a thirsty pauper? Rather, the Malbim explains, King David later said: "Who will give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate?" - the simple meaning being that there was exceptionally pure and clear water there, special water from the cistern of Bethlehem. And "by the gate" was the seat of the Sanhedrin, as Bethlehem was the seat of the Sanhedrin, and maidens were not permitted to come and draw water from there, because it was not fitting for modesty that young women should draw water where the Sanhedrin convened - rather, only the young men drew from there.
And since it was a great effort to walk all the way there and bring it back, they did not give this special water to paupers; to a pauper they would say: "Go to the nearby well." Therefore, Boaz said to her: I am granting you a special privilege, that you may drink from the vessels drawn by the young men - from the special water brought from the cistern of Bethlehem, and not merely from what the maidens draw from nearby, which is not of such high quality.
"Why Have I Found Favor in Your Eyes" - Ruth's Downcast Countenance
וַתִּפֹּל עַל־פָּנֶיהָ וַתִּשְׁתַּחוּ אָרְצָה וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו מַדּוּעַ מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ לְהַכִּירֵנִי וְאָנֹכִי נׇכְרִיָּה׃ - And she fell on her face and bowed down to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should single me out, seeing that I am a foreigner?"
Ruth asks: If I have found such favor in your eyes, it must be either on account of myself, that you saw something virtuous in me, or on account of my family, that you know my relatives. Therefore she began, "Why have I found favor in your eyes" - what good did you see in me on my own merit? And regarding the second possibility, she said, "seeing that I am a foreigner" - I have no family here at all; my husband died, my father is Eglon, so from where do you know me? It turns out that it is neither on my own account nor on account of my family.
Others explain further: "Why have I found favor in your eyes" - if your intention is for marriage, I am after all a foreigner. And where do we see that this refers to marriage? From the words of the Gemara, "the grace [chen] of a woman is upon her husband." And to this she says: Who would want a foreign woman, a convert with no pedigree, and certainly not you, a judge and a distinguished leader! Furthermore, I am a Moabitess - from the nation that did not greet you with bread and water, yet you say to me: come and glean bread, go and drink water. What did you see in me to treat me like this?
And the Vilna Gaon explains wonderfully: As is known, when a person's desire is thwarted, his face falls, as was said to Cain, "Why has your face fallen?" At first, Ruth heard encouraging words, the speech of someone addressing her with honor and intending to marry her - "Behold, you see the youths saying that you are fitting for me," and similar hints. Yet in the end, instead of taking her as a wife, he sends her to glean with the young women. This was deferred hope that yielded nothing. And this is what she meant: "Why have I found favor in your eyes to take special notice of me [lehakireni]" - "favor" (chen) is the grace of a wife in the eyes of her husband, and "to take notice of me" means to take me in marriage, "seeing that I am a foreigner" - and yet in the end I see that you treat me as a foreigner and send me to glean in the field. Therefore, "she fell on her face" - an expression of grief, like a fallen countenance, for her hope had been dashed.
Boaz's Response: The Deeds, the Conversion, and the Halachic Uncertainty
וַיַּעַן בֹּעַז וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ הֻגֵּד הֻגַּד לִי כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂית אֶת־חֲמוֹתֵךְ אַחֲרֵי מוֹת אִישֵׁךְ וַתַּעַזְבִי אָבִיךְ וְאִמֵּךְ וְאֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתֵּךְ וַתֵּלְכִי אֶל־עַם אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדַעַתְּ תְּמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם׃ - And Boaz answered and said to her, "It has been fully told to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and went to a people you did not know in days past."
Boaz responds: As for my earlier hint that I wished to marry you, it was because I had heard of your extraordinary deeds and of your conversion. However, when I heard that you had left your people, your father and mother and the land of your birth - and your nation is Moab, and the Torah states, "An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter the congregation of Hashem," and the foreman had indeed told me, "She is a Moabite maiden" - I was cast into doubt as to whether you are permitted to me. Therefore, in the meantime, I told you to glean among the young women and stay here, as a sign that my intentions regarding you have not been abandoned, but merely require halachic clarification.
And as we will see later, the halachah of "an Ammonite, but not an Ammonitess; a Moabite, but not a Moabitess" had not yet been fully clarified at that time, and their grasp of it was tenuous. Boaz needed to convene the Sanhedrin and the Sages so that they could establish the halachah clearly. Even that did not suffice, for in David's time this halachah once again became disputed among them, and only after David's era was it firmly established, making it clear to all that a Moabitess is permitted to enter the congregation.
The Malbim explains: Boaz enumerates here two merits for which she found favor in his eyes. The first is, "It has been fully told to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband," which testifies to the goodness of her character and the kindness of her heart. For typically, a daughter-in-law resents her mother-in-law, and especially after the husband's death, when she no longer feels any obligation: as long as my husband was alive, I was compelled to honor her for his sake, but now that he is gone, what do I have to do with you? Yet as for you, not only did you harbor no resentment toward your mother-in-law, but even after your husband died, you went and supported her - and this is no small feat at all.
