A kinsman. A relative; he was the son of Elimelech’s brother. Our Rabbis of blessed memory said, “Elimelech, and Salmone¹ the father of Bo’az, and the anonymous kinsman,² and the father of Naomi,³ were all sons of Nachshon,⁴ the son of Aminadav.⁵ Yet the merit of their fathers was no avail them when they left the Land [of Yisroel] to go abroad.”

footnotes: ¹ Rus 4:21. ² Ibid. 4:1. ³ Therefore Bo’az and Naomi were cousins. ⁴ Shemos 6:23 and Bamidbar 10:14. ⁵ Maseches Bava Basra 91a.

Let me go now to the field. To one of the fields of the people of the city, after one of them, “in whose eyes I will find favor,” so that he will not rebuke me.

And glean among the stalks, behind one in whose eyes I will find favor. After someone in whose eyes I will find favor.⁶

footnotes: ⁶ Alternatively, after I find favor in his eyes, i.e., I will not glean in a field until I know the owner allows it. (Malbim)

So she went, and came and gleaned in the field. We find in Midrash Rus [the question is raised], “Before she had even gone she returned?” For it states, “and [she] came” and afterwards “and gleaned” [i.e., she came back before she gleaned]? Rather, [the Midrash explains] she would mark the roads before she entered the field, and she went and came and returned to the city, in order to make signs and markings so that she would not stray in the paths and she should know how to return.⁷

footnotes: ⁷ Alternatively, Rabbi Eliezer said that she kept on coming back until she found decent people with whom to go. (Maseches Shabbos 113b).

[And as Divine fate decreed] she happened. To come to the portion of the field belonging to Bo’az.

To whom does this maiden belong. Was it the practice of Bo’az to inquire about women? Rather, [because] he saw her modest and wise behavior [he was curious about her. He observed that] two ears she would glean but three she would not glean;⁸ and she would glean the standing ears while standing and the lying ones while sitting, in order to avoid bending over.⁹

footnotes: ⁸ As prescribed by the Mishnah (Pe’ah 6:5). The Torah in Vayikra 19:9 awards the fallen ears of grain and forgotten sheaves to the poor. Thus her exemplary behavior and her knowledge of the law caught the attention of Bo’az and he therefore inquired about her. ⁹ Maseches Shabbos 113b.

Who returned with Naomi. The accent is at the beginning, under the shin, because it is the past tense, and not the present tense [of the verb].¹⁰

footnotes: ¹⁰ See Rashi in Bereishis 29:6.

And she did say. To herself.

Please allow me to glean. The gleaning of the ears.

And gather among the sheaves. The forgotten sheaves.¹¹

footnotes: ¹¹ Devarim 24:19.

And when you are thirsty, go to the jugs. And if you are thirsty, do not be ashamed to go and drink from the vessels of water that the young men will draw.

I cannot even be considered as one of your handmaidens. I am not as worthy as one of your handmaidens.

And dip your bread in the vinegar. From here [we derive] that vinegar is good for the heat.¹²

footnotes: ¹² Maseches Shabbos 113b. It is a popular and refreshing drink for those who toil in extremely hot climates.

And he handed her some roasted grain. And he extended to her. There is no similar [word] in Scripture, but only in the language of the Mishnah, “the outside, the inside and the handle [= בֵית הַצְּבִיטָה.”¹³

footnotes: ¹³ Maseches Chagigah 3:1.

And let [some sheaves] fall for her. שֹׁל תָּשֹׁלּוּ =] you should forget; pretend as though you are forgetting.¹⁴ The Targum for שְׁגָגָה [=oversight], is שְׁלוּתָא,¹⁵ and similarly, “because of this error.”¹⁶ Another explanation [of שֹׁל תָּשֹׁלּוּ is “let fall”], an expression [as in,] “your olive tree will cast off [= יִשַּׁל [its fruit].”¹⁷

footnotes: ¹⁴ The double verb indicates that the action was to be repeated many times. ¹⁵ Bamidbar 15:25. ¹⁶ II Shmuel 6:7. ¹⁷ Devarim 28:40.

Bundles. Small sheaves, and there is a similar expression in the language of the Mishnah, “[If] he found them [tefillin] tied up in bundles or in packets.”¹⁸

footnotes: ¹⁸ Maseches Eruvin 10:1.

Blessed be he that took note of you. [I.e.,] the owner of the field who showed you favor [and allowed you] to glean in his field.¹⁹

footnotes: ¹⁹ Alternatively, the person who takes note of you and marries you will be blessed because you are a gifted person. (Gra).

With the living and with the deceased. That he feeds and sustains the living, and occupies himself with the needs of the deceased.²⁰

footnotes: ²⁰ The “needs of the deceased” refers to the kindness displayed by Bo’az to Elimelech and his sons. (Ibn Ezra) Alternatively, the “needs of the deceased” refers to the willingness of Bo’az to perform a levirate marriage and will thus do kindness to the memory of her deceased husband. (Alshich)