WHO ART THOU, MY DAUGHTER? Naomi possibly did not see Ruth [before Ruth entered the house], for, as is the custom, Naomi opened the door for Ruth to enter.
1 Scripture is being brief [for it leaves out Ruth's reply] "I am Ruth your maidservant."
2 We find the same in: "call him (Moses), that he may eat bread"
(Exodus 2:20), and, "And Moses was content [to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter"]
(Exodus 2:21).
3
Rabbi Jonah the grammarian says that the word
mi (who) is in place of the word
mah (what).
4 The meaning of
mi at bitti (who art thou, my daughter) is 'what [my daughter] did you experience?'
5 Rabbi Jonah says that the same is the case with
mi shemekha (what is thy name?)
6 (Judges 13:17). He says this
7 because the word
mi (who) is always used concerning a person.
8 It is not used for a question regarding a fact.
9 According to my opinion
10 shemekha in Judges
(13:17) is a noun.
11 She
12 (Naomi) asked about the situation.
13
ALL THAT THE MAN HAD DONE TO HER. The oath that he swore.
1. Naomi asked, "who art thou, my daughter?" before she opened the door.
2. Our verse reads: "And when she came to her mother-in-law, she (Naomi) said: 'Who art thou, my daughter?' And she told her all that the man had done to her." The verse should be understood as reading: And when she came to her mother-in-law, she (Naomi) said: 'Who art thou, my daughter?' She replied: "I am Ruth your maidservant. And she told her all that the man had done to her."
3. Scripture omits telling us that Jethro's daughters invited Moses to break bread with them.
4. Our verse reads mi at bitti. This literally means 'Who art thou, my daughter? Unlike Ibn Ezra who believes that Naomi did not know who enterd her house, Rabbi Jonah believes that Naomi knew who was before her. Thus the question 'Who art thou, my daughter?' is out of place.
5. Mi at bitti should be read as if written mah at bitti, "what is with you my daughter", that is, what did you experience? What happened to you?
6. Rabbi Jonah says mi shemekha (What is thy name?) should be understood as if written mah shemekha? (what is thy name?) for mi shemekha means who is your name?
7. That the word mi (who) has the meaning of mah in Judges 13:17.
8. When asking who are you? It is not used to ascertain a name.
9. Such as, what is your name.
10. Ibn Ezra disagrees with Rabbi Jonah's interpretation of Judges 13:7. He believes that it cannot be used as proof to Rabbi Judah's interpretation of our verse.
11. It consists of the noun shem plus the second person pronominal suffix kha. Ibn Ezra believes that one can use the word mi when speaking of a person. "Mi shemekha" is another way of saying "mah shemekha" (Fillwarg).
12. According to Rabbi Judah.
13. Thus she should have said, mah at and not mi at.