רות, פרק ד׳, פסוק ח׳

Transferring a legal privilege requires a formal, symbolic act to make an agreement official and binding. In the laws of redemption, the order of priority among relatives is absolute. Because the closest relative refused to fulfill his duty, a formal act of acquisition was necessary to legally transfer his power and rights to Boaz [מלבי״ם]. By instructing Boaz to make the purchase, the closer relative officially surrendered his own privilege, inviting Boaz to take his place [שטיינזלץ, רלב״ג].

To finalize the deal, a physical item was exchanged. Removing a shoe served as an expression of readiness to complete the transaction permanently [שטיינזלץ]. In Jewish law, this process is known as an exchange acquisition, where an object is passed from one person to another to activate a transfer of rights [אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם]. From this event, the legal principle is established that even land can be acquired by removing and handing over a shoe. The choice of a shoe is entirely practical; it is an accessible item of clothing that can be removed in public without leaving a person exposed, unlike removing a shirt or trousers [אבן עזרא].

There are different perspectives regarding who actually removed the shoe during this exchange. The primary approach suggests that Boaz removed his own shoe, or perhaps a glove, and handed it to the closer relative, thereby purchasing the right of redemption from him [צאינה וראינה, אבן עזרא, רלב״ג]. Another perspective maintains that it was the closer relative who removed his shoe and gave it to Boaz, symbolizing the handover of the redemption rights along with the item [אבן עזרא]. Regardless of who initiated the exchange, it is highly unlikely that Boaz, a respected judge, remained barefoot in public. The shoe functioned purely as a legal tool for the acquisition and was returned immediately after the transaction concluded [רלב״ג].