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ShareI have learned about and read מגילת רות many times before, in preparation for Shavuot. I have often wondered why it is called מגילת רות. The obvious answer would be that Ruth is the main topic, the main character, the heroine of the story. But is she? This shavuot I want to focus on why the מגילה is called מגילת רות, and in turn, the relationship between Ruth and Naomi.
First, let's try to better understand Ruth and Naomi's relationship.
This is the very beginning of מגילת רות.
(2) The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and his two sons were named Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. They came to the country of Moab and remained there. (3) Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. (4) They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth, and they lived there about ten years.
Here are three discussion questions that relate to what we're going to learn:
- Naomi is listed (twice!) before Ruth. Do you think this is significant to the story? Why or why not?
- The מגילה introduced Ruth and Naomi's family in relation to Naomi. What, if anything, can this tell us about the family dynamic? What about the rest of the מגילה?
- Why do you think the מגילה starts with Naomi and Ruth's family?
This is a midrash on מגילת רות by Ruth Rabbah/רות רבה. Ruth Rabbah/רות רבה is a collection of different Palestinian taanaim, Rabbis who lived between 200-500CE.
(כב) וַתֹּאמֶר רוּת אַל תִּפְגְּעִי בִי לְעָזְבֵךְ לָשׁוּב מֵאַחֲרָיִךְ (רות א, טז), מַהוּ אַל תִּפְגְּעִי בִי, אָמְרָה לָהּ לֹא תֶחֱטָא עָלַי, לָא תִסְּבִין פְּגָעַיִךְ מִנִּי, לְעָזְבֵךְ לָשׁוּב מֵאַחֲרָיִךְ, מִכָּל מָקוֹם דַּעְתִּי לְהִתְגַּיֵּר, אֶלָּא מוּטָב עַל יָדֵךְ וְלֹא עַל יְדֵי אַחֶרֶת. כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמְעָה נָעֳמִי כָּךְ הִתְחִילָה סוֹדֶרֶת לָהּ הִלְכוֹת גֵּרִים, אָמְרָה לָהּ בִּתִּי אֵין דַּרְכָּן שֶׁל בְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵילֵךְ לְבָתֵּי תֵּיאַטְרָאוֹת וּלְבָתֵּי קִרְקָסִיאוֹת שֶׁל גּוֹיִם. אָמְרָה לָהּ, אֶל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלְכִי אֵלֵךְ.
(22) "And Ruth said: entreat me not to leave you and to return from following you (Ruth 1:16)"-- what does "entreat" [lit. "hurt"] mean? Ruth said to Naomi, "Do not sin against me by telling me to leave and return from following you. I intend to convert anyway, and it is better that I do it with you than with someone else." When Naomi heard this, she immediately began to lay out before her the laws of conversion. Naomi said, "My daughter, Jewish women do not go to the non-Jews' theaters and circuses." Ruth said, "Where you go, I will go."
- What do you think about Naomi's response to Ruth? What about Ruth's to Naomi?
- Based on this midrash, how do you think Ruth feels about Naomi?
- What do you think this רות רבה can tell us about Naomi and Ruth's relationship?
The next source is from Sanhedrin 19b, referencing when Ruth gives birth to a child.
(חנינא קרא יוחנן ואשתו אלעזר וגאולה ושמואל בלימודי סימן): רבי חנינא אומר מהכא (רות ד, יז) ותקראנה לו השכנות שם לאמר יולד בן לנעמי וכי נעמי ילדה והלא רות ילדה אלא רות ילדה ונעמי גידלה לפיכך נקרא על שמה
The Gemara presents a mnemonic for the following discussion: Ḥanina called; Yoḥanan and his wife; Elazar and redemption; and Shmuel in my studies. Rabbi Ḥanina says: Proof for the aforementioned statement can be derived from here: “And the neighbors gave him a name, saying: There is a son born to Naomi” (Ruth 4:17). And did Naomi give birth to the son? But didn’t Ruth give birth to him? Rather, Ruth gave birth and Naomi raised him. Therefore, he was called by her name: “A son born to Naomi.”
סנהדרין says the child was like a son to Naomi, and she raised him.
- How do you think this kind of upbringing affects the child? Does the close relationship between Naomi and Ruth make a difference?
- What do you think about raising a child this way?
- What can we add on to what we know about Naomi and Ruth's relationship?
-------------------------------------Why is מגילת רות called מגילת רות?-------------------------------------
Zohar Chadash/זוהר חדש is a bunch of commentaries written זוהר between 1100-1400CE that were found much later.
(קמא) רוּת: עַל שֵׁם תּוֹר, שֶׁהוּא כָּשֵׁר עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. כָּךְ רוּת, כְּשֵׁירָה לָבֹא בַּקָּהָל
{most of the translation according to Encyclopedia of Biblical Personalities}: [She was called] Ruth for the dove (תור)l[רות spelled backwards] which is permitted to be offered on the altar. Similarly to the dove, Ruth was permitted to enter the congregation [of Gd].
This source is talking about Ruth's name, however I think it definetly applies to the name of the מגילה. One of the main themes of מגילת רות is inclusion; Ruth is included in Judaism (as Zohar explains), Naomi is included in Ruth's family (when she gives birth), etc.
- Do you like/agree with this interpretation of Ruth's name?
- How do you think it relates to the name of the מגילה?
זוהר talks about Ruth being included in the congregation, which can also be interpreted as welcomed or included in the Jewish people.
- In what other places throughout the מגילה do you see this theme of inclusion and welcoming?
The next source, בבא בתרא/Bava Batra looks into Ruth's descendants. David= David HaMelech
ולמאן דאמר איוב בימי משה היה ליקדמיה לאיוב ברישא אתחולי בפורענותא לא מתחלינן רות נמי פורענות היא פורענות דאית ליה אחרית דאמר רבי יוחנן למה נקרא שמה רות שיצא ממנה דוד שריוהו להקב"ה בשירות ותושבחות
The Gemara asks: But the book of Ruth, with which the Writings opens, is also about suffering, since it describes the tragedies that befell the family of Elimelech. The Gemara answers: This is suffering which has a future of hope and redemption. As Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Why was she named Ruth, spelled reish, vav, tav? Because there descended from her David who sated, a word with the root reish, vav, heh, the Holy One, Blessed be He, with songs and praises.
Bava Batra is saying that דביד המלך is desended from Ruth and he made 'ה satisfied, and the root to the word meaning satisfied is the same root as Ruth's name, that is why the book is called Ruth. [Sated=Satisfied]
- In your opinion, is this a good answer?
- Why/why not?
- Do you think it makes sense to bring in Ruth's descendants?
In conclusion:
We can learn from Naomi and Ruth's relationship that the people you are close to will often lead you through life [the way Naomi converted Ruth, and helped her raise her child]. We can also learn from this that it is very good, if not nesesary, to have these kinds of relationships, with people who you are very close with and can trust.
Something we can learn from the name of מגילת רות, is to always be inclusive and welcoming. The people you once welcomed as strangers might turn out to be rightous and kind, like Ruth, and maybe their descendants will one day be king, too.
