This is part of the ongoing Forest Hills Ruth Series, with the focus being on midrash. The rest of the material can be found here:
Where we are picking up...
Ruth has continued benefitting from Boaz's ongoing kindnesses throughout the barley and wheat-harvest, gleaning from his fields and bringing enough food back for both herself as well as Naomi, her mother-in-law.
Chapter three opens up after the harvest-season, as Naomi reveals her hopes for Ruth's future security and sustenance:
(א) וַתֹּ֥אמֶר לָ֖הּ נָעֳמִ֣י חֲמוֹתָ֑הּ בִּתִּ֞י הֲלֹ֧א אֲבַקֶּשׁ־לָ֛ךְ מָנ֖וֹחַ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִֽיטַב־לָֽךְ׃ (ב) וְעַתָּ֗ה הֲלֹ֥א בֹ֙עַז֙ מֹֽדַעְתָּ֔נוּ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָיִ֖ית אֶת־נַעֲרוֹתָ֑יו הִנֵּה־ה֗וּא זֹרֶ֛ה אֶת־גֹּ֥רֶן הַשְּׂעֹרִ֖ים הַלָּֽיְלָה׃ (ג) וְרָחַ֣צְתְּ ׀ וָסַ֗כְתְּ וְשַׂ֧מְתְּ שמלתך [שִׂמְלֹתַ֛יִךְ] עָלַ֖יִךְ וירדתי [וְיָרַ֣דְתְּ] הַגֹּ֑רֶן אַל־תִּוָּדְעִ֣י לָאִ֔ישׁ עַ֥ד כַּלֹּת֖וֹ לֶאֱכֹ֥ל וְלִשְׁתּֽוֹת׃ (ד) וִיהִ֣י בְשָׁכְב֗וֹ וְיָדַ֙עַתְּ֙ אֶת־הַמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִשְׁכַּב־שָׁ֔ם וּבָ֛את וְגִלִּ֥ית מַרְגְּלֹתָ֖יו ושכבתי [וְשָׁכָ֑בְתְּ] וְהוּא֙ יַגִּ֣יד לָ֔ךְ אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעַשִֽׂין׃ (ה) וַתֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלֶ֑יהָ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאמְרִ֥י [אֵלַ֖י] אֶֽעֱשֶֽׂה׃ (ו) וַתֵּ֖רֶד הַגֹּ֑רֶן וַתַּ֕עַשׂ כְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוַּ֖תָּה חֲמוֹתָֽהּ׃
(1) Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her:
“Daughter, I must seek a home for you, where you may be happy. (2) Now there is our kinsman Boaz, whose girls you were close to. He will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor tonight. (3) So bathe, anoint yourself, dress up, and go down to the threshing floor. But do not disclose yourself to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. (4) When he lies down, note the place where he lies down, and go over and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what you are to do.”
(5) She replied:
“I will do everything you tell me.”
(6) She went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had instructed her.
The midrash will point out a number of peculiarities with verse 3 above. Take a look at it again. Do you notice anything strange?
From here we learn that a person should always have special Sabbath clothes. As Megillath Ruth says, Bathe, anoint, and don your garments.
But was she clothes-less??? Rather, your garments refers to Sabbath attire.
And it is written (Isaiah 58:13):
If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, From pursuing your affairs on My holy day;
If you call the sabbath “delight,” YHWH's holy day “honored”;
And if you honor it and go not your ways Nor look to your affairs, nor strike bargains—
Then you can seek the favor of YHWH.
I will set you astride the heights of the world, And let you enjoy the heritage of your father Jacob—
For the mouth of YHWH has spoken.
(חולין צ"א ב׳)
When he lies down [at the threshing floor]...
Rabbi Abba bar Kahane said:
From here we learn that a wise student (talmid hacham) ought not to go out alone at night.
This drasha comes from the entirety of the verse. Behold! He is winnowing at the barley-threshing-floor tonight. When he lies down...
This is what Naomi is saying to her:
"Heed, that after he finishes winnowing, he will not go back to his house to sleep, for this is unbecoming of the wise to wander about alone at night!"
For he was at the threshing floor alone, and because of all this, he would spend the night there.
