What we read at the beginning of the second chapter of Ruth draws our attention first of all to the commandment that...
What we read at the beginning of the second chapter of Ruth draws our attention first of all to the commandment that Boaz obeys. This commandment requires that not every last ear of grain be gathered from the field, but that some be left so the poor can glean it and feed themselves. Gleaning is hard work, of course, but it offers a way to survive without begging or selling oneself into bondage. For women who had no economic or social rights in ancient Israel, this was in fact their only chance of survival. What is also remarkable is the attitude toward property that this commandment teaches us, and its attitude toward the dignity of the poor. For our almsgiving, often quite generous, is just as often humiliating to those who receive it.
It is no less remarkable that, in showing mercy to Ruth, Boaz does not exalt his own virtues. Through his hands, God rewards Ruth for the good she has done. In fact, without this, almsgiving will not benefit the person who gives it.
