450. "And they made the Head plate (Heb. tzitz) of the holy crown" (Shemot 39:30). Rabbi Yehuda opened the discussion and read from the scroll of Ruth, "let your eyes be on the field that they reap..." (Rut 2:9). We have to examine the relevance of this verse here. Rabbi Yitzchak said to him, in the same way, there are many verses in the Torah that seem as if they do not need to be written, yet we see high secrets in them all. Rabbi Yehuda said that whoever looks at the verse but not closely, is like someone who never tasted a dish.

451. HE ANSWERS: there is a mystery, which was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. For Boaz, the judge of Yisrael, saw the humility of this righteous woman, who did not lift up her eyes to look elsewhere but in front of her, and he saw that whatever she beheld, she did so with a benevolent eye, and there was no impudence in her. He then praised her eyes.

452. For some eyes cause that there will be no blessing upon that place. AND BOAZ saw a benevolent eye in her, and also that she brings prosperity, for the more she gleaned, the more was to be gleaned in the field. And Boaz saw that the Holy Spirit was upon her. Then he said "let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them." And if you say that it is for the other gleaners THAT HE TOLD RUTH "ON THE FIELD THAT THEY REAP, AND GO AFTER THEM"; THEREFORE why did he tell her to go after them and not to glean after them? What is the meaning of 'go after them'? He said that about her eyes, that brought many blessings, and therefore "go after them," after your eyes. No one in the world has permission to follow their eyes, but you SHALL GO after your eyes for they bestow many blessings.

453. Another explanation concerning "let your eyes be on the field that they reap." Boaz looked at the Holy Spirit and saw that many high kings and rulers are destined to issue from her, and they are the eyes of all. She is like Tamar who "sat by the entrance of Einayim (lit. 'eyes')" (Beresheet 38:14), for she sat at the opening and through her issued high kings and rulers, called eyes. It is written: "through the eyes of the congregation" (Bemidbar 15:24), for as the members of the body follow the eyes alone and the eyes lead the body; so are kings and the Sanhedrin and all the rulers, everybody follows them. This is why he mentioned "your eyes," which are those kings and rulers destined to issue from her.

454. HE ASKS: It is written "in the field," what is a field? HE ANSWERS: it is Zion and Jerusalem, as is written: "Zion...be ploughed like a field" (Michah 3:12), and "as the smell of a field which Hashem had blessed" (Beresheet 27:27), which is Jerusalem. Therefore it is written: "let your eyes be on the field," for the eyes that will issue from her shall rule no place save the field. "that they reap": for from that field all the people receive Torah and shining light, as is written: "for out of Zion shall go forth Torah" (Yeshayah 2:3).

455. "And you shall follow them": with the good deeds I see in you. "Have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch you?" (Rut 2:9), is to be understood AT FACE VALUE, for a woman's mind is easily swayed. THEREFORE HE WARNED THE YOUNG MEN NOT TO TOUCH HER. "And when you are thirsty" (Ibid.) is clean language, ITS MEANING IS that if you desire to be attached to a man and raise a seed, "go to the vessels" (Ibid.), to the righteous called the vessels of Hashem, as is written: "be clean, you that bear the vessels of Hashem" (Yeshayah 52:11). For the righteous are destined to be brought by the whole world as a gift to the King Messiah. These are the vessels the Holy One, blessed be He, takes delight in. They are broken vessels in this world for the sake of observing the Torah. And the Holy One, blessed be He, is waited upon only by them. And when you are attached to them, "drink..."