This whole idea of night-terrors reminded me of two different texts. The first one comes from Song of Songs, and is even something that many Jewish prayer-books include as part of the evening prayers right before bed:
(1) Upon my couch at night I sought the one I love— I sought, but found him not.
(2) “I must rise and roam the town, Through the streets and through the squares; I must seek the one I love.”
I sought him, but found him not.
...
(6) Who is she that comes up from the desert? Like columns of smoke, In clouds of myrrh and frankincense, Of all the powders of the merchant?
(7) There is Solomon’s couch!
Encircled by sixty warriors, of the warriors of Israel, (8) All of them trained in warfare, Skilled in battle, each with sword on thigh Because of terror by night (pachad lailot).
Why do you think the woman, searching the streets at night for her beloved, suddenly starts describing King Solomon on his bed? Doesn't it seem out of context?
Robert Alter, in his commentary, offers an interesting thought from Yair Zakovitch, professor emeritus of Bible at Hebrew University. Here are Alters words in his commentary to Song of Songs:
Sixty warriors round it / of the warriors of Israel - This line, together with the next two, looks like a grand epic flourish, describing the formidable array of guards around Solomon in his palace bedchamber. But Yair Zakovitch proposes that the whole sequence is satiric, representing King Solomon quaking in his bed "out of terror in the nights," in striking contrast to the young woman in the preceding poem, who does not hesitate to go out in the night, with no armed guard, in search of her lover.
What do you think of Zakotich's reading?
Personally, I don't like seeing it this way. I prefer to read it as a celebration of Solomon; that as the Davidic king of Israel, he was able to command such fervent loyalty that 60 of the Israelite's most elite warriors would make sure that in his vulnerable moments of sleep, absolutely nothing harmful could get near him.
And by extension, the same applies to us, for all of Israel is considered to be the "descendants of kings."
For example, consider the following passage of mishna:
(ב) מֵאֵימָתַי קוֹרִין אֶת שְׁמַע בְּשַׁחֲרִית. מִשֶּׁיַּכִּיר בֵּין תְּכֵלֶת לְלָבָן. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, בֵּין תְּכֵלֶת לְכַרְתִּי. וְגוֹמְרָהּ עַד הָנֵץ הַחַמָּה. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, עַד שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁעוֹת, שֶׁכֵּן דֶּרֶךְ בְּנֵי מְלָכִים לַעֲמֹד בְּשָׁלֹשׁ שָׁעוֹת. הַקּוֹרֵא מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ לֹא הִפְסִיד, כְּאָדָם הַקּוֹרֵא בַתּוֹרָה:
(2) From what time may one recite the Shema in the morning?
From the time that one can distinguish between techeileth (sky-blue) and white.
Rabbi Eliezer says: Between techeileth and green.
And he must finish it by sunrise.
Rabbi Joshua says: Until the third hour of the day. For such is the custom of the children of kings, to rise at the third hour.
Or, better yet, consider the words of the Almighty, Himself!
If we, as part of Israel, are sons of the King of Kings, then are we not deserving of the same protection that King Solomon merited? I therefore read the verse in Song of Songs above as encouragement and assurance, which is why it is read by many before going to sleep. The Jewish Study Bible commentary says that this might be one of the oldest passages of Song of Songs. Perhaps Song of Songs is using it as parody; but that might not have been its original intention.
Historical Aside
By the way - and this will take us far afield from Ruth, I found something so interesting while looking up Yair Zakovitch that I think is worth sharing.
The full title of his position is the Father Takeji Otsuki Professor of Bible Studies. This caught my eye. Who was Father Takeji Otsuki? And why did Hebrew University name their prestigious Bible Study chair after him?
Takeji Otsuki was born in 1906. When in middle-school, he converted to Christianity. In his 20s, he was on a mission to Manchuria, where he would have a "direct encounter with the living-Christ" as he was praying for guidance and was suddenly presented with the words, "Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God," (from Yeshua's sermon on the mount from Matthew). He would later return to Japan and found one of the largest independent Japanese churches.
