Midrashic Guide to Superlative Gemilut Chesed
Naomi’s great grief was transformed into joy when, as recorded in pesukim 19-20, she saw the great bounty of grain Rut brought home. Naomi was overwhelmed with joy when Rut told her that it was none other than Boaz who had helped her.
A Double Entendre
Naomi in pasuk 20 exclaimed, “Baruch hu la’Hashem,” who has not abandoned His chesed to the living and the dead. Who was Naomi blessing — Boaz or Hashem? Rashi seems to say that this refers to Hashem, whereas Malbim believes it refers to Boaz.
I suggest that Naomi was deliberately ambiguous, to refer to both Hashem and Boaz. Naomi thanked Hashem for orchestrating Rut’s arrival at Boaz’s field, and also Boaz for his chesed. She overlapped the chesed of Hashem and of Boaz, reflecting that our acts of chesed stem from our obligation to imitate Hashem. Just as Hashem does acts of chesed, such as visiting the sick and burying the dead, we must follow the stellar example He sets (Sotah 14a).
Chesed With the Dead
As we have noted, the primary focus of Megillat Rut is to teach us the nature of chesed. By referring to Hashem’s chesed to the living and the dead, Naomi’s statement in pasuk 20 teaches us that chesed is not limited to the living, but is applicable to the dead as well. This idea is also expressed by Boaz in perek 4 pesukim 3 and 5.
Besides for the great mitzvah of burying the dead, and sons reciting Kaddish in memory of the dead, the broader community can also do chesed for the dead. For example, community members can learn Mishna (Aruch Hashulchan, Yoreh Dei’ah 376:13) for the departed and can also arrange Kaddish recital for someone that does not have a family member to say it for them.
Conclusion
Naomi’s dramatically improved mood at the conclusion of perek 2 sets the stage for a bright future ahead. With a positive attitude that spills over to Rut, Naomi masterminds a brilliant plan that will do chesed in the broadest sense for all the living, dead and not-yet-born members of Am Yisrael.