Our kinsman. Our relative.

Behold, he will be winnowing. The chaff, vraner in O.F.

Tonight. Because the generation was unrestrained in theft and robbery; he would sleep in his granary to guard his granary.

[And you shall] bathe. From the contamination of your [past] idolatry.¹

footnotes: ¹ Rus, obviously does not have to be told to do such a basic thing (i.e., to bathe), therefore it must allude for her to remove the contamination of her past idolatry.

And scent yourself. These are the [Torah’s] precepts.

Dress [yourself] in your finest garb. Shabbos garments.²

footnotes: ² Maseches Shabbos 113b. The word שמלה rather than בגד or לבוש indicates especially fine clothing of Shabbos or Yom Tov. Malbim Alternatively, the mere mention to put on clothes is superfluous, it therefore must refer to Shabbos clothing. (Sifsei Chachomim)

And go down to the threshing floor. It is written וְיָרַדְתִּי [=and I will go down]; [i.e.,] my merit will go down with you.³

footnotes: ³ And protect you from any mishap.

But do not identify yourself to the man. To Bo’az.

So she went down to the threshing floor and she did. She [Naomi] said to her, “Bathe and scent yourself, dress yourself in the finest garb,” and afterwards, “and go down to the threshing floor.” But she [Rus] did not do so, but [instead] she said, “If I go down when I am dressed up, whoever meets me or sees me will think that I am a harlot.” She therefore first went down to the threshing floor and afterwards adorned herself, as her mother-in-law had instructed.⁴

footnotes: ⁴ Maseches Shabbos 113b.

And his heart was jubilant. Because he engaged in Torah [study].⁵

footnotes: ⁵ Alternatively, he was happy that his prayers were accepted and the famine ended. (Targum)

And she came in softly. בַלָּט =] silently.⁶

footnotes: ⁶ Alternatively, slowly. (Radak)

The man was startled. He thought it was a demon and wanted to scream, but she held him and encompassed him with her arms.

And [he] turned about. וַיִּלָּפֵת =] and he was seized, as in, “And Shimshon grasped וַיִּלְפֹּת.”⁷

footnotes: ⁷ Shoftim 16:29. Alternatively, “his skin Hardened [like a turnip= לפת] from fright.” (Maseches Sanhedrin 19b)

And behold there was a woman. He placed his hand on her head and recognized that it was a woman [and not a demon].⁸

footnotes: ⁸ Because demons have no hair. Alternatively, he realized from her voice that she was a woman, or he saw her by the light of the moon.

Spread your mantle. The corner of your garment to cover me with your cloak; and this is an expression of marriage.⁹

footnotes: ⁹ An expression taken from birds who spread their wings [כנף] when they mate. (Malbim)

For you are a near kinsman. To redeem my husband’s inheritance, as it is stated, “and a close relative comes and redeems, etc.”¹⁰ And my mother-in-law and I must sell our inheritance, and now it is incumbent upon you to buy it. Acquire [i.e., marry] me also, along with it,¹¹ so that the name of the deceased be remembered upon his estate, so that when I come to the field they will say, “this is Machlon’s wife.”

footnotes: ¹⁰ Vayikra 25:25. ¹¹ The Torah requires only that he redeem the relative’s property, but it does not require that he redeem his relative’s wife. She therefore asked him to marry her.

[Your] earlier [kindness]. That you did for your mother-in-law.¹²

footnotes: ¹² When you abandoned your home and fortune to stay with your mother-in-law. Your last act of kindness, i.e., your willingness to marry an older man to perpetuate your late husband’s name is a greater sacrifice on your part.

Now, though it is true that. אִם [=if] is written but not read, i.e., it conveys uncertainty [who will be the actual redeemer], for there is surely a redeemer closer than I.¹³ (Another version: “כִּי אִם” conveys doubt, but it is certain [that he was a definite redeemer]).¹⁴ Rabbi Yehoshua the son of Leivi said, “Salmone, Elimelech, and Tov were brothers. Then what is the meaning [of the statement by Bo’az], “which belonged to our brother, to Elimelech”? A person always refers to his uncle as his brother, as the matter is stated, “And Avrom heard that his brother was captured.”¹⁵ Now was not Avrohom his [Lot’s] uncle?¹⁶ So was Bo’az, Elimelech’s nephew, a relative of Machlon, but Tov was more closely related.

footnotes: ¹³ The kinsman was Elimelech’s brother whereas Bo’az was only his nephew. ¹⁴ I.e., without the word אם to indicate that there was actually no uncertainty, i.e., that Bo’az knew that he would indeed be the one to redeem her. ¹⁵ Bereishis 14:14. ¹⁶ Lot’s father Haran, was Avrohom’s brother; see Bereishis 11:27.

Even closer than I. For he [Tov] is a brother, and I am a brother’s son [i.e., nephew].¹⁷

footnotes: ¹⁷ And therefore he has priority.

Stay the night. Stay over [one more night] without a husband.

As Adonoy lives. She said to him, “You are dismissing me with words [i.e., excuses].” He jumped up and swore to her¹⁸ that he would not dismiss her with words. Some of our Rabbis said that he swore to his evil inclination, for his evil inclination was inciting him [by saying], “You are not married and she is not married; be intimate with her.” So he swore that he would not be intimate with her except with marriage.

footnotes: ¹⁸ ‘חי ה is the Biblical form of an oath, as in I Shmuel 19:6.

For he said, “It must not be known.” This refers back to “and she arose before one could recognize [another].” He hurried her to rise because he said in his heart, “It does not befit my honor that it should be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.”¹⁹

footnotes: ¹⁹ According to the Alshich, Bo’az was concerned with Rus’ reputation rather than his own, because his righteousness was well known and nobody would suspect him of acting immorally.

Six measures of barley. It is impossible to say [that it means] six se’ah, because it is not customary for a woman to carry such a [large] load; rather, [it means] literally, six barleycorns; and he hinted to her that there was destined to emerge from her a son who would be blessed with six blessings: “the spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and fear of Adonoy.”²⁰ which is one sixth of a se’ah, also referred to as a שש and mentioned in Yechezkel 45:13. The Mishnah in Maseches Pe’ah (8:7) states that a poor person who is traveling from place to place must be given not less than a half kav of wheat from which to make bread. Bo’az therefore gave Naomi a whole kav, one half for Rus and the other half for herself. (Malbim) The six barleycorns may allude to the six righteous men, each blessed with six virtues are destined to descend from this marriage: Dovid, Daniel, Chananya, Mishaeil, Azaryah and Moshiach. (Targum)

footnotes: ²⁰ Yeshaya 11:2. Alternatively, this is the equivalent of a kav

Until he settles. [I.e., until] the man [settles] the matter today.