In 1938, he felt a calling from God demanding that he invest all of his efforts into the founding of a Jewish state. After WWII, he established the Japan Christian Friends Organization, also known as Beit Shalom, whose members prayed daily for the Jew's return to Zion, and for peace in Jerusalem. In the 60's, they began sending volunteers to Israel, both to work in kibbutzim as well as to learn Hebrew. They strongly believe in the chosenness of the Jewish People, and engage in absolutely no missionary activities whatsoever.
Father Takiji also established the Mizra Society of Friends of Hebrew University, which raises scholarship money for its students and researchers. The university, showing its gratitude, awarded him an honorary Fellowship in 1994, and then established the Father Takeji Otsuki chair in his honor in 1997 (currently occupied by Yair Zakovitch, discussed above).
He passed in 2004 at the age of 98. There are now over 100 churches associated with his Beit Shalom movement throughout Japan, with over 10,000 followers (!!!). These churches usually have both the Israeli and Japanese flags prominently displayed side-by-side, next to a picture of Father Takiji. May his memory be for a blessing.
While this does not seem directly related to our studies; How appropriate, while learning about Ruth, one of the most righteous Israelites-by-choice, to take a moment to appreciate the life of Father Otsuki, undoubtedly one of the world's great "righteous gentiles."
------ sources:
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Ctsuki_Takeji
Times of Israel: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/devoted-japanese-supporters-of-israel-invite-you-to-a-concert/
The other text that King Solomon's night terrors remind me of comes from Psalm 91 - yet another text that many Jews say at night:
(1) O you who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, and abide in the protection of Shaddai—
(2) I say of YHWH:
My refuge and stronghold!
My God in whom I trust!
(3)He will save you from the fowler’s trap, from the destructive plague. (4) He will cover you with His pinions; you will find refuge under His wings; His fidelity is an encircling shield.
(5) You need not fear the terror by night (pachad laila);
Or the arrow that flies by day;
(6) The plague that stalks in the darkness; Or the scourge that ravages at noon.
(7) A thousand may fall at your left side, ten thousand at your right, but it shall not reach you. (8) You will see it with your eyes, you will witness the punishment of the wicked.
(9) Because you, YHWH—are my refuge.
Your dwelling is in the upper-most.
(10) No harm will befall you, no disease touch your tent.
(11) For He will order His angels to guard you wherever you go. (12) They will carry you in their hands lest you stub your foot on a stone.
(13) You will tread on cubs and vipers; you will trample lions and asps.
(14) “Because he is devoted to Me I will deliver him!
I will keep him safe, for he knows My name!
(15) When he calls on Me, I will answer him!
I will be with him in distress; I will rescue him and make him honored;
(16) I will let him live to a ripe old age, and show him My salvation.”
I find this psalm to be so inspiring and encouraging, whenever I have think I have any reason to feel afraid. It's amazing, the assuring and calming effect that even just taking a moment and mumbling to myself, You shall not have reason to fear the terrors of the night.
Remember that both this psalm, as well as the passage from Song of Songs, are both customarily read by many before going to sleep. How might they be read in light of each other?
And finally, back to our midrash on Ruth:
Bathe, and anoint yourself...
Bathe yourself - From the filth of idolatry.
Anoint yourself - With mitzvoth.
Don your dress - Sabbath clothes.
Go down to the threshing floor - From here we learn that there were no threshing floors in elevated places, rather in the lower ones.
(מ"ר)
And you shall wash - From the filth of your idolatry.
And you shall anoint - This is mitzvoth and righteousness.
Perhaps this comes from the fact that Naomi didn't say, Wash your face, your hands and your feet. Rather, she just said "Wash," and stopped there. This seems to imply that she is telling Ruth to dip in a mikvah because of impurity.
...
Therefore, the sages made a drasha that this refers to dipping in a mikvah to cleanse herself from the grime of idolatry.
This is all also common sense. For does Ruth need Naomi to teach her hygiene like a little girl? What in the world would Naomi be doing, telling Ruth these things?
Does this midrash remind you of anything we have already seen? (Hint - Think about that first discussion between Boaz and Ruth, when Ruth was encouraged to always, and to only glean from Boaz's field. He said Don't go elsewhere, but stay here.
How did the midrash understand this? And how is that theme still at play here? Why does it keep coming up?