Elimelech's Sons and Moabite Marriage

וַיִּשְׂא֣וּ לָהֶ֗ם נָשִׁים֙ מֹֽאֲבִיּ֔וֹת שֵׁ֤ם הָאַחַת֙ עׇרְפָּ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית ר֑וּת וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ שָׁ֖ם כְּעֶ֥שֶׂר שָׁנִֽים׃

They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth, and they lived there about ten years.

וַיִּשְׂאוּ לָהֶם נָשִׂים מֹאֲבִיּוֹת (רות א, ד), תָּנֵי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי מֵאִיר לֹא גִּיְּרוּם וְלֹא הִטְבִּילוּ אוֹתָם וְלֹא הָיְתָה הֲלָכָה לְהִתְחַדֵּשׁ, וְלֹא הָיוּ נֶעֱנָשִׁין עֲלֵיהֶם, עַמּוֹנִי וְלֹא עַמּוֹנִית, מוֹאָבִי וְלֹא מוֹאָבִית. שֵׁם הָאַחַת עָרְפָּה, שֶׁהָפְכָה עֹרֶף לַחֲמוֹתָהּ. וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִית רוּת, שֶׁרָאֲתָה בְּדִבְרֵי חֲמוֹתָהּ.

“They took for themselves Moavite wives: the name of one was Orpa, and the name of the second was Ruth; and they dwelled there approximately ten years” (Ruth 1:4). “They took for themselves Moavite wives.” It is taught in the name of Rabbi Meir: They did not convert them, they did not immerse them, the halakha had not yet been innovated such that they would not have been punished for them; an Ammonite and not a female Ammonite, a Moavite and not a female Moavite. “The name of one was Orpa,” because she turned her back [oref] to her mother-in-law. “And the name of the second was Ruth [Rut],” because she saw [ra’ata] truth in the words of her mother-in-law.

וְכֵן הָיָה רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי אוֹמֵר: אֱלִימֶלֶךְ, מַחְלוֹן וְכִלְיוֹן, גְּדוֹלֵי הַדּוֹר הָיוּ, וּפַרְנְסֵי הַדּוֹר הָיוּ; וּמִפְּנֵי מָה נֶעְנְשׁוּ? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיָּצְאוּ מֵאָרֶץ לְחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַתֵּהֹם כׇּל הָעִיר עֲלֵיהֶן, וַתֹּאמַרְנָה הֲזֹאת נׇעֳמִי״. מַאי ״הֲזֹאת נָעֳמִי״? אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק, אָמְרוּ: חֲזִיתֶם נָעֳמִי שֶׁיָּצָאת מֵאָרֶץ לְחוּץ לָאָרֶץ – מָה עָלְתָה לָהּ? (סִימָן: מָלַךְ, אַבְרָהָם, עֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים, שֶׁנִּפְטַר, נִתְנַשֵּׂא לְבַדּוֹ.) אָמַר רַב חָנָן בַּר רָבָא אָמַר רַב: אֱלִימֶלֶךְ, וְשַׂלְמוֹן, וּפְלוֹנִי אַלְמוֹנִי, וַאֲבִי נָעֳמִי – כּוּלָּן בְּנֵי נַחְשׁוֹן בֶּן עַמִּינָדָב הֵן. מַאי קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן? שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ זְכוּת אָבוֹת, אֵינָהּ עוֹמֶדֶת לוֹ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיּוֹצֵא מֵאָרֶץ לְחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ.

And Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai would likewise say: Elimelech and his sons Mahlon and Chilion were prominent members of their generation and were leaders of their generation. And for what reason were they punished? They were punished because they left Eretz Yisrael to go outside of Eretz Yisrael, as it is stated concerning Naomi and Ruth: “And all the city was astir concerning them, and the women said: Is this Naomi?” (Ruth 1:19). The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of the phrase: “Is this Naomi”? How does this indicate that her husband and sons were punished for leaving Eretz Yisrael? Rabbi Yitzḥak says that the women said: Have you seen what befell Naomi, who left Eretz Yisrael for outside of Eretz Yisrael? Not only did she not escape tribulations there, but she lost her status entirely. The Gemara provides a mnemonic for the ensuing statements that Rav Ḥanan bar Rava said that Rav said: Melech; Abraham; ten years; when he died; and He alone was exalted. Rav Ḥanan bar Rava says that Rav says: With regard to Elimelech, and Boaz’s father, Salmon, and So-and-so, the unnamed relative who was a closer relative to Elimelech than Boaz (Ruth 4:1), and Naomi’s father, all of these are descendants of Nahshon, son of Amminadab, the head of the tribe of Judah (see Ruth 4:20–21 and Numbers 2:3). The Gemara asks: What is he teaching us by this statement? He is teaching that even in the case of one who has the merit of his ancestors to protect him, this merit does not stand for him when he leaves Eretz Yisrael to go outside of Eretz Yisrael, as Elimelech died on account of this sin.

״וְכִרְאוֹת שָׁאוּל אֶת דָּוִד יוֹצֵא לִקְרַאת הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי אָמַר אֶל אַבְנֵר שַׂר הַצָּבָא בֶּן מִי זֶה הַנַּעַר אַבְנֵר וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְנֵר חֵי נַפְשְׁךָ הַמֶּלֶךְ אִם יָדָעְתִּי״. וְלָא יְדַע לֵיהּ? וְהָכְתִיב:

MISHNA: Ammonite and Moabite converts are prohibited from entering into the congregation and marrying a woman who was born Jewish, and their prohibition is eternal, for all generations. However, their female counterparts, even the convert herself, are permitted immediately.

