[Avodah] Ruth and Chesed

[garry]

Date: Wed, 8 Jun 2011 21:40:33 +0300
From: Eli Turkel <eliturkel at gmail.com>
> Our rabbi gave a drasha stressing the elements of chesed in Ruth and Boaz
> and comparing it by varous similar words to the story of Eved Avraham
> and Rivka which also stresses chesed.
...
> Since Boaz now knows that Naomi is in town and is a close relative I would
> have expected him to invite them for meals, perhaps give them money to start
> over with (seems Boaz was rich) etc. Why is allowing Ruth to be with the
> other poor people gleaning but with special privileges that she can drink
> water with the workers, collect more of the leftovers such a chessed?

Rarely if ever does a story in T'nakh  teach one simple lesson.

Medrash Rabba on Ruth:
    "and he reached her parched corn"
   R. Isaac b. Marion said: This verse can teach us that if a man is
   about to perform a good deed,
   he should do it with all his heart....
   had Boaz known that Scripture would record of him,
   "and he reached her parched corn,"
   he would have fed her with fatted calves.