The New Jew: A Field Guide

Hebrew

וַתָּבֹא בַלָּט וַתְּגַל מַרְגְּלֹתָיו וַתִּשְׁכָּב׃ וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה וַיֶּחֱרַד הָאִישׁ
וַיִּלָּפֵת וְהִנֵּה אִשָּׁה שֹׁכֶבֶת מַרְגְּלֹתָיו׃ וַיֹּאמֶר מִי־אָתְּ וַתֹּאמֶר אָנֹכִי
רוּת אֲמָתֶךָ וּפָרַשְׂתָּ כְנָפֶךָ עַל־אֲמָתְךָ כִּי גֹאֵל אָתָּה׃ וַיֹּאמֶר בְּרוּכָה
אַתְּ לַיהוָה בִּתִּי הֵיטַבְתְּ חַסְדֵּךְ הָאַחֲרוֹן מִן־הָרִאשׁוֹן לְבִלְתִּי־לֶכֶת
אַחֲרֵי הַבַּחוּרִים אִם־דַּל וְאִם־עָשִׁיר׃ וְעַתָּה בִּתִּי אַל־תִּירְאִי כֹּל
אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאמְרִי אֶעֱשֶׂה־לָּךְ כִּי יוֹדֵעַ כָּל־שַׁעַר עַמִּי כִּי אֵשֶׁת חַיִל אָתְּ׃
וְעַתָּה כִּי אָמְנָם כִּי אִם גֹּאֵל אָנֹכִי וְגַם יֵשׁ גֹּאֵל קָרוֹב מִמֶּנִּי׃ לִֽינִי ׀
הַלַּיְלָה וְהָיָה בַבֹּקֶר אִם־יִגְאָלֵךְ טוֹב יִגְאָל וְאִם־לֹא יַחְפֹּץ לְגָאֳלֵךְ
וּגְאַלְתִּיךְ אָנֹכִי חַי־יְהוָה שִׁכְבִי עַד־הַבֹּקֶר׃ וַתִּשְׁכַּב מַרְגְּלוֹתָיו עַד־
הַבֹּקֶר וַתָּקָם בְּטֶרֶם יַכִּיר אִישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אַל־יִוָּדַע כִּי־בָאָה
הָאִשָּׁה הַגֹּרֶן׃ וַיֹּאמֶר הָבִי הַמִּטְפַּחַת אֲשֶׁר־עָלַיִךְ וְאֶחֳזִי־בָהּ וַתֹּאחֶז
בָּהּ וַיָּמָד שֵׁשׁ־שְׂעֹרִים וַיָּשֶׁת עָלֶיהָ וַיָּבֹא הָעִיר׃ וַתָּבוֹא אֶל־חֲמוֹתָהּ
וַתֹּאמֶר מִי־אַתְּ בִּתִּי וַתַּגֶּד־לָהּ אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה־לָהּ הָאִישׁ׃
וַתֹּאמֶר שֵׁשׁ־הַשְּׂעֹרִים הָאֵלֶּה נָתַן לִי כִּי אָמַר אַל־תָּבוֹאִי רֵיקָם אֶל־
חֲמוֹתֵךְ׃ וַתֹּאמֶר שְׁבִי בִתִּי עַד אֲשֶׁר תֵּדְעִין אֵיךְ יִפֹּל דָּבָר כִּי לֹא
יִשְׁקֹט הָאִישׁ כִּי אִם־כִּלָּה הַדָּבָר הַיּוֹם׃ וּבֹעַז עָלָה הַשַּׁעַר וַיֵּשֶׁב שָׁם
וְהִנֵּה הַגֹּאֵל עֹבֵר אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר־בֹּעַז וַיֹּאמֶר סוּרָה שְׁבָה־פֹּה פְּלֹנִי אַלְמֹנִי
וַיָּסַר וַיֵּשֵׁב׃ וַיִּקַּח עֲשָׂרָה אֲנָשִׁים מִזִּקְנֵי הָעִיר וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁבוּ־פֹה וַיֵּשֵׁבוּ׃
וַיֹּאמֶר לַגֹּאֵל חֶלְקַת הַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר לְאָחִינוּ לֶאֱלִימֶלֶךְ מָכְרָה נָעֳמִי
הַשָּׁבָה מִשְּׂדֵה מוֹאָב׃ וַאֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי אֶגְלֶה אָזְנְךָ לֵאמֹר קְנֵה נֶגֶד
הַיֹּשְׁבִים וְנֶגֶד זִקְנֵי עַמִּי אִם־תִּגְאַל גְּאָל וְאִם־לֹא יִגְאַל הַגִּידָה לִּי
וְאֵדְעָה כִּי אֵין זוּלָתְךָ לִגְאוֹל וְאָנֹכִי אַחֲרֶיךָ וַיֹּאמֶר אָנֹכִי אֶגְאָל׃ וַיֹּאמֶר
בֹּעַז בְּיוֹם־קְנוֹתְךָ הַשָּׂדֶה מִיַּד נָעֳמִי וּמֵאֵת רוּת הַמּוֹאֲבִיָּה אֵשֶׁת־
הַמֵּת קָנִיתָ לְהָקִים שֵׁם־הַמֵּת עַל־נַחֲלָתוֹ׃ וַיֹּאמֶר הַגֹּאֵל לֹא אוּכַל
לִגְאָל־לִי פֶּן־אַשְׁחִית אֶת־נַחֲלָתִי גְּאַל־לְךָ אַתָּה אֶת־גְּאֻלָּתִי כִּי
לֹא־אוּכַל לִגְאֹל׃ וְזֹאת לְפָנִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל עַל־הַגְּאֻלָּה וְעַל־הַתְּמוּרָה

