וּלְנָעֳמִי מוֹדַע לְאִישָׁהּ אִישׁ גִּבּוֹר חַיִל מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת אֱלִימֶלֶךְ וּשְׁמוֹ בֹּעַז

Naomi had an acquaintance of her husband, who was a mighty man of valor, prominent in stature, from the family of Elimelekh, and his name was Boaz.

וַתֹּאמֶר רוּת הַמּוֹאֲבִיָּה אֶל־נָעֳמִי אֵלְכָה־נָּא הַשָּׂדֶה וַאֲלַקֳּטָה בַשִּׁבֳּלִים אַחַר אֲשֶׁר אֶמְצָא־חֵן בְּעֵינָיו וַתֹּאמֶר לָהּ לְכִי בִתִּי

Ruth the Moavite said to Naomi: Let me now go to the field, and glean among the stalks of grain, in accordance with the common practice of the poor, which Ruth had apparently noticed, following anyone in whose eyes I find favor. I will go to the field of someone in whose eyes I find favor and who will allow me to glean there. Although the Torah requires the owner of a field to leave gleanings of his harvest for the destitute, in practice not every landowner welcomed the poor graciously. Some were concerned that the poor might distract the reapers from their work, while others suspected them of dishonesty, and there might even have been some individuals who did not wish to interact with or assist others at all. She, Naomi, said to her: Go, my daughter.

וַתֵּלֶךְ וַתָּבוֹא וַתְּלַקֵּט בַּשָּׂדֶה אַחֲרֵי הַקֹּצְרִים וַיִּקֶר מִקְרֶהָ חֶלְקַת הַשָּׂדֶה לְבֹעַז אֲשֶׁר מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת אֱלִימֶלֶךְ

She went, and came, and gleaned the stalks that had fallen or had not been harvested in the field after the reapers; it happened for her that it was the tract of land belonging to Boaz, who was from the family of Elimelekh, without prior knowledge of the landowner’s identity.

וְהִנֵּה בֹעַז בָּא מִבֵּית לֶחֶם וַיֹּאמֶר לַקּוֹצְרִים ה' עִמָּכֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ יְבָרֶכְךָ ה'

Behold, at that time Boaz came from Bethlehem to his field outside the city, presumably in order to supervise the harvest. And Boaz said to the reapers a greeting in the form of a blessing: The Lord be with you and assist you. They said to him: The Lord bless you.

וַיֹּאמֶר בֹּעַז לְנַעֲרוֹ הַנִּצָּב עַל־הַקּוֹצְרִים לְמִי הַנַּעֲרָה הַזֹּאת

Boaz said to his lad set over the reapers to ensure that the harvest was performed properly: Whose young woman is this? With whom is she associated? Bethlehem was not a large city, and Boaz, one of the long-standing residents of the city, was surprised to see a young woman whom he did not recognize.

וַיַּעַן הַנַּעַר הַנִּצָּב עַל־הַקּוֹצְרִים וַיֹּאמַר נַעֲרָה מוֹאֲבִיָּה הִיא הַשָּׁבָה עִם־נָעֳמִי מִשְּׂדֵי מוֹאָב

The lad set over the reapers answered and said: She is a young Moavite woman who returned with Naomi from the fields of Moav.

וַתֹּאמֶר אֲלַקֳּטָה־נָּא וְאָסַפְתִּי בָעֳמָרִים אַחֲרֵי הַקּוֹצְרִים וַתָּבוֹא וַתַּעֲמוֹד מֵאָז הַבֹּקֶר וְעַד־עַתָּה זֶה שִׁבְתָּהּ הַבַּיִת מְעָט

She said, asked of us: Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves, following the reapers. She came and has been standing in the field from the morning until now; she sat in the house only a bit. She went to a nearby house to rest for a short time, before returning to the field.

וַיֹּאמֶר בֹּעַז אֶל־רוּת הֲלֹא שָׁמַעַתְּ בִּתִּי אַל־תֵּלְכִי לִלְקֹט בְּשָׂדֶה אַחֵר וְגַם לֹא תַעֲבוּרִי מִזֶּה וְכֹה תִדְבָּקִין עִם־נַעֲרֹתָי

Boaz said to Ruth: Hear truly, my daughter; do not go to glean in a different field; also do not pass on from here to another field, as my field is sufficiently large, but rather attach yourself to my young women. Keep close to my maidservants and go with them.

עֵינַיִךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר־יִקְצֹרוּן וְהָלַכְתְּ אַחֲרֵיהֶן הֲלוֹא צִוִּיתִי אֶת־הַנְּעָרִים לְבִלְתִּי נָגְעֵךְ וְצָמִת וְהָלַכְתְּ אֶל־הַכֵּלִים וְשָׁתִית מֵאֲשֶׁר יִשְׁאֲבוּן הַנְּעָרִים

Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and follow them, the other maidservants. Haven’t I commanded the lads not to touch you, and bother you, but rather treat you with respect? Moreover, as you are outside in the heat, when you become thirsty, go to the vessels that contain water for the reapers, and drink from that which the lads have drawn. I permit you to drink from their water, so that you can continue to reap here in comfort.

וַתִּפֹּל עַל־פָּנֶיהָ וַתִּשְׁתַּחוּ אָרְצָה וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו מַדּוּעַ מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ לְהַכִּירֵנִי ואָנֹכִי נָכְרִיָּה

She fell on her face and prostrated herself to the ground; she said to him: Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should acknowledge me and treat me in such a friendly manner, and I am a foreigner? I am not from the house of Israel, and I am a stranger to this area.

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

Boaz answered and said to her: Although I have not seen you until now, everything that you did for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband was told to me; you left your father and your mother, and the land of your birth, and you went to a people that you did not know previously.

יְשַׁלֵּם ה' פָּעֳלֵךְ וּתְהִי מַשְׂכֻּרְתֵּךְ שְׁלֵמָה מֵעִם ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר־בָּאת לַחֲסוֹת תַּחַת־כְּנָפָיו

May the Lord reward your conduct, and may your payment be complete from the Lord, God of Israel, under whose wings you came to find refuge. Boaz understood that Ruth had not converted for merely social or financial reasons, and that she did not come to the Land of Israel just in order to accompany her mother-in-law. Rather, she wished to be close to God.

וַתֹּאמֶר אֶמְצָא־חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אֲדֹנִי כִּי נִחַמְתָּנִי וְכִי דִבַּרְתָּ עַל־לֵב שִׁפְחָתֶךָ ואָנֹכִי לֹא אֶהְיֶה כְּאַחַת שִׁפְחֹתֶךָ

She said: May I find favor in your eyes, my lord. I am grateful that I have found favor in your eyes; for you have comforted me, for you have spoken to the heart of your maidservant. You have encouraged me and treated me in a special manner, though I am not worthy even of a status as one of your maidservants.

וַיֹּאמֶר לָה בֹעַז לְעֵת הָאֹכֶל גֹּשִׁי הֲלֹם וְאָכַלְתְּ מִן־הַלֶּחֶם וְטָבַלְתְּ פִּתֵּךְ בַּחֹמֶץ וַתֵּשֶׁב מִצַּד הַקֹּצְרִים וַיִּצְבָּט לָהּ קָלִי וַתֹּאכַל וַתִּשְׂבַּע וַתֹּתַר

Boaz said to her sometime later, at mealtime, when the reapers gathered to sit and eat: Come over here, and eat from the bread shared by the reapers, and dip your piece in the vinegar that is used as a sauce for the bread. She sat beside the reapers, not mingling with them, and he, Boaz, handed her kernels of roasted fresh grain. Some of the starch inside of these kernels is converted to sugar when heated, and the slightly sweet roasted kernels were considered a delicacy. And she ate and was satisfied, and left over. Boaz had given her a sizable portion, which was more than enough to satisfy her.

וַתָּקָם לְלַקֵּט וַיְצַו בֹּעַז אֶת־נְעָרָיו לֵאמֹר גַּם בֵּין הָעֳמָרִים תְּלַקֵּט וְלֹא תַכְלִימוּהָ

She rose to glean, and Boaz commanded his lads, saying: She is permitted to glean in the field not only after you have removed the bound-together sheaves of harvested grain, but let her glean among the sheaves as well, and do not shame her. You must allow her to glean without voicing any objections;

וְגַם שֹׁל־תָּשֹׁלּוּ לָהּ מִן־הַצְּבָתִים וַעֲזַבְתֶּם וְלִקְּטָה וְלֹא תִגְעֲרוּ־בָהּ

also pull some for her from the bundles. You are to forget, or intentionally remove, some stalks from those that are tied together ready to be harvested with the sickle, and leave them, and let her glean, and do not rebuke her.

