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Why didn't Ruth approach her wealthy relative Boaz directly for help when she and Naomi were destitute? Ruth chose the backbreaking labor of gathering leket because it's the only form of tzedakah where recipients maintain complete independence—no giver controls who receives hefker crops. This fierce independence, the shiur argues, is an essential quality for malchus, explaining why Mashiach's lineage traces to Ruth.
This shiur analyzes Ruth chapter 2, verse 1, focusing on the puzzling question of why Ruth didn't approach her wealthy relative Boaz directly for help when she and Naomi were destitute. Rabbi Zweig begins by establishing that both Ruth and Naomi knew of Boaz's existence and wealth from the outset, making her choice to gather leket (gleanings) rather than seek direct assistance all the more remarkable. The core insight centers on Ruth's fierce desire for independence. Rabbi Zweig explains that leket shiccha u'peah is the only form of tzedakah where the giver has no control over who receives it - it's hefker (ownerless). Unlike regular charity where the recipient feels beholden to the giver because "I could have given it to someone else," leket allows the poor to maintain their dignity without feeling indebted to any individual. Ruth preferred backbreaking labor in the hot sun over comfortable charity specifically to preserve her self-respect.
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Rus 2:1
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