of the first right to buy what belonged to

Naomi — and a crowd of the city's people; and he said before them all: Naomi wishes to sell the piece of field that belonged to our brother Elimelech, and I said I would inform the first redeemer, before the elders of the city and its people, in case he wishes to buy; if he does not, then I shall. And the first redeemer did not buy, so Boaz bought, and called the elders and those present to witness that he had bought all that had belonged to Naomi's husband and her two sons, and that he would also take Ruth as his wife, to raise up the name of her dead husband upon his inheritance, that it might not perish.

And Ruth married, and bore a male child; and the people said to Naomi: He is your son, for your daughter-in-law who loves you has borne him, and she is better to you than seven sons. And Naomi took the boy and laid him in her bosom and devoted herself to his rearing. And Obed, son of Ruth, grew up to father Jesse, the father of David the prophet; and Ruth became grandmother to the prophet and king David; and from the loins of David sprang the Lord the Redeemer.

Such is the immortal story of Ruth, which the Holy Book recorded between its covers and the generations have repeated. Before this young woman, this personality overflowing with love and fidelity, one stands amazed... One finds in her an infinite tenderness, as though the mother-in-law had become — for the first and last time in history — a true mother, for whose sake her daughter sacrifices her future, her people, her homeland, and everything... Ruth could have found a husband among her own people, as her mother-in-law told her... She could have found among the members of her own family the consolation she would never find

in the company of this bereaved old woman whose whole life had become blackness upon blackness — a burden heavy for a young woman to bear, whatever her own grief, since hope in her soul is alive and shining... She could have found her bread among her own people; and had she not found it, she would have worked to support herself alone, not to support another creature besides — her mother-in-law... But the young woman of noble character sacrificed everything... She saw in this aged woman only a bereaved mother whose two young sons had died together after her husband, leaving her alone and wretched in the world — how could she leave her?

And we find in Ruth an infinite tenderness: from her bread, and even from the grains of roasted wheat given her to eat, she keeps back a handful to carry to the poor old woman... What love... what compassion... what humanity...

And we find in Ruth, further, a blind trust in the old woman and an exemplary obedience to her. From the first day she told her all that had happened to her in the field, forgetting neither the name of its owner nor his kindness to her... Then she left it to the old woman to lay the plan... Do thus, my daughter, and do thus... And the young woman did; she carried out the instructions letter by letter, and the outcome was as the old woman had intended.

And we find in Ruth, after all this, a most virtuous woman, who wishes to live by the sweat of her brow; and there rings in our ears the word of the redeemer, when he found her at his feet at midnight: Blessed are you, my daughter, for you have not run after the young men, rich or poor; all the city knows that you are a virtuous woman...

And now — how often do people disbelieve in goodness, how often do they repeat that there is no

reward in this world, and that heaven takes no notice of what one does... Have such people ever thought of the story of Ruth?... She loved greatly, and the fragrance of her love spread abroad and all inhaled it; and the fragrance of her sacrifice, her virtue, and her nobility of character spread likewise, so that every creature looked kindly upon her; and the result was this happy marriage to that wealthy and wise man in whose field she had wished only to go on gleaning wheat and barley. Thus she found in her exile a homeland where all loved and honored her, and found, after the loss of her husband, a generous and noble husband.

As for heaven's reward — how great it is: that this girl should become an immortal idea in history, and become grandmother to one of the greatest men of the world, the king and prophet David; and then that from the loins of David should come her descendant, the Lord Christ.

Yes, the earth rewards, and heaven rewards — there is no doubt of it — but on one condition: that we do not give with one hand while stretching out the other, open, to receive the reward. Then it mocks us; for it would have us love for the sake of the greatness of love itself, and give for the sake of the pleasure of giving itself; and then the blessings of heaven pour down upon us.