And the second is, "and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and went to a people you did not know in days past": you converted purely for the sake of Hashem, without any personal benefit or gain. Here you came to be a destitute, solitary woman, whereas you could have remained a princess and returned to your parents' house, to the royal palace - yet you left it all behind. This is the definitive proof that your conversion was truly for the sake of Heaven.
The Chiddush of the Minchat Chinuch: "You Shall Not Seek Their Peace or Their Prosperity"
The Minchat Chinuch introduces a major novel insight. There is a negative prohibition in the Torah regarding an Ammonite and a Moabite: "You shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity all your days." The Minchat Chinuch makes two points: first, that this prohibition applies even after they convert - if an Ammonite or a Moabite converts, the prohibition of "You shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity" still stands. Second, that it applies to women as well. Although our Sages expounded, "An Ammonite shall not enter" - but not an Ammonitess, and an Ammonite woman is permitted to marry into the congregation, nevertheless, regarding "You shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity," there is no distinction between a male Ammonite and a female Ammonite, and it remains forbidden even toward an Ammonite female convert. And the essence of "You shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity" is not to perform actions that express goodwill toward them, assisting or aiding them, but rather to keep one's distance from them all one's days.
"May Hashem Repay Your Deeds, and May Your Reward Be Complete"
יְשַׁלֵּם יְהֹוָה פׇּעֳלֵךְ וּתְהִי מַשְׂכֻּרְתֵּךְ שְׁלֵמָה מֵעִם יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר־בָּאת לַחֲסוֹת תַּחַת־כְּנָפָיו׃ - May Hashem repay your deed, and may your reward be complete from Hashem, God of Israel, under Whose wings you have come to take refuge.
At first glance, there seems to be a redundancy here: if "May Hashem repay your deed," then naturally "May your reward be complete." However, the Malbim explains: "May Hashem repay your deed" corresponds to what you did for your mother-in-law; "and may your reward be complete from Hashem, God of Israel" corresponds to your conversion. Hashem is the God of Israel, Who watches over Israel, and not over Israel alone, but also over the converts who attach themselves to them. The name of Israel already rests upon you, for "you have come to take refuge under His wings" - and if so, you too are part of Israel, and may your reward be complete.
The Midrash of Rabbi Chasa: Task Worker and Hired Employee
The Midrash states: Rabbi Chasa said, "Under Whose wings you have come to take refuge." This is a puzzling Midrash: aside from the wordplay between his name (Chasa) and the verse (lachasot), what did Rabbi Chasa add beyond what is already stated explicitly in the verse?
The Malbim explains: There is a difference between wages (*sechar*) and task-payment (*pe'ulah*), and between a hired employee (*sachir*) and a task worker (*po'el*). A *po'el* is an artisan paid for his specific product - a tailor is paid per suit and not by time, and likewise one who crafted a vessel is paid per vessel; this is known as payment for work accomplished (*sechar pe'ulah*). A *sachir*, on the other hand, is hired for a set duration: a month, a year, or even several years, like Rabbi Akiva who was hired for three years. A hired employee receives a regular wage whether there was work to do or not. An employer cannot say to his hired worker at the end of the day, "You sat idle for twenty minutes, so I will deduct that from your wages" - for the worker rightly responds: "I was present here for you to give me work; my entire day was dedicated to your service, and I set aside my time for you." By contrast, a task worker is paid solely for what he actually completed.
Now, for every single mitzvah a person performs, he receives reward - and this falls under the category of a *po'el*, who is paid for each distinct deed: you put on tefillin - receive reward, just as when a tailor finishes a suit - he receives payment. Therefore Boaz told her, "May Hashem repay your deed (*po'alech*)": for each and every mitzvah you fulfill, you will receive reward in its own right. But beyond that - "and may your reward (*maskurtech*, related to *sachir*) be complete": for the very fact that you have now undertaken to become a hired servant of Hashem, having dedicated your entire being to Him by converting. Until now she was a gentile, living as a private individual; from now on she subordinates herself to her Creator and accepts all the mitzvot upon herself, becoming like a hired employee of Hashem for all the days of her life. For this, a continuous and complete wage is due, just as a hired worker receives payment even for a day when no work was assigned - simply because he reported in the morning and declared: "Here I am, ready for work."
This is what Rabbi Chasa meant by citing, "Under Whose wings you have come to take refuge": For what does she deserve a complete wage? For the very act of coming. Just as a hired worker deserves a full day's wage simply for showing up for work, having set aside his time and arrived, so too Ruth deserves a complete reward simply for coming to take refuge, having dedicated herself completely to Hashem's service. And beyond that - "May Hashem repay your deed," so that you should not think this is all; rather, you will also receive additional reward for every single deed, above and beyond the comprehensive wage for having "come to take refuge."
Why Is Reward Due for Mitzvot at All?
The Malbim raises a fundamental question: Seemingly, when a person performs Hashem's commandments, he deserves no reward whatsoever. For if someone is privileged to serve the supreme, exalted King, and through this service attains an elevated and sublime level, acquiring the perfection of his soul and rising ever higher - that itself is the greatest conceivable reward. What more could be required? The very perfection he acquired for his soul, and the sheer privilege of being a servant who beholds the face of the supreme King, are the highest and greatest reward possible.
