The public declaration made by Boaz represents the climax of the redemption process. It is a moment where the purchase of land and the bond of marriage merge into a single purpose: ensuring the physical and spiritual continuity of the deceased. When Boaz announces his intention to marry Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, he deliberately mentions her origins and past marriage to highlight their character. Despite growing up in a Moabite environment, Ruth remained unaffected by her surroundings, maintaining her modesty and good traits. Likewise, Mahlon was a righteous man whose very name hints at the concept of forgiveness [אגרת שמואל].
The legality of this new union rests on a specific historical background. During her original marriage to Mahlon, Ruth accepted the commandments but did not undergo full immersion. At the time, there was a lack of clarity regarding the rule that the prohibition against marrying Moabites applied only to men and not to women. Once the law was clarified and she immersed, her conversion took effect retroactively. This officially cemented her status as the wife of the deceased, thereby allowing Boaz to marry her on this precise legal basis [צפנת פענח].
The central goal of this marriage is to preserve the name of the deceased upon his inheritance, an idea closely mirroring the concept of Levirate marriage. The intention is to sustain the deceased's presence in this world through the physical field and future offspring [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. On a practical level, when people see Ruth coming and going in that specific plot of land, they will naturally recall that she was Mahlon's wife. This everyday recognition keeps his name firmly tied to the property, which will eventually be inherited by the children born to her [רש״י, רלב״ג]. Beyond the practical memory, there is a hidden, spiritual dimension to this redemption. The ultimate goal is to return the soul of the deceased to this world through reincarnation, a profound undertaking that requires immense spiritual effort and dedication from Boaz [אגרת שמואל].
Boaz expresses complete confidence that the legacy of the deceased will not be erased from his family or his city. Because his actions are performed purely for the sake of heaven, he trusts they will produce righteous children and Torah scholars worthy of sitting among the judges of the Sanhedrin at the city gates [אגרת שמואל]. To give absolute authority to his actions, Boaz calls upon those present to act as witnesses on that specific day [ביאור שטיינזלץ].
The emphasis on the present day serves two vital purposes. First, it prevents future legal confusion by clarifying that not every property acquisition requires witnesses; they are only gathered this time to eliminate any possible doubt. Second, because Boaz is addressing the city elders who serve as judges, asking them to act as simple witnesses is generally beneath their dignity. By stressing that this is happening only on this specific day, Boaz subtly asks for their forgiveness, acknowledging that this is a rare, one-time request made solely to honor the magnitude of the Commandment [אגרת שמואל].