רות רבה ז׳Ruth Rabbah 7

Section 1א׳

וַתִּשְׁכַּב מַרְגְּלוֹתָיו עַד הַבֹּקֶר (רות ג, יד), אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּטֶרֶם יַכִּיר אִישׁ בְּטרום כְּתִיב, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּהֲתָה שֵׁשׁ שָׁעוֹת כְּמִנְיַן הַוי"ו. וַיֹּאמֶר אַל יִוָּדַע כִּי בָאָה הָאִשָּׁה הַגֹּרֶן, לְמִי אָמַר, אָמַר רַבִּי מֵאִיר לְבֶן בֵּיתוֹ. רַבִּי חוּנְיָא וְרַבִּי יִרְמְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר רַב יִצְחָק, כָּל אוֹתוֹ הַלַּיְלָה הָיָה בֹּעַז שָׁטוּחַ עַל פָּנָיו וְאוֹמֵר, רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָמִים גָּלוּי וְיָדוּעַ לְפָנֶיךָ שֶׁלֹא נָגַעְתִּי בָּהּ, כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ אַל יִוָּדַע כִּי בָאָה הָאִשָּׁה הַגֹּרֶן, וְלֹא יִתְחַלֵּל בִּי שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם.

“She lay at his feet until the morning, and she arose before one could discern another, as he said: Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor” (Ruth 3:14). “She lay at his feet until the morning.” Rabbi Berekhya said: “Before [beterem] one could discern” — beterom [with a vav] is written, teaching that she stayed there six hours, corresponding to the numerical value of vav. “He said: Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” To whom did he say it? Rabbi Meir said: To a member of his household. Rabbi Ḥunya and Rabbi Yirmeya said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Yitzḥak: Throughout that night, Boaz was flat on his face, and was saying: ‘Master of the universe, it is revealed and known before You that I did not touch her. Likewise, may it be Your will that it not become known that a woman came to the threshing floor, and the name of Heaven will not be profaned because of me.’

Section 2ב׳

וַיֹּאמֶר הָבִי הַמִּטְפַּחַת אֲשֶׁר עָלַיִךְ (רות ג, טו), הָבָה כְּתִיב, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיָה מְדַבֵּר עִמָּהּ בִּלְשׁוֹן זָכָר שֶׁלֹא יַרְגִּישׁ בּוֹ בְּרִיָה, וְאֶחֳזִי בָהּ, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁחָגְרָה מָתְנֶיהָ כְּזָכָר. וַיָּמָד שֵׁשׁ שְׂעֹרִים וַיָּשֶׁת עָלֶיהָ, אָמַר רַבִּי סִימוֹן דָּרַשׁ בַּר קַפָּרָא בְּצִפּוֹרִי, וְכִי יֵשׁ דַּרְכּוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ לִשָֹּׂא לוֹ אִשָּׁה בְּשֵׁשׁ שְׂעוֹרִים, אוֹ דַּרְכָּהּ שֶׁל אִשָּׁה לְהִנָּשֵׂא בְּשֵׁשׁ סְאִין, אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר רַבִּי סִימוֹן בִּזְכוּת וַיָּמָד שֵׁשׁ שְׂעוֹרִים וַיָּשֶׁת עָלֶיהָ, זָכָה וְעָמְדוּ מִמֶּנָּה שִׁשָּׁה צַדִּיקִים, וְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד בָּהֶן שֵׁשׁ מִדּוֹת, דָּוִד, חִזְקִיָּהוּ, יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ, חֲנַנְיָה, מִישָׁאֵל, וַעֲזַרְיָה, דָּנִיֵּאל, וּמֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ. דָּוִד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א טז, יח): יֹדֵעַ נַגֵּן בְּכִנּוֹר וְגִבּוֹר חַיִל וְאִישׁ מִלְחָמָה וּנְבוֹן דָּבָר וְאִישׁ תֹּאַר וַה' עִמּוֹ. חִזְקִיָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה ט, ו): לְמַרְבֵּה הַמִּשְׂרָה וּלְשָׁלוֹם אֵין קֵץ עַל כִּסֵּא וגו', וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ פֶּלֶא יוֹעֵץ אֵל גִּבּוֹר אֲבִי עַד שַׂר שָׁלוֹם. וְאִיכָּא דְאָמְרֵי לְםַרְבֵּה הַמִּשְׂרָה כְּתִיב חָסֵר מ"ם. יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיה יז, ח): וְהָיָה כְּעֵץ שָׁתוּל עַל מַיִם וְעַל יוּבַל יְשַׁלַּח שָׁרָשָׁיו וגו'. חֲנַנְיָה מִישָׁאֵל וַעֲזַרְיָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דניאל א, ד): יְלָדִים אֲשֶׁר אֵין בָּהֶם כָּל מאוּם וְטוֹבֵי מַרְאֶה וגו'. דָּנִיֵּאל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דניאל ה, יב): כָּל קֳבֵל דִּי רוּחַ יַתִּירָה בֵּהּ. מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה יא, ב): וְנָחָה עָלָיו רוּחַ ה' רוּחַ חָכְמָה וגו'.

“He said: Bring the kerchief that is upon you, and hold it, and she held it. He measured six measures of barley, and placed it on her; and he came to the city” (Ruth 3:15). “He said: Bring [havi (fem.)] the kerchief that is upon you,” – hava [masc.] is written, teaching that he spoke to her in masculine language so no one would sense. “And hold it,” teaching that she girded her loins like a man. “He measured six measures of barley, and placed it on her.” Rabbi Simon said: Bar Kappara expounded in Tzippori: Is it the way of a king to marry a woman with six grains of barley? Or is it the way of a woman to carry six se’a? Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Simon said: By virtue of “he measured [vayamod] six barleys and he placed them on her,” she was privileged, and six righteous men emerged from her, and each one of them had six attributes [middot]: David, Hezekiah, Josiah, Ḥananya, Mishael, Azarya, Daniel, and the messianic king. David, as it is stated: “Skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, understands matters, a comely person, and the Lord is with him” (I Samuel 16:18). Hezekiah, as it is stated: “For abundant authority and boundless peace on the throne [of David]” (Isaiah 9:6). “He called his name: Wonder, adviser, leader, mighty, eternal father, prince of peace” (Isaiah 9:5). Some say: “For abundant authority [lemarbe hamisra]…,” lemarbe is written without a mem.” Josiah, as it is stated: “For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that spreads its roots near the river, [does not see when heat comes, its foliage will be fresh; and will not be anxious in a year of drought, and will not cease from producing fruit]” (Jeremiah 17:8). Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya, as it is stated: “Youths in whom there was no blemish, fair in appearance, [skillful in all wisdom, knowledgeable and understanding in thought, with ability to stand in the king's palace, and for him to teach them the writings and the language of the Chaldeans]” (Daniel 1:4). Daniel, as it is stated: “Since surpassing spirit, [knowledge, understanding, interpreting of dreams, declaring of riddles, and solving of problems were found in Daniel]” (Daniel 5:12). The messianic king, as it is stated: “The spirit of the Lord will rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom [and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord]” (Isaiah 11:2).

Section 3ג׳

וַיָּבֹא הָעִיר. וְלֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְמֵימַר אֶלָּא וַתָּבֹא הָעִיר, וְאַתְּ אֲמַרְתְּ וַיָּבֹא הָעִיר, אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ עִמָּהּ שֶׁלֹא יִפְגְּעוּ בָּהּ אֶחָד מִן הַבַּחוּרִים.

“He came to the city.” It should have said she came to the city, and yet it says “he came to the city.” This teaches that he was walking with her so that none of the young men would accost her.