The Ramchal’s Explanation on Megillat Ruth

B"H

Based on the Ramchal's Kabbalistic interpretation of Megilat Esther and the teachings of Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburg.

In his discourse on Megillat Ruth, the Ramchal presents a beautiful and novel structure that doesn’t appear elsewhere. The first name mentioned in the megillah—Elimelech—corresponds to the Yud in the divine name Havayah, representing the wisdom (Chochmah) of G-d, as stated in the Zohar. The original family mentioned at the beginning of the Megillah—Elimelech, Naomi, Machlon, and Kilyon—corresponds to the four letters of the divine name Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh. Elimelech, he says, is essentially the reincarnation of Moshe Rabbeinu. The phrase “From the water I drew him” (about Moshe) refers to supernal wisdom (Chochmah Ila’ah) of Atzilut—specifically, the Atzilut within Atzilut.

Moshe is called “the man Moshe,” and Elimelech is also called “a man.” In the first three verses of the Megillah, Elimelech is referred to as “a man.” In the first verse: “A man went from Bethlehem in Judah…” In the second verse: “The name of the man was Elimelech.” In the third verse: “Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died.” There’s a strong emphasis in these three opening verses that repeatedly refer to Elimelech as “a man”—a clear reference in Kabbalah to Moshe Rabbeinu.

Why did Elimelech die? He went to dwell in the fields of Moav due to famine in the land, and there he died. What does the Torah say about Moshe? “And Moshe, servant of Hashem, died there in the land of Moav.” The similarity is striking—both passed away in the land of Moav. In the world of the righteous, “death” is an elevation—the revelation of the Yechidah of the soul or even its essence. Their passing is meant to uncover the precious spark hidden in the land of Moav—the spark of Mashiach. Moshe is the “first redeemer,” and Mashiach is the “final redeemer,” and the spark of Mashiach lies in Ruth the Moabite. Therefore, Moshe had to die in Moav, and his reincarnation—Elimelech—also had to die there, all to bring forth Mashiach.

Thus, Moshe—our groom—is the aspect of Elimelech, a rectification of Elimelech, who is the rectification of Moshe Rabbeinu, and the bride is literally named Ruth. This forms the full divine name from Yud (Moshe/Elimelech) to the final Heh (Ruth)—“Abba founded the daughter.”

Naomi – The Power to Refine Sparks Through Holy Pleasantness

The Ramchal continues his explanation of the original Yud–Heh–Vav–Heh structure from Megillat Ruth—Elimelech, Naomi, Machlon, and Kilyon. He explains that Naomi, whose name comes from noam (pleasantness), as in the phrase “Noam Hashem” (the pleasantness of G-d), represents Knesset Yisrael, the collective soul of the Jewish people. Just as King David—descended from Ruth, who eventually takes Naomi’s place—is called “the sweet singer of Israel,” so too Naomi represents that sacred song.

This is a beautiful insight—especially since in Chassidut, music and song are deeply significant. The Baal Shem Tov said that Mashiach will come in a generation of much singing and music. Every musician, every singer—those who lift their voices or play instruments—taps into a spark of Naomi’s soul.

What should our intention be when we sing? Three times a day during the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, we can direct our kavana (intention) toward Naomi. Where? In the blessing:

“Blow the great shofar for our freedom, raise a banner to gather our exiles, and gather us from the four corners of the earth. Blessed are You, Hashem, who gathers the dispersed of His people Israel.”

The Hebrew initials of "מְקַבֵּץ נִדְחֵי עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל" spell Naomi. This teaches us how the gathering of Jewish souls, and by extension, the conversion of souls from the nations (gerim), happens through pleasantness—through the soul power of Naomi.

Who is the archetype of the righteous convert? Ruth. And who drew her in? Naomi—through sweetness, music, and soft but powerful clarity.

