Editing Boaz (section)

==Rabbinic Jewish tradition==
===Conduct===
In the [[Talmud]], some rabbis identify Boaz with the judge [[Ibzan]] of [[Bethlehem]].<ref>{{Bibleverse||Judges|12:8|kjv|}}.</ref> "I.e., [[Bethlehem of Galilee|Bethlehem in Zebulun]]"; cf. {{Bibleverse||Joshua|19:15|kjv|}}.<ref>''Hebrew-English Tanakh''. First pocket edition. Philadelphia, PA, USA: Jewish Publication Society, 2003. {{ISBN|978-0-8276-0766-8}}. p. 547.</ref> However, Boaz "of Ruth" was from [[Tribe of Judah|Judah]],<ref name=Judah/> whereas the two [[Biblical judges|chieftains]] immediately before Ibzan were from [[Tribe of Zebulun|Zebulun]].<ref>{{Bibleverse||Judges|12:11-12:12|kjv|}}.</ref> A legend is given that he lost all his sixty children during his lifetime because he did not invite [[Manoah]], [[Samson]]'s father, to any of the marriage festivities at his house.<ref>[https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3444-boaz#anchor3 “Boaz”] by Morris Jastrow, Jr., B. Eerdmans ''et al. Jewish Encyclopedia'', 1906.</ref> Since Manoah was at that time without children, Boaz thought he did not need to consider on such occasions a childless man who could not pay him back in kind (''[[Bava Batra]]'' 91a).<ref>[https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3444-boaz#anchor3 “Boaz”] by Morris Jastrow, Jr., B. Eerdmans ''et al. Jewish Encyclopedia'', 1906.</ref>

The Talmud tells that Boaz was a just, pious, and learned judge. The custom of using the [[Names of God in Judaism|Divine Name]] in greeting one's fellow-man (Rt-2.4) formulated by him and his ''[[bet din]]'' ("court [of] law") received the approval of even the heavenly ''bet din'' (''[[Talmud#Talmud Bavli .28Babylonian Talmud.29|Babylonian Talmud]]'' ''[[Makkot]]'' 23b; ''[[Talmud#Talmud Yerushalmi .28Jerusalem Talmud.29|Yerushalmi Talmud]]'' Ber. ix. 14c; [[Midrash]] ''[[Ruth Rabbah]]'' to ii. 4).<ref>[https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3444-boaz#anchor3 “Boaz”] by Morris Jastrow, Jr., B. Eerdmans ''et al. Jewish Encyclopedia'', 1906.</ref>

The midrash ''Ruth Rabbah'' states that being a pious man, Boaz on his first meeting with Ruth perceived her conscientiousness in picking up the grain, as she strictly observed the rules prescribed by the [[Torah|Law]].<ref>[https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3444-boaz#anchor3 “Boaz”] by Morris Jastrow, Jr., B. Eerdmans ''et al. Jewish Encyclopedia'', 1906.</ref> This, as well as her grace and her chaste conduct during work, induced Boaz to inquire about the stranger, although he was not in the habit of inquiring after women (''Ruth Rabba'' to ii. 5; Talmudic tractate ''Shabbat'' 113b).<ref>[https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3444-boaz#anchor3 “Boaz”] by Morris Jastrow, Jr., B. Eerdmans ''et al. Jewish Encyclopedia'', 1906.</ref>

In the conversation that followed between Boaz and Ruth, the pious proselyte said that, being a [[Moab]]ite, she was excluded from association with the community of God (Deuteronomy 23:3). Boaz, however, replied that the prohibition in the Scripture applied only to the men of Moab{{snd}}and [[Women in the Hebrew Bible|not to the women]].<ref>[https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3444-boaz#anchor3 “Boaz”] by Morris Jastrow, Jr., B. Eerdmans ''et al. Jewish Encyclopedia'', 1906.</ref> He furthermore told her that he had heard from the [[prophet]]s that she was destined to become the ancestress of kings and prophets; and he blessed her with the words: "May God, who rewards the pious, also reward you." ([[Targum]] ''Ruth'' ii. 10, 11; ''Pesiḳ'', ed. Buber, xvi. 124a)<ref>[https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3444-boaz#anchor3 “Boaz”] by Morris Jastrow, Jr., B. Eerdmans ''et al. Jewish Encyclopedia'', 1906.</ref> Boaz was especially friendly toward the poor stranger during the meal, when he indicated to her by various symbolic courtesies that she would become the ancestress of the [[Davidic line|Davidic royal house]], including the [[Jewish Messiah|Messiah]] (''Ruth R.'' to ii. 14; ''Shab.'' 113b). As toward Ruth, Boaz had also been kind toward his kinsmen, Naomi's sons, on hearing of their death, taking care that they had an honorable burial (''Ruth Rabba'' to 2.20).<ref>[https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3444-boaz#anchor3 “Boaz”] by Morris Jastrow, Jr., B. Eerdmans ''et al. Jewish Encyclopedia'', 1906.</ref>

===Boaz and Ruth===
[[File:Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld- Ruth im Feld des Boaz.jpg|thumb|''Ruth in Boaz's Field'' by [[Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld]], 1828]]
Although Boaz was the prince of the people, he personally supervised the threshing of the grain in his barn, in order to circumvent any immorality or theft, both of which were rife in his days (Tan., Behar, ed. Buber, viii.; ''Ruth Rabba'' to iii. 7).<ref name=je/> Glad in his heart that the famine was over in Israel, he sought rest after having thanked God and [[Torah study|studied]] for a while in the ''Torah'' (Tan., l.c.; Targum ''Ruth'' iii. 7; and ''Ruth Rabba'' ib.).<ref name="je" /> Aroused out of his first sleep by Ruth, he was greatly frightened, as he thought she was a devil; and he was convinced of the contrary only after touching the hair of her head, since devils were believed to be bald (Tan., l.c.).<ref name="je" /> When he perceived Ruth's pure and holy intentions he not only did not reprove her for her unusual behavior, he blessed her and gave her six measures of barley, indicating thereby that six pious men should spring from her, who would be gifted by God with six excellences (cf. {{Bibleverse||Isaiah|11:2|kjv|}}; ''Sanhedrin'' 93b; ''Numbers Rabba'' xiii. 11; ''Ruth Rabba'' and ''Targum to Ruth'' iii. 15; the names of the six men differ in these passages, but David and the Messiah are always among them).<ref name="je" /> Boaz fulfilled the promises he had given to Ruth, and when his kinsman (the sources differ as to the precise relationship existing between them) would not marry her because he did not know the ''[[halakah]]'' which decreed that Moabite women were not excluded from the Israelitic community, Boaz himself married.