2022/5782

An Odd Name

In our concluding Shiur to Megillat Rut, we will grapple with the name the women of Beit Lechem give the son of Bo’az and Rut – עוֹבֵד. 

First step of analysis – pose a compelling question. What is unusual about this name? Indeed, only one other individual in Tanach is named Oveid. The name strikes me as peculiar – it means “works” or “serves.” Why would they give the child such an odd name?

Explaining the Name - Da’at Mikra, Malbim, and a New Suggestion

Da’at Mikra solves our problem by suggesting that עוֹבֵד is short for עבדיה. It notes that we find shortened names in Tanach, such as Chanan for Chananiah and Matan for Mataniah. 

As a variation, TABC Alumnus Aharon Teitlebaum suggests that Na’omi and Rut named the child Ovadia and the townspeople nicknamed him Oveid for short. This explains why the townspeople named the baby instead of Rut and Na’omi.

Malbim explains that they called him Oveid since he will serve Hashem. קראו עובד על שעתיד לעבוד את ה' והוא אבי ישי שממנו נצמח מלכות בית דוד. However, if the Malbim’s approach serves as a complete answer, they would have called the child the more common name עבדיה, which means Eved Hashem.

We can add a dimension to the Malbim’s explanation by noting the following two stories:

Melachim I (12:7) (advice of elders to the newly inaugurated Melech Rechavam to serve the people) – אִם-הַיּוֹם תִּהְיֶה-עֶבֶד לָעָם הַזֶּה וַעֲבַדְתָּם -וְהָיוּ לְךָ עֲבָדִים, כָּל-הַיָּמִים.

Horiyot (10)- After Rabban Gamliel appoints 2 of his Talmidim as Rosh Yeshivah, he tells them, “I positioned you as servants” עבדות אני נותן לכם 

We suggest – they name him עוֹבֵד (and not עבדיה) because it can imply both services of Hashem of Am Yisrael. A proper Melech serves both Hashem and Am Yisrael, as expressed in Melachim II (11:17) - וַיִּכְרֹת יְהוֹיָדָע אֶת-הַבְּרִית, בֵּין יְהוָה וּבֵין הַמֶּלֶךְ וּבֵין הָעָם, לִהְיוֹת לְעָם, לַיהוָה; וּבֵין הַמֶּלֶךְ, וּבֵין הָעָם (which we hear every year in the Haftara of Shabbat Shekalim).

The distinction between a proper King like David HaMelech and failed Melachim is that failed kings look to serve only their own best interests. The successful king is a “servant-leader,” one who serves Hashem and the people. The women of Beit Lechem name the child עוֹבֵד because this is the type of king this child (or his descendent) will be. 

This approach explains why the lineage of David HaMelech follows the naming of עוֹבֵד. 

Predicting the Future?

One more question to extract the more profound meaning – How did the women of Beit Lechem know the future?

One possibility is, as we learned in the past, that the Kabbalah teaches that Ru’ach HaKodesh envelopes those who name a baby.

Let’s think of a parallel situation elsewhere in Tanach. BeReishit 5:29 records that Lemech named his son Noach וַיִּקְרָא אֶת-שְׁמוֹ נֹחַ, לֵאמֹר: זֶה יְנַחֲמֵנוּ מִמַּעֲשֵׂנוּ, וּמֵעִצְּבוֹן יָדֵינוּ, מִן-הָאֲדָמָה, אֲשֶׁר אֵרְרָהּ יְהוָה. Rashi famously explains that Noach invented the plow. How did Lemech know Noach would do this? 

Ibn Ezra (ad. loc.) offers three explanations. One of them is that Lemech acted with Chachmah. I think this means that Lemech wisely created a grand positive vision for Noach at birth. Lemech embedded this vision within his name. The positive vision set forth by his father set Noach on a path of great accomplishment. 

I know this to be true from personal experience. I have (with Hashem’s help) written many books. It all started when my father instructed me as a teenager to record every Chiddush/novel idea I develop. My mother a few years later said to me “you will write books”. It all starts with a positive vision! As we love to quote from the Lubavitcher Rebbe “think good will be good”. Positive thinking generates a powerful momentum (as we heard at TABC on Yom HaShoah 2020 from a survivor of Auschwitz who said he survived because of his optimism that he would survive). 

Our suggestion: the women of Beit Lechem set an extraordinarily positive vision for this child by naming him עוֹבֵד. The child’s heritage of leadership (as noted in the end of the Perek) of Yehudah, Nachshon ben Aminadav and Bo’az helps propel this vision into reality. 

Sadly, Elimelech opted out of this grand lineage but עוֹבֵד is a child of a family that returned and raises the greatest leader of Am Yisrael. TABC Alumnus Yaakov Saks similarly notes that Oveid’s destiny of giving to the community signifies his eventual Tikkun of the self-centered Elimelech, Machlon and Kilyon. TABC Alumnus Yehuda Mazin thinks that when they call him Oveid they are also saying that he will work to sustain his family, revive the family name, and renew their tarnished image. 

There is even greater meaning if the women of Beit Lechem are understood (following our new explanation of the Midrash asserting Bo’az died suddenly the night of the marriage) as consoling the grief stricken Rut and Na’omi. The women of Beit Lechem console Rut and Na’omi by urging them to channel their grief into raising this son to be the progenitor of royalty (as befits Rut’s royal background and Bo’az’s noble character and noble ancestry). TABC Alumnus David Rabbani adds that the extraordinary circumstances of Oveid’s birth also lead them to conclude that a great destiny awaits this child and his progeny.

The encouraging words of the women of Beit Lechem corrects their earlier sin (as we understood it) of Ona’at Devarim upon Na’omi’s return to Beit Lechem.

Conclusion

Rut takes up the mission set by the women of Beit Lechem and raises (together with Naomi) the child to be the progenitor of the royal line of our people. All this adds to the beauty of the scene described by Chazal (Bava Batra 91b) of Shlomo HaMelech at his inauguration setting aside a special seat of honor of Rut the אמה של מלכות who persevered against all odds to raise a family that will emerge as the eternal royal family of our people.