[Avodah] Yebamoth and Megilath Ruth

[Zev Sero]

Galsaba at aol.com wrote:

> Was Ruth converted before her husband died, or after?
> If it was after, why to mention "Goel"? there is no Mitzva of Yibum, as 
> she does not have any relatives.

The mitzvah of "uva go'alo hakarov elav" is about buying back the land;
somebody had to buy back the land that Elimelech sold.  But the purpose
of this mitzvah is to clear the blot on the family's escutcheon, and in
this case there was another debt on the family - to take care of Ruth -
and whoever took it on himself to redeem the land would also have to
assume this debt.

-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas