A Study of Ruth
Apparently, they believe in a type of reincarnation. Allow me to quote from a teaching I found on this subject (Ruth and Reincarnation – found at http://www.aish.com/shavuotthemes/shavuotthemesdefault/Ruth_and_Reincarnation.asp)
Rebbetzin Tehilla Jaeger teaches that since, in this world, the physical is inextricably intertwined with the spiritual, along with the physical transfer of genetic material, spiritual “genetics” are also transmitted. The Syrian-Greeks understood this idea and cruelly exploited it. During the period in which the Chanukah story took place, a Jewish bride was required by law to submit herself to the pleasure of the Greek governor before she would be permitted to marry. It was the intent of the Hellenists to use the spiritual forces inherent in their seed to tamper with the Jewish nation from the inside out. They understood that, even if she did not conceive from her night with the governor, his energy would remain inside her and manifest itself in her offspring. In this way the Syrian-Greeks hoped to hasten the Hellinization of the Jews.
Taking this concept a step further, Nachmanides explains that levirate marriage is actually a vehicle for reincarnation. Reincarnation happens when God gives a soul a second chance to fulfill its destiny. Occasionally a soul does not accomplish what it was sent to earth to achieve. If the soul achieved a critical mass of its goals, but didn’t come close to its potential, then God may give it an additional opportunity. Sometimes God does this after the body dies of “natural causes,” while sometimes He causes a “premature” death and whisks the soul out of the body before it can further damage itself. In both cases, God allows it to be born again to have a fresh start.
But the old soul can’t be comfortable in just any new body; the placement of a soul in a specific body is carefully coordinated. Each physical body is precisely engineered to be the best container for the particular soul it houses. The soul of the deceased husband will therefore do best in a body that is as genetically close to the previous body as possible. Mystically, this is best accomplished through the seed of the deceased’s brother. Creating this vehicle for the soul of the deceased is thus considered a tremendous act of kindness.
Now, having read this, we still wonder, “Why remove the shoes? What does this have to do with the levirate marriage law?” Again, quoting from the same article:
The Kabbalists liken the body unto “the sole of the soul.” Just as a fastidious person needs shoes to protect his feet while standing in dirt and mud, so too does the soul require a “shoe” to protect it during its sojourn in a world of physicality. The Malbim explains that when a man dies childless, he leaves his essence within his wife, agitated and threatened by the dissolution of his name and memory. By refusing to enter into a levirate marriage, the soul of the deceased husband is denied the “shoe” he needs to reenter this world and fulfill his destiny.
Apparently, Naomi’s intention was to inform Boaz that it was time for Ruth to be wed under the levirate law and this was why she instructed Ruth to uncover his feet. As a judge, he would of course understand this action and would know what needed to be done next. Before we continue in this, let us first look at the Messianic view of this scene.
Throughout the scriptures, the term “threshing floor” brings with it the connotation of judgment. Uzzah was struck dead when he reached out to steady the Ark of the Covenant when it reached the threshing floor. (2Sa 6:6) When the Angel of the Lord stretched out His hand to destroy Jerusalem (2 Sam. 24:16) He was standing by the threshing floor. As a result of this, David bought the threshing floor in order to set up and altar so that the plague would be held back (future home of the temples.) In 1 Kings 22, the prophet Micaiah stands on the threshing floor of Samaria and pronounces the impending judgment on the Kingdom of Israel. In Jeremiah 51:33 we read, “For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor. At the time it is stamped firm; yet in a little while the time of harvest will come for her.’”
Since the threshing floor is a place of judgment, and Boaz is a Messiah-type, we can see how this Gentile woman humbles herself by laying at the foot of the Messiah’s place of judgment (the execution stake.) When Boaz awakes and finds her there, he asks who she is (remember, it’s nighttime and not well lit) and what she is doing there. Ruth replies, “I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative.” (Ruth 3:9) She came to her redeemer, humbled herself by lying at his feet, and asked him to cover her. In doing so, receives grace, because that is exactly what Boaz extends to Ruth. Isn’t that a perfect picture of what we do when we come to our Redeemer asking for His covering over us? And what does Yeshua do? He extends grace to us.
Then he (Boaz) said, “May you be blessed of the LORD, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich.” (Ruth 3:10) Remember, Boaz was much older than Ruth, but he was also a little lonely after the death of his wife. He sees her act of seeking his redemption of her as a kindness towards himself. He also understands how hard it must have been for her, a Moabite, to come seeking that redemption from him. He extends grace to her by stating, “I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.” (Ruth 3:11) They are both well aware of her heritage, but her works, which come from her faith in the God of Israel, has caused her to be seen as righteous despite her heritage.
This is one hitch to all of this… Boaz is not the closest kin. There is still another who is closer to Elimelech’s family then Boaz himself, as Elimelech still has a surviving brother (Boaz is a nephew.) Boaz promises Ruth that he will go and speak to this brother of Elimelech and see if he is interested in being the redeemer. If not, Boaz himself will redeem her. Before she left (in the early morning hours) Boaz filled her cloak with 6 measures of barley so that she would not return to Naomi empty handed. This action (six being the number of man) assured Naomi that he would take care of this problem (and continue to provide for Naomi) by the end of the day.
