In this Midrashic Monologue, we listen as Boaz reflects on the day he met Ruth and the lives that they have built together.
Ruth, on this day, we celebrate ten years of our marriage. When I think of all that has happened since I met you, I am overwhelmed by the sense that God has given us a beautiful gift by leading us to one another.
When we met, both of us had been blessed with the love of a spouse, and both of us had felt the devastating pain of losing that partner. As you know, I had walked around for months with heart made heavy by the belief that I would live the rest of my days alone. And then, one day, I walked through the gates of my city and into my family’s fields and was struck senseless by the sight of the woman sitting amongst the crops, tending to the earth with such devotion, the same devotion that I always tried to bring to my work.
Our people tell stories of an ancestor named Rebecca who, upon seeing her betrothed, Isaac, fell off her camel. It was as if her soul recognized his and fled from her to greet its other half. When I saw you that day, I knew what Rebecca had felt all those years ago. It was as if the horizon had shifted and my soul no longer belonged only to me.
Ruth, your loyalty to your mother-in-law, my kinswoman, Naomi, made you my family, but your strength, your kindness, and your gumption made you my love.
You and our son, Obed, brought beauty and warmth into my life which had begun to turn cold around the edges. I pray that Obed will find a partner who is his perfect counterpart, just as you are for me. I pray that he and his destined love will make a family who will surround us in our old age, bringing energy and life to even the quietest of moments. And, I pray that those who come from us and those who come from them will always remember the story of our love. I pray that they will know the contentment that we have been blessed with.