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92NY’s Goldman Center for Children and Family provides an exceptional array of programs designed to support children at every stage of their development.
at The 92nd Street Y, New York. Supported by The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity
Oct 18, 1990
This lecture is different since is starts at the end: distilling the essential characteristic of King Solomon. Yet before turning to him and to his father, King David, it’s proper to consider the uneven relations of fathers and sons in the Torah/Bible: the first family; Abraham; Jacob; Moses and Aaron. Much better are such relations as set forth in the Talmud. King David’s other sons—Ammon, Avshalom, Adonijah—cause many problems, including (with the latter) attempting to usurp David. In contrast, David’s son Solomon shows intellectual, religious and political greatness. Yet even his successes have a dark side. Solomon proclaims he will cut the child in half and thereby reveals the true mother. But imagine the mother’s anguish at hearing the decree . . . Again, the very night the Temple is completed, Solomon marries an Egyptian princess and thereby overshadows his people’s joy with his own. His book Kohelet acknowledges that it is too late to rectify his mistakes. Further, for three years a demon assumes the throne disguised as the King; when Solomon regains the throne he is a changed man. His ring, engraved with the words “that too shall pass,” reminds us what is left when a story ends? Another story.
Explore Shmuel II, Kings I, and Chronicles I on Sefaria, a living library of Torah.
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