Sephardi

Vatavo valat vategal margelotav vatishkav: vayehi bachatzi halailah vayecharad ha'ish
Vayilafet vehineh ishah shochevet margelotav: vayomer mi-at vatomer anochi
Rut amatecha ufarasta kenafcha al-amatecha ki go'el atah: vayomer beruchah
At laadonai biti heitavt chasdech ha'acharon min-harishon levilti-lechet
Acharei habachurim im-dal ve'im-ashir: ve'atah biti al-tir'i kol
Asher-tomri e'ese-lach ki yodea kol-sha'ar ami ki eshet chayil at:
Ve'ata ki omnam ki im go'el anochi vegam yesh go'el karov mimeni: lini
Halailah vehayah vaboker im-yigalech tov yig'al ve'im-lo yachpotz liga'olech
Uge'altich anochi chai-Adonai shichvi ad-haboker: vatishkav margelotav ad-
Haboker vatakom beterem yakir ish et-re'ehu vayomer al-yivada ki-ba'ah
Ha'ishah hagoren: vayomer havi hamitpachat asher-alayich ve'echozi-vah vatochez
Bah vayamad shesh-se'orim vayashet aleihah vayavo ha'ir: vatavo el-chamotah
Vatomer mi-at biti vataged-lah eit kol-asher asa-lah ha'ish:
Vatomer shesh-hase'orim ha'ele natan li ki amar al-tavo'i reikam el-
Chamotech: vatomer shevi biti ad asher tede'in eich yipol davar ki lo
Yishkot ha'ish ki im-kilah hadavar hayom: uvo'az alah hasha'ar vayeishev sham
Vehineh hago'el oveir asher diber-bo'az vayomer surah sheva-poh peloni almoni
Vayasar vayeshev: vayikach asarah anashim miziknei ha'ir vayomer shevu-poh vayeshevu:
Vayomer lago'el chelkat hasadeh asher le'achinu le'elimelech mochrah na'omi
Hashavah misde mo'av: va'ani amarti egale oznecha leimor kne neged
Hayoshvim veneged ziknei ami im-tig'al ge'al ve'im-lo yig'al hagidah li
Ve'ede'ah ki ein zulatecha lig'ol ve'anochi acharecha vayomer anochi eg'al: vayomer
Bo'az beyom-kenotecha hasadeh miyad na'omi ume'et rut hamo'aviyah eshet-
Hamet kanita lehakim shem-hamet al-nachalato: vayomer hago'el lo uchal
Lig'ol-li pen-ashchit et-nachalati ge'al-lecha atah et-ge'ulati ki
Lo-uchal lig'ol: vezot lefanim beyisrael al-hage'ulah ve'al-hatemurah

English

At midnight the man started and turned over - there was a woman lying at his feet. "Who are you?" he said, and she answered, "I am your servant Ruth - spread your mantle over your maidservant, for you are a redeemer." And he replied, "God bless you, daughter, for this last kindness is yet greater than your first, for you have not gone after the young men, poor or rich. Now, daughter, do not be afraid. I shall do all that you ask, for all within my people's gate know well, that you are a woman of great strength. And I am indeed a redeemer to you, but there is a redeemer still closer than me. Carry on lying here tonight, and in the morning if he would redeem you, good: let him redeem. And if he cares not to redeem you, I shall redeem you myself, as the LORD lives - lie on here until morning." And so she lay at his feet until morning, and left before one man could recognize another. "Let not a soul know there was a woman in the shed," said he. And then, "Give me the wrap that you are wearing, hold it out -" and he measured six measures of barley into it; he gave them to her, and she went out into the city. She came to her mother-in-law; "Who are you, my daughter?" she said. And Ruth told her all that the man had done for her. "He gave me these six measures of barley," she said, "saying, 'Do not go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'" Said Naomi, "Sit down now, daughter, until you find out how the matter will fall. For that man will not rest today until it is settled." Boaz went up to the City Gate and sat down. And the very redeemer of whom he had spoken passed by: "Such-and-such," said Boaz, "come here and be seated," and he came and sat down. Then Boaz took ten men from among the elders of the city; "Be seated here," he said, and they too sat. And then he said to the redeemer, "Naomi, coming back from the land of Moab, must sell the field-plot of our kinsman Elimelekh. And I told her I would let you know of it, inviting you to buy it, in front of those sitting here, in front of the elders of this city. If you would like to redeem this: redeem; and if you will not redeem it, tell me: let me know, for there is none but you to redeem, and I am next in line to you." "I shall redeem," he said. "On the day you buy that field from Naomi," said Boaz, "and from Ruth the Moabitess - you will have bought the wife of a dead man with it, to restore the dead man's name on his estate." Said the redeemer: "Such a redemption I could not perform; it would be the ruin of my own estate. You redeem in my place, I cannot redeem." In those long-ago days in Israel, a redemption or exchange - anything to be officially enacted - was completed as follows. One man would take off his