Ruth Rabbah 8

¹Rabbi Abba bar Kahana began: “Tremble [ rigzu ] and do not sin…” (Psalms 4:5). David said before the Holy One, blessed be He: ‘How long will they be provoking [ mitragzim ] me, and saying: Does he not have flawed lineage? Does he not descend from Ruth the Moavite?’ ‘“…Say in your heart, on your bed…” (Psalms 4:5) – you also, do you not descend from two sisters? You, see what are your roots! “…and be silent, Sela” (Psalms 4:5). Tamar, too, whom Judah your grandfather took as a wife, is that not flawed lineage? And she was the daughter of Shem ben Noah. What, do you have pedigree?’ Rabbi Yaakov bar Aviya said: Confront [ argiz ] your evil inclination and you will not sin. The Rabbis said: Anger your evil inclination and you will not sin. “These are the generations of Peretz: Peretz begot Ḥetzron” (Ruth 4:18). “These [ eleh ] are the generations of Peretz.” Rabbi Abba said: Anywhere that eleh is stated, it rejects what preceded it; ve’eleh , it adds to what preceded it. Bereshit Rabba 12 until “informed him that Ishmael repented,” end of quote>. “Ḥetzron begot Ram and Ram begot Aminadav” (Ruth 4:19). “Ḥetzron begot Ram.” But wasn’t Yeraḥme’el a previous son, [as it is stated:] “the sons of Ḥetzron who were born to him: Yeraḥme’el, Ram, and Keluvi” (I Chronicles 2:9)? Rather, he married a Canaanite woman in order to exalt himself [ lehitater ] through her, as it is written: “Yeraḥme’el had another wife, and her name was Atara” (I Chronicles 2:26). “Aminadav begot Naḥshon and Naḥshon begot Salma. Salmon begot Boaz and Boaz begot Oved” (Ruth 4:20–21). “Ram begot Aminadav…and [Naḥshon begot…] Salmon.” To this point, they were the ladder for the princes; from this point on they were ladders to kings. , ladder. It appears in two different forms in these verses to allude to the change in status of the family: To this point, its members were tribal princes; from Boaz, Salmon’s son, the family was moving toward establishing the Israelite monarchy ( Midrash HaMevoar ). Rabbi Yitzḥak began: “Then [ az ] I said, behold, I have entered” (Psalms 40:8). I should have sung a song when I came. Az means nothing other than song, as it is stated: “Then [ az ] Moses sang” (Exodus 15:1). I was included in “shall not enter,” and [yet] I entered. that this prohibition applies only to male converts. “Oved begot Yishai and Yishai begot David” (Ruth 4:22). “In the scroll of a book it is written about me” (Psalms 40:8). “In the scroll” – “whom You commanded that they should not enter into Your congregation” (Lamentations 1:10). “Of a book” – “An Ammonite and a Moavite shall not enter [into the assembly of the Lord]” (Deuteronomy 23:4). Not only did I enter, but in a scroll and a book it is written about me. In the scroll: Peretz, Ḥetzron, Ram, Aminadav, Naḥshon, Oved, Yishai, David. In a book – “the Lord said: Arise, anoint him; for this is he” (I Samuel 16:12). Rabbi Huna says: It is written: “The Lord has provided me another [ aḥer ] offspring” (Genesis 4:25), an offspring that comes from another [ aḥer ] place, and who is this? It is the messianic king. Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Simon [said]: This is analogous to a king who would pass from place to place and a pearl fell from [the crown] on his head. The king and his entire entourage stopped there, and passersby would say: ‘What is the nature [of the stay] of the king and his entourage here?’ They saw and said: ‘A pearl fell from upon his head.’ What did he do? He piled up the dirt, and brought sifters, and sifted one pile but did not find it; the second, but did not find it; and the third, and he found it. They said: ‘The king found his pearl.’ So too, the Holy One blessed be He said to Abraham: “Go for yourself [ lekha ]” (Genesis 12:1) – It was you [ lekha ] that I was anticipating. What need was there to delineate the lineage: “Shem, Arpakhshad, Shelaḥ, Ever, Peleg… Naḥor, Teraḥ” (I Chronicles 1:24–26)? It was only for you. “Abram is [ hu ] Abraham” (I Chronicles 1:27) ] that God was anticipating, and for whom all the previous generations were listed. – “and You found his heart faithful before You” (Nehemiah 9:8). So too, the Holy One blessed be He said to David: ‘What need was there for Me to delineate the lineage: Peretz, Ḥetzron, Ram, Aminadav, Naḥshon, Oved, Yishai? Was it not for you?’ – “I have found David My servant” (Psalms 89:21).