There’s even a beautiful allusion in the structure of the Shemoneh Esrei: In the phrase "and gather us from the four corners", the final letters of each word spell Chilul VeYokeyanu (חלבלועיקיאנו)—a hidden allusion in Kabbalah to gathering lost sparks from the klipot, from the waste and externalities of exile. And who has the power to do that? Naomi—“pleasantness of Hashem.”

So what does the Ramchal say? Naomi is the soul of the Jewish people itself. The soul of Israel is a song—shir-el (שיר-אל), sacred melody. It’s written that the ta’amim (cantillation marks) in the Torah—alongside the dots, crowns, and letters—represent the soul-melody of Torah. In Chassidut, it’s a great mitzvah to teach children the ta’amim of the Torah and the Megillot, each of which has its own unique melody. And Mashiach is destined to reveal the inner melody of Torah, its sweet song.

Machlon and Kilyon – The Two Messiahs

The Ramchal now turns to the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi—Machlon and Kilyon—and makes a striking claim: they represent the mystical concept of “Trei Meshichin”—the two Messiahs—Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David, a teaching originating in the Zohar and expanded throughout Kabbalistic thought.

Who is who?

According to the Ramchal:

• Machlon corresponds to Mashiach ben David, the final redeemer.

• Kilyon corresponds to Mashiach ben Yosef, the forerunner.

This is already a twist because, typically, we expect the opposite: that Mashiach ben Yosef precedes and prepares the way for Mashiach ben David. But in the Ramchal’s structure—rooted in the divine name Yud–Heh–Vav–Heh—Machlon corresponds to the Vav (Tiferet/Zer Anpin, associated with Mashiach ben David), while Kilyon corresponds to the final Heh (Malchut, the lower world, associated with Mashiach ben Yosef who deals with the physical realm).

The Marriages of Machlon and Kilyon

Each brother marries a Moabite woman:

• Machlon marries Ruth, the righteous convert, from whom King David will eventually descend.

• Kilyon marries Orpah, who turns back and leaves Naomi.

Why would the Mashiach ben Yosef figure (Kilyon) marry Orpah—the one who abandons the path, who is the antithesis of Ruth?

Here the Ramchal explains a profound rectification.

Orpah is not just a character who leaves. In the Zohar, she is referred to as the “mother of the Erev Rav” (the mixed multitude), and the Midrash says she is the mother of Goliath and his brothers, who are eventually slain by David. Orpah represents the forces that oppose holiness—the spiritual husks (klipot) and outer layers that resist inner truth.

Why would Kilyon, the one associated with Mashiach ben Yosef, marry her?

Because that is precisely his mission: to engage with the outer realm, with the stubborn neck (keshei oref) and rectify it.

The name “Orpah” comes from oref, the back of the neck, associated with resistance. Yet “keshei oref”—a stiff neck—can be both a flaw (stubbornness, resistance to G-d) and a virtue (unyielding devotion to G-d, even without understanding). The good form of “keshei oref” is found in Ruth—who clings (davka) to Naomi against all odds. The negative form is in Orpah—who kisses Naomi and turns away.

So Kilyon marries Orpah not as a reward but as a mission. He is meant to engage with and transform the most challenging forces. He is named Kilyon, from the root kaleh—to consume or finish—which hints at his role to consume and purify the negativity in the backside of reality—the domain of the Erev Rav.

Thus, according to the Ramchal, Mashiach ben Yosef's task is to engage with the chitzoniyut (external reality)—the culture, the media, the resistance to holiness—and transform or neutralize it. That's why Kilyon marries Orpah.

The Mission Continues

The mission of Kilyon is ongoing. He doesn't disappear from the story just because he dies. Nor does Orpah vanish after she leaves. In the grand drama of redemption, both remain active forces. The work of Mashiach ben Yosef is to continually refine the back of the neck, the "Orpah" consciousness in the world—and within us.

Ultimately, Ruth and Machlon, in the merit of Naomi and Boaz, produce King David, the soul root of Mashiach ben David, whose mission is to manifest the glory of G-d in this world—“And the glory of Hashem will fill the earth.”