In the last chapter of Ruth, we are introduced to this close next of kin. For some reason, we are not given his name. The sages refer to him as “Plony Almony” which is the Jewish equivalent of John Doe. This is probably because of his behavior toward Ruth, as we will see shortly.
Boaz goes to the gate, where the elders sit and judge and hold “court.” Before too long Plony Almony comes along and Boaz asks him to sit and speak with him in front of the 10 elders (the proper number for a minyan – the quorum necessary for any prayer services or religious ceremonies.) Boaz then informs him that Naomi seeks to sell her land, which was Elimelech’s inheritance. Since he was the closest relative, it was his right first to buy it. (See Numbers 26.) Boaz also tells him that if he doesn’t redeem this property, Boaz himself will redeem it, as next of kin after him. He replies, “I will redeem it.” Then Boaz tells him about Ruth. She is part of the deal; whoever takes the land must also take Ruth.
Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.” The closest relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it.” (Ruth 4:5-6)
This man, the Plony Almony, will not redeem Ruth (and the soul of her dead husband) because he is afraid of his reputation. He is worried that if his other relatives hear of his marriage to a Moabite, they may rise up and take away his own inheritance. This is not something that he is willing to risk. One can imagine that he is probably quite glad to have such an easy way out. Boaz is glad as well, because now he will have the honor of following the command, and the gift of a companion. Not only that, but his property holdings will be enlarged! The sages also tell us that Boaz was aware of the oral teaching regarding the Moabite women (see above.)
In order to finalize the deal, the man takes off his shoe (which is the custom for finalizing sales transactions and has nothing to do with the levirate marriage laws) and hands it to Boaz in the site of the elders of Bethlehem. In this manner, the minyan is witness to the transaction, which they declare to be good.
All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem.” (Ruth 4:11)
This is one of the greatest blessings that one could bestow on Ruth, as we still bless our daughters using the names of Rachel and Leah to this day.
“Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman.” (Ruth 4:12)
It is very interesting that they should name Tamar and Judah here. First, Boaz is a direct descendent of Perez, their son. Second, Perez was a result of Tamar pretending to be a temple prostitute in order to sleep with Judah because he had not given her his son under the levirate marriage law. (See Genesis 38:6-30) Boaz would not have been there to redeem her if his father, Judah, had not redeemed Tamar.
So, Boaz marries Ruth and (according to the sages) she conceives on their wedding night. When Ruth gives birth to a son, she hands him over to Naomi who then becomes his nanny. “Thus, a son was born to Naomi” (verse 17) which seems to confirm the teaching of the re-birth of her son’s soul. This is a definite contrast to the bitter woman we see in the beginning of the book who claims that she will not be able to have another son.
The sages also tell us that Boaz died the night after his wedding. Many also claim that this was because he had married a Moabite, but the truth of the matter is that Boaz was an old man and his life was extended just long enough for him to redeem Ruth and become the ancestor of not only the future King, but of The Redeemer Himself!
The women of Bethlehem tell Naomi that Ruth is better to her then seven sons (the number of God’s perfect plan.) They also had the privilege of naming this child, praying that he would be a restorer of life and a sustainer to Naomi. Therefore, they named him Obed (which means “serving” or “worshiper.”) This Obed is the father of Jesse, who is the father of King David.
The book finishes with a roll call, so to speak, of the lineage leading from Judah up to David. The list is repeated then completed in the first chapter of Matthew. This is a list of some of the greatest men in the scriptures.
The Jewish people have traditionally read this book during Shavuot (Pentecost), the celebration of the giving of the Torah. They say that this is because (traditionally) it is the birthday (and the day of the death of) King David. I would have to add that it seems to me to be the same time as the marriage of Boaz and Ruth, as it occurred at the end of the barley and wheat harvests. This would also go with the teaching that Shavuot is “all about marriage” as the children of Israel became betrothed to Adonai when they said, “All that Adonai has spoken, we will do!” Even their position “under the mountain” speaks to the concept of being “under the chupah” as one is during a Jewish wedding.
For the New Covenant believer, the book of Ruth also speaks to our redemption under Yeshua and the future event known as the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Like Ruth, we have come out of the nations and have attached ourselves to Israel, saying, “Your people will be my people, your God will be my God!” This event was foreshadowed by the events of Pentecost, when the New Covenant began and was instantly extended out to “the lost sheep of Israel.” Ruth, a Gentile believer, was a descendant of Lot and therefore part of the promise given to Abraham. Her conversion from idol worship to the worship of the One True God restored the lost line of Lot to its rightful place. We, the descendants of the “lost tribes”, are also leaving behind our idol worship and restoring Israel to his rightful place along side of Judah. As it was in the past, so it will be again, with a mixed multitude joining in fellowship with Israel, and therefore being grafted into Israel.
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. (Romans 11:17-21)
Ruth is a book that speaks to all of us. To the Jew, it speaks of the “grafting in” of the Gentile convert. To the New Covenant believer, it speaks of the final Restoration and the Marriage of the Lamb. To both of us, it speaks of an Elohim (God) who loves us enough to redeem us if we will simply humble ourselves, leaving behind the ways of the world to fully embrace His teaching, statutes and ordinances found in Torah, and in doing so, lying down at His feet and requesting Him to be our covering. To think that all of this could come from a cute little story of a woman who loved her mother-in-law!