Kabbalah Library

145. “And they took for themselves Moabite women.” They were the daughters of Eglon King of Moab. Why was Eglon rewarded with this? When Ehud came and said, “I have a word from God to you,” he rose from the throne. The Creator said to him, “You rose from your throne for my glory, be sure, from you will come one who will sit on My throne,” as it is written, “And Solomon sat on the Lord’s throne.”

146. When the rule “Moabite [man] and not Moabite [woman]” was implemented, should it not have said “Moabite [man] and not Moabite [woman]”? After all, it is written about them, “and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab, and they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods.” It is also written, “Indeed, they were [given] to the people of Israel by the word of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.” Can it be that they caused that much, and the males are forbidden and they are permitted?

147. However, as Moses and Elazar accepted them, as it is written, “Those who did not know a man, keep alive.” What is the reason? The daughters of Moab were forced into that deed. The people came and brought them against their will, and one who did not want to, they would kill her, until all the Moabites were there under coercion. This is why the men are certainly forbidden and the women are permitted.

Also, two reasons are written in the Torah, “Because they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired Balaam against you.” Thus, the heart of the matter were men.

148. But the brook Shitim is the tower of adultery of women, so how was it said that they stood there under coercion? After all, it is written, “And a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the brook of Shitim,” since at that time, the Creator is destined to heal the whole world, and because the brook Shitim proliferates adultery, a fountain came forth from the house of the Lord to heal that brook. Thus, they came on their own for the adultery.

149. This is not so. It is well known that in a place where their husbands and fathers are, they do not come on their own before everyone’s eyes, unless they have been made wanton against their will, under the counsel of Balaam.

150. If this scroll comes only to attribute the descendants of David, who came from Ruth the Moabite, then why did it tell more than the lineage of David, and why must it begin to write the lineage from Boaz, who married Ruth, and say, “These are the generations of Peretz,” until “And Yishai [Jesse] begot David.” Indeed, it was all necessary for this righteous one who came to convert [to Judaism], and to take cover under the wings of the Shechina, and to make known her humbleness and chastity and righteousness.

151. This is why it went to such great length to alert of the descendants of David, who is a clearly pure silver for the land. This is so because Peretz and serving pure silver are as this silver that was purified once and twice. Peretz, through Yehuda and Tama, in the first time, and also through Boaz and Ruth, in the second time.

152. Why did they come from the mothers Tama and Ruth in this matter? Silver is purified from the dross in it, and the descendants of David is purified from that side, the good side, and from the bad side, as it is written, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,” with both your inclinations, the good inclination and the evil inclination. Everything is needed as one, and the descendants of David needed this.