Imagine: someone arrives at the home of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, and an announcement is made that a cup of tea is needed for the Rav - who is willing? Before the sentence is even finished, ten cups would already be standing ready. And if someone were to say: "Wait, nobody mentioned payment here" - they would reply: "Payment? I would pay a thousand shekels for this privilege!" Someone once shared an indirect experience of this very privilege: he was at the home of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, and afterward people asked if anyone was driving to a certain destination. Having a car there, he said yes. They told him that the Rebbetzin needed to go there, and she asked: "Would you be willing to wait a moment while I prepare a cup of tea for the Rav?" He replied, "Of course, without question," and waited. Thus he merited, albeit indirectly, to facilitate a cup of tea for Rav Chaim Kanievsky. Now, if someone is willing to pay for the privilege of serving a great human being, how much more so is the service of the Creator of the universe the greatest possible privilege! Why, then, would anyone deserve wages for fulfilling mitzvot? Yet the Torah repeatedly promises: "So that it may go well with you," "that your days may be lengthened," and many similar promises. It is truly wondrous - for "the reward of a mitzvah is the mitzvah itself," which is the greatest reward a person could ever have.
Rather, says the Malbim, one who truly understands this needs no promises at all, requires no reward, and requires no wage; he acts solely for this very purpose. However, there are many of weaker mindset who do not understand this, in whose eyes the Torah and mitzvot are a burden, a difficulty, toil and exertion - and they must be compensated with promises of reward. But a person of stature needs no promises; even if he were told that for every mitzvah one must pay a fine or receive a punishment, he would still pursue the mitzvot and say: I am willing to pay in order to fulfill a mitzvah, for he knows what perfection he acquires for his soul.
According to this, the verse is explained: "May Hashem repay your deed" - He will give you the reward for your action. But in truth, you do not need promises, for "may your reward be complete from Hashem" - the essence of the complete reward is "under Whose wings you have come to take refuge." This is the greatest distinction you have acquired, and this is the ultimate reward: that you have merited to draw close to Hashem. And this is what Rabbi Chasa meant by "Under Whose wings you have come to take refuge" - what is the primary reward for? For the very fact that you came to take refuge, that you acquired spiritual perfection and merited to serve the King.
The Vilna Gaon's Explanation: A Convert Can Demand Reward
The Vilna Gaon explains in a third way. A born Jew who serves Hashem does not serve in order to receive a reward, because he is fundamentally obligated to do so: his very body belongs to Hashem, Blessed be He, "For to Me the Children of Israel are servants," and the Holy One, Blessed be He, states that He took us out of the land of Egypt to be servants to Him. Were it not so, we, our children, and our children's children would still be enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt. It turns out that we cannot demand a reward - we are servants of Hashem.
However, one who was not in Egypt and whose ancestors did not depart from there, but is rather a convert - who was a gentile and nevertheless came and converted - such a person can indeed request a reward, and he deserves it. He says: I was not obligated in anything, I was not redeemed, I owe nothing to anyone, and yet I came and acted. This does not mean that a born Jew will not receive a reward, Heaven forbid - he certainly will, but he cannot legally demand it by right, and receiving it is an act of chesed; whereas the convert can demand it.
According to this, Boaz's words are well understood: "May Hashem repay your deed, and may your reward be complete" - you can certainly ask for reward, and why? "Under Whose wings you have come to take refuge." To an ordinary person who asks for the reward of his deed and a full wage, they would say: You have no right to ask for anything. But you - you can demand a wage, for you were not part of the Jewish people and you came on your own accord. And this is what Rabbi Chasa meant by citing: "Under Whose wings you have come to take refuge." For he was troubled: Why did Boaz need to tell her that Hashem would pay her reward, when it is obvious, as "trustworthy is your Employer to pay you the reward of your labor"? Rather, he came to tell her: You deserve reward by right, and you can demand it - because you came to take refuge.
"And May Your Reward Be Complete [Sheleimah]" - Shlomo
It is said homiletically: "And may your reward be complete [sheleimah]" - do not read it as sheleimah, but rather as Shlomo [Solomon]. What was the reward of Ruth, who came and converted? That King Shlomo descended from her. And it is written that she was the mother of royalty, and merited wondrous longevity: from the period of the rule of the Judges until the days of Shlomo sitting upon his royal throne, a very long era - and the throne beside him, "and placed a throne for the king's mother," that was Ruth the Moabitess. This is "and may your reward be Shlomo."
"Under His Wings" - The Level of Converts
And what is "under Whose wings you have come to take refuge"? As is known from the Zohar, converts are under the wings of the Shechinah, whereas the Jewish people are above the wings of the Shechinah, for their level is higher. For this reason, many wonder about the text recited in the Hashkabah prayer, "under the wings of the Shechinah, in the heights of the holy" - why "under," when Israel is above the wings of the Shechinah? But here, since Ruth was a convert, Boaz spoke to her with precise phrasing: you have come to take refuge under His wings.
In Summary: