[Avodah] Another approach to Ruth's geirus

[Zev Sero via Avodah]

On 28/05/17 15:18, Akiva Miller via Avodah wrote:
> R' Ben Waxman wrote:
>> I always assumed that of course they married non-Jews. Their
>> very names show that the two men were problematic personalities.
> 
> Yes, but see Bava Basra 91a: "Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said that
> Elimelech, Machlon, and Kilyon were gedolei hador..." An excellent
> introduction to this problem is in the Overview to ArtScroll's Ruth,
> pages 48-52.

Yiftach was also the "godol hador", but woe is to the generation that 
has such "gedolim".



> R' Zev Sero wrote:
>> There was no yibum; marrying Ruth was seen as part of the
>> mitzvah of redeeming her husband's land.
> 
> It doesn't matter whether you call it "yibum", or you call it
> something else. My point is that there is no connection between Rus
> and Boaz unless Rus was indeed married, and if there was no geirus
> then she was *not* married and not connected to Boaz.

On the contrary.  If it were a matter of yibum then it would depend on 
whether there was an original marriage.  But then why would it be 
connected to redeeming the field?  It seems obvious to me that the issue 
was discharging Machlon's and Kilyon's obligations, and Ruth was such an 
obligation.  Whether or not she was ever his lawful wife, he owed her, 
and unless she was taken care of his obligations would not be settled.

Thus, even if you wish to say that M&K thought their marriages were 
legitimate, it's not necessary to believe that Boaz agreed with them.


-- 
Zev Sero                May 2017, with its *nine* days of Chanukah,
zev at sero.name           be a brilliant year for us all