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The Conversion of Ruth in Targum Ruth The Review of Rabbinic Judaism 16 (2013) 133–146 brill.com/rrj The Conversion of Ruth in Targum Ruth Christian M. M. Brady 10 Schreyer Honors College The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 [email protected] Abstract In the book of Ruth there is no doubt that the title character is a central figure. Targum Ruth re-presents her as the Rabbinic proselyte par excellence. This is accomplished primarily through additions to 1:16–7. But Ruth’s status as the ideal convert is also confirmed thorough Boaz’s announcement that she would be “saved from the judgment of Gehenna so that [her] portion may be with Sarah and Rebekah and Rachel and Leah” (TgRuth 2:12) and that she is “a righ- teous woman and there is in [her] strength to bear the yoke of the commandments of the LORD” (TgRuth 3:11). Examining these and other changes to the biblical text introduced by the Targu- mist, this article demonstrates how, in the Targum, Ruth becomes not just an admirable woman who acts out of kindness to her mother-in-law but is truly the Rabbinic exemplar for all converts. Keywords Ruth, Targum Ruth, Conversion, Proselyte, Aramaic, Targum, Rabbinic 1. Ruth and Her Targum Ruth is a central figure and a key character in the book that bears her name. There is little debate about that fact. Over the millennia, however, her role and that of Naomi have been minimized, in some cases inadvertently and in others deliberately, through the aggrandizement of Boaz, himself a marginal figure in the book of Ruth.1 The Targum of Ruth certainly raises Boaz to a new level as he is made one of the ancient judges of Israel (Ibzan, TgRuth 1:1), a prophet 1 I presented a paper on the character of Boaz in TgRuth at the 2010 meeting of the Interna- tional Organization for Targumic Studies. I then presented a more general paper on the history of interpretation of the character of Boaz at the 2010 Mid-Atlantic Regional meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. “The Character of Boaz in the Book of Ruth and its Targum” is a forthcoming article on the subject. © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2013 DOI: 10.1163/15700704-12341252 134 C. M. M. Brady / The Review of Rabbinic Judaism 16 (2013) 133–146 (TgRuth 2:11), a man “strong in the law” (TgRuth 2:1, some MSS), and the reason God lifted the drought and famine that God had visited upon the land of Israel (TgRuth 1:6, 4:21). Yet the Targum also elevates Ruth and trans- forms her into the daughter of a king, the proselyte par excellence, and the mother of kings and prophets. The first reference to Ruth in TgRuth, as in the biblical text, occurs at 1:4. After an expansive start, the Targumist adds just a few details to this verse. He tells the audience that Mahlon and Chilion took “foreign” wives, thus provid- ing the explanation for their ultimate deaths, and provides Ruth with a royal lineage.2 4 They transgressed the decree of the Memra of the Lord and they took for themselves foreign wives from the house of Moab. The name of one was Orpah and the name of the second was Ruth, the daughter of Eglon, the king of Moab. And they dwelt there for a time of about ten years.3 The identification of Ruth with Eglon is well attested in a variety of Rabbinic sources.4 The fact that the Targumist simply mentions it in passing likely means that he assumed his audience would be well aware of this tradition; it is not new or unique to TgRuth.5 Her status as a princess does serve to further support the tradition, also in the Targum, that Elimelech and his sons were “lords from Bethlehem of Judah, and they came to the country of Moab and they were governors there” (TgRuth 1:2). 2 The Targum appears to be unique in offering this explicit explanation for why they died, but see Ruth Rabbah 2:9. 3 All translations of TgRuth are mine. Aramaic that I consider to be an addition to the bibli- cal text is represented in italics. 