we could come to the middle
let it all pass through A sermon on the conclusion to Ruth : The ballad of Ruth the Moabite builds to it’s seemingly inevitable crescendo. Only, before the string chorus can swell and Ruth and Boaz can sail off into happily ever after; there’s one last thing… It turns out there's someone a little higher up the ladder than Boaz, someone with a prior claim, someone with dibs … Back in the day, official business was done at the city gate where there would be witnesses aplenty. And Boaz means to make this official . Boaz calls over the next-of-kin, and let’s him know he’s entitled to first look at Elimelch’s estate. Including a good, safe investment if ever there was one; a plum piece of property. The next-of-kin asks to see the deed… And as he goes over the paperwork, he notices a rider ! The property doesn’t come free and clear! To claim the property, you also have to claim Ruth ! And Ruth, like the rest of us, comes with a his...