וַתְּלַקֵּט בַּשָּׂדֶה עַד־הָעָרֶב וַתַּחְבֹּט אֵת אֲשֶׁר־לִקֵּטָה וַיְהִי כְּאֵיפָה שְׂעֹרִים

She gleaned in the field until evening. Since Ruth had been given a comfortable place to rest, perhaps in the shade near the reapers, and provided with food and drink, she did not need to return home in the middle of the day. And she beat out that which she had gleaned, in order to separate the kernels of grain from the stalks, and it was approximately an ephah of barley, a sizable dry measure equivalent to roughly 24 L.

וַתִּשָּׂא וַתָּבוֹא הָעִיר וַתֵּרֶא חֲמוֹתָהּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר־לִקֵּטָה וַתּוֹצֵא וַתִּתֶּן־לָהּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר־הוֹתִרָה מִשָּׂבְעָהּ

She took it up, the barley, and came to the city, and her mother-in-law saw that which she had gleaned, a larger quantity than Naomi had expected; she took out and gave to her that which she had left over from her fill. As stated, Ruth did not eat all of what Boaz had given her. She brought her mother-in-law roasted grain in addition to the barley.

וַתֹּאמֶר לָהּ חֲמוֹתָהּ אֵיפֹה לִקַּטְתְּ הַיּוֹם וְאָנָה עָשִׂית יְהִי מַכִּירֵךְ בָּרוּךְ וַתַּגֵּד לַחֲמוֹתָהּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר־עָשְׂתָה עִמּוֹ וַתֹּאמֶר שֵׁם הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי עִמּוֹ הַיּוֹם בֹּעַז

Her mother-in-law said to her: Where did you glean today and where did you work? Blessed be he who acknowledged you, who assisted you, and who treated you with exceptional generosity. She told her mother-in-law the identity of the man with whom she worked, and said: The name of the man, the owner of the field, with whom I worked today is Boaz.

וַתֹּאמֶר נָעֳמִי לְכַלָּתָהּ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַה' אֲשֶׁר לֹא־עָזַב חַסְדּוֹ אֶת־הַחַיִּים וְאֶת־הַמֵּתִים וַתֹּאמֶר לָהּ נָעֳמִי קָרוֹב לָנוּ הָאִישׁ מִגֹּאֲלֵנוּ הוּא

Naomi said to her daughter-in-law: Blessed be he to the Lord, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and to the dead. Boaz had maintained close ties with the family when Naomi’s husband and sons were still alive, and he was now honoring their memory by helping Naomi and Ruth. Naomi said to her: I am familiar with him not only as a resident of this city, but the man is also related to us, he is among our redeemers [go’aleinu]. When someone becomes poor and is forced to sell his field, a relative may redeem the field from the buyer if he can afford to do so. Although some Sages maintain that it is obligatory for such a relative to do so, the halakha is that it is optional. This purchase is called the redemption [ge’ula] of the field, and every relative is considered a potential redeemer [go’el].

וַתֹּאמֶר רוּת הַמּוֹאֲבִיָּה גַּם כִּי־אָמַר אֵלַי עִם־־הַנְּעָרִים אֲשֶׁר־לִי תִּדְבָּקִין עַד אִם־כִּלּוּ אֵת כָּל־הַקָּצִיר אֲשֶׁר־לִי

In keeping with Naomi’s excitement and the praises she had bestowed upon Boaz, Ruth the Moavite said in the same vein: Indeed, he said to me: You shall attach yourself to my lads and continue gleaning with them, until they complete my entire harvest.

וַתֹּאמֶר נָעֳמִי אֶל־רוּת כַּלָּתָהּ טוֹב בִּתִּי כִּי תֵצְאִי עִם־נַעֲרוֹתָיו וְלֹא יִפְגְּעוּ־בָךְ בְּשָׂדֶה אַחֵר

Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law: Since Boaz is treating you so well, my daughter, it is better that you go out with his young women and remain in his field, that you not be accosted in another field.

וַתִּדְבַּק בְּנַעֲרוֹת בֹּעַז לְלַקֵּט עַד־כְּלוֹת קְצִיר־הַשְּׂעֹרִים וּקְצִיר הַחִטִּים וַתֵּשֶׁב אֶת חֲמוֹתָהּ

She attached herself to Boaz’s young women to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest. The barley harvest begins in the spring and lasts for some seven weeks. It is followed by the wheat harvest, which generally starts at around the time of Shavuot, which is called the Festival of the First Fruits of the wheat harvest. This harvest concludes approximately three months after the start of the barley harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law. During that entire period, Ruth would glean in the field and bring the grain home to her mother-in-law.