4 See, for example, B. Hor. 10b: “R. Yose son of R. Hanina said: Ruth was the daughter of the son of Eglon who was the son of the son of Balak the King of Moab.” All quotations of the Talmud are from Epstein and Simon, Hebrew-English Edition of the Babylonian Talmud. B. San. 102b. B. Sotah 47a, and B. Naz. 23a. Ruth Rabbah 2:9 also contains this tradition. “R. Bibi said in the name of R. Reuben: Ruth and Orpah were the daughters of Eglon, as it is said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O King. And he said: Keep silence, etc. (Judg. III, 19), and it is written, And Ehud came unto him . and Ehud said: I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat (ib. 20). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: ‘Thou didst arise from thy throne in honor of Me. By thy life, I shall raise up from thee a descendant sitting upon the throne of the Lord.” All quotations from Midrash Rabbah are from Freedman, et al., Midrash Rabbah (New York, 1983). 5 See D.R.G. Beattie, “Towards Dating the Targum of Ruth,” in Word in Season (Sheffield, 1986). C. M. M. Brady / The Review of Rabbinic Judaism 16 (2013) 133–146 135 2. Practically Perfect Proselyte While modern scholars debate whether or not Ruth 1:16–17 actually describes Ruth’s conversion to the Israelite religion,6 within Rabbinic tradition there was no question that Ruth is the proselyte par excellence.7 The first chapter of Ruth provides for the Rabbinic exegete the prototypical framework for conversion, including Naomi’s rejection of the would-be proselyte. Ruth Rabbah, com- mentating on Ruth 1:12, states, “R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in the name of R. Judah b. Hanina: Three times is it written here ‘turn back,’ corresponding to the three times that a would-be proselyte is repulsed; but if he persists after that, he is accepted.”8 The three statements of “turn back” are contained in Ruth 1:8, 11, and 12. Interestingly, the Targumist changes little in the text with respect to this command. He does, however, begin to develop the theme of proselytiza- tion in other ways, even extending to Orpah the desire to convert. When Ruth and Orpah declare that they will go back with Naomi to her home country (TgRuth 1:10), they state that their purpose is to become fol- lowers of her God. And they said to her, “No, we will not return to our people and our god, but rather we will return with you to your people to become proselytes.” Ruth and Orpah state that they are not simply going to remain loyal to Naomi. They want to go to Israel with her in order to become followers of the Lord. Orpah ultimately turns back, but the reason for their going to Israel is clearly stated in terms of becoming proselytes. Throughout the Targum the value of Ruth’s conversion is made prominent and often elevated above her other good deeds. Ruth’s faithfulness and hesed to Naomi, which some scholars view as the central theological theme of the biblical text,9 is subordinated to this “higher calling” of becoming a proselyte. 6 See, for example, Eskenazi, Cohn, and Frymer-Kensky, Ruth: The Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation (Philadelphia, 2011), pp. xlii–xlvi. 7 See Ruth Rabbah 2:22–24, Ruth Zutra 48 and 49, and B. Sot. 42b. The latter quite explic- itly extols Ruth’s virtue over that of Orpah. In reference to 2 Sam. 21:22 “ ‘And they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants,’ as it is written, And Orpah kissed her mother-in- law, but Ruth clave unto her. R. Isaac said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, spake, May the sons of the one who kissed come and fall by the hand of the sons of the one who clave.” 8 Ruth Rabbah 2:16. 9 This sentiment is found already in Ruth Rabbah 2:14: “R. Ze’ira said: This scroll [of Ruth] tells us nothing either of cleanliness or of uncleanliness, either of prohibition or permission. For what purpose then was it written? To teach how great is the reward of those who do deeds of kindness.” 136 C. M. M. Brady / The Review of Rabbinic Judaism 16 (2013) 133–146 Central to this development of the character of Ruth is, of course, Ruth’s declaration of fealty found in Ruth 1:16–17. This famous passage would stand in relief from the rest of the book of Ruth for its poetic style alone,10 but its content makes it a pivotal passage. The bibli- cal text reads as follows. 16 But Ruth said, “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die, I will die— there will I be buried. May the LORD do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!” 18 When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.
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