וְכֵיצַד דִּינָן. עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב אִסּוּרָן אִסּוּר עוֹלָם זְכָרִים וְלֹא נְקֵבוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כג ד) "לֹא יָבֹא עַמּוֹנִי וּמוֹאָבִי בִּקְהַל ה'" וְגוֹ'. הֲלָכָה לְמשֶׁה מִסִּינַי שֶׁהָעַמּוֹנִי הַזָּכָר וְהַמּוֹאָבִי הַזָּכָר הוּא שֶׁאָסוּר לְעוֹלָם לִשָּׂא בַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲפִלּוּ בֶּן בְּנוֹ עַד סוֹף הָעוֹלָם. אֲבָל עַמּוֹנִית וּמוֹאָבִית מֻתֶּרֶת מִיָּד כִּשְׁאָר הָאֻמּוֹת:

What are the laws that apply to them [in that context]? It is forbidden to marry an Ammonite and a Moabite forever. This applies to the males and not the females, as [Deuteronomy 23:4] states: "An Ammonite and a Moabite shall not enter the congregation of God." It is a halachah transmitted to Moses at Sinai that it is a male Ammonite and a male Moabite who are forbidden to marry a native-born Israelite forever, [including] even their son's grandson forever. An Ammonite woman and a Moabite woman are, by contrast, permitted immediately as are [converts] from other nations.

אֵיךְ תִּטְהַר מַחְשַׁבְתֵּנוּ אִם לֹא נִשְׁתַּדֵּל לְנַקּוֹתָהּ מִן הַמּוּמִין שֶׁמַּטִּיל בָּהּ הַטֶּבַע הַגּוּפָנִי, וְהַמִּדּוֹת כֻּלָּם הַצְּרִיכוֹת כְּמוֹ כֵן תִּקּוּן וְהַיְשָׁרָה. מִי יְיַשְּׁרֵם וּמִי יְתַקְּנֵם אִם לֹא נָשִׂים לֵב עֲלֵיהֶם וְלֹא נְדַקְדֵּק בַּדָּבָר דִּקְדּוּק גָּדוֹל. הֲלֹא אִם עִיַּנּוּ עַל הַדָּבָר עִיּוּן אֲמִתִּי, הָיִינוּ מוֹצְאִים אוֹתוֹ עַל אֲמִתּוֹ וּמְטִיבִים לְעַצְמֵנוּ, וּמְלַמְּדִים אוֹתוֹ לַאֲחֵרִים וּמְטִיבִים לָהֶם גַּם כֵּן. הוּא מַה שֶּׁאָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה (משלי ב ד): אִם תְּבַקְשֶׁנָּה כַכָּסֶף וְכַמַּטְמוֹנִים תַּחְפְּשֶׂנָּה, אָז תָּבִין יִרְאַת ה'. אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר אָז תָּבִין פִילוֹסוֹפְיָה, אָז תָּבִין תְּכוּנָה, אָז תָּבִין רְפוּאָה, אָז תָּבִין דִּינִים, אָז תָּבִין הֲלָכוֹת, אֶלָּא אָז תָּבִין יִרְאַת ה'! הֲרֵי לְךָ, שֶׁלְּהָבִין הַיִּרְאָה צָרִיךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ אוֹתָהּ כַּכֶּסֶף וּלְחַפֵּשׂ אוֹתָהּ כַּמַּטְמוֹנִים.

Although the beginnings and foundations of [piety] are already implanted in every upright person's heart, nevertheless if he does not engage himself in their study, he will encounter its branches but won't recognize them and he will tread over them without perceiving that he is doing so. Observe that matters of piety and fear and love [of G-d], and purity of heart are not things innately implanted in a person whereby he would not need means to acquire them such as sleep and wakefulness, hunger and satiation, and all the other responses naturally implanted in our nature. Rather, certainly it is necessary to employ means and strategies to acquire them. There is also no lack of detrimental factors which distance a person from them, but correspondingly there is also no lack of ways by which these obstacles may be held afar.

ובזה יבואר הפסוק תבנה ותכונן עיר סיחון, זה הוא הבנין של העיר הזאת שלקחה אותה סיחון מיד מואב והיה מותר לישראל לכבוש אותה, כי אלו היה תחת מואב לא היו רשאים לכבוש אותה ולא היה לה בנין ותקומה אבל עכשיו שלקחה סיחון מיד מואב והיה מותר לישראל ליקח אותה מיד סיחון כמאמר חכמינו ז"ל (גיטין לח.) עמון ומואב טהרו בסיחון, זה הבנין ותקומה של העיר. וזהו תבנה ותכונן, זה הוא הבנין וכונן של העיר הזאת מחמת שהוא עיר סיחון:

When we keep the above in mind the verse (Numbers, 21,27) ‎תבנה ותכונן עיר סיחן‎, “let it be built (Cheshbon) as the city of ‎Sichon, and let it be firmly established, becomes clear.” The city ‎in question is one that Sichon had captured from Moab. It had ‎therefore become permitted for the Israelites to be taken as if it ‎were part of the Emorite (Canaanite) nation, whereas the Torah ‎had warned the Israelites not to infringe on Moabite territory. ‎‎(Deut. 2,9). The Talmud in Gittin 38, states, that Sichon, by ‎conquering part of the territories of Ammon and Moab, ‎‎“cleansed” i.e. made permissible, the subsequent conquest of ‎these lands by the Israelites. Incidentally, this statement also ‎shows that Jewish law recognizes capture of lands of one nation ‎by another to be considered as legal after the event. If reference is ‎made by the Torah to this event which might have occurred ‎hundreds of years prior to the war between Israel and Sichon, it is ‎only in order to prove the legality of Israel taking over these cities ‎and rebuilding them. The Torah emphasizes that the city was ‎legally Sichon’s by describing it as ‎עיר סיחון‎, “Sichon’s city.”