Könige I 10:1 Midrasch: Midrash Mishlei, Kohelet Rabbah & Shemot Rabbah

[1] (Proverbs 1:1): "The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel" - Rabbi Tanhum ben Hanilai began and said: (Job 28:12): "But wisdom - where can it be found? And where is the place of understanding?" - This refers to Solomon, who fasted for forty days, so that God would grant him a spirit of wisdom and understanding, and he wandered around and sought after it. God said to him (1 Kings 3:5): "Ask, what shall I give you?" He replied, 'Master of the Universe, I ask of You neither silver nor gold, but wisdom alone,' as it is written (1 Kings 3:9): "Give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people." God answered him and said, 'Since you asked for neither silver nor gold, wisdom and knowledge are given to you as a gift.' Moreover, wisdom preceded the Torah, as it is written (Psalms 111:10): "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." There we learned (Mishnah Avot 3:17): "Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah says: If there is no Torah, there is no proper conduct." And since his wisdom preceded, the scripture said about him (1 Kings 3:3): "And Solomon loved the Lord"; it teaches that Solomon's wisdom was a gift. "And where is the place of understanding?" - Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said: Wisdom and understanding are one, where there is wisdom there is understanding, and where there is understanding there is wisdom. And since he fasted for forty days and sought wisdom, God did not withhold his reward, as it is written (1 Kings 5:26): "And the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon," and it is written: (1 Kings 5:11): "And he was wiser than all men" - this refers to Adam the first, as it is written about Solomon (Proverbs 30:2): "For I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man"; "than Ethan from the East" - this is Abraham, as it is written (Isaiah 41:2): "Who raised up one from the east, He calls him to His foot"; "Heman" - this is Moses, as it is said (Numbers 12:7): "Not so, My servant Moses, in all My house he is faithful"; "Calcol" - this is Joseph, as it is written (Genesis 47:12): "And Joseph sustained his father, and his brothers"; "Darda" - this refers to the generation of the desert, who were of exceptional knowledge; "the sons of Mahol" - this is David, whom God forgave for that sin. "And his name was among all the nations around" - this refers to Solomon, whose name went from one end of the world to the other. ANOTHER interpretation: "And wisdom, from where can it be found?" - this refers to the Queen of Sheba, who heard of his wisdom, said 'I will go and see if he is wise or not', and from where do we know that she heard his wisdom? It is written (1 Kings 10:1): "And the Queen of Sheba heard the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, and she came to prove him with hard questions." What are "hard questions"? Rabbi Jeremiah Bar Shalom said: she asked him 'Are you Solomon, about whom I heard, and about your kingdom, and about your wisdom?' He replied 'Yes.' She said to him 'You are a great sage, but if I ask you one thing, will you answer me?' He replied (Proverbs 2:6): "For the LORD giveth wisdom; out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." She asked him a riddle 'What are the seven that go out, the nine that enter, the two that pour, and the one who drinks?' He answered her 'Certainly, the seven days of menstruation go out, the nine months of pregnancy enter, two breasts pour, and the baby drinks.' She said to him 'You are a great sage, but if I ask you another thing will you answer me?' He replied 'For the LORD giveth wisdom', She asked him 'What is it, a woman said to her son: your father - my father, your elder - my husband, you - my son, and I - your sister?' He answered her 'Certainly, these are Lot's two daughters.' And another example she did: she brought before him children of one height and one garment, and said to him 'Distinguish for me from these males and females.' He hinted to his eunuch, and brought him nuts and shells, and began to scatter them before them; males, who were not ashamed, took them in their garments, and females, who were ashamed, took them in their handkerchiefs. He said to her 'These are males and these are females.' She said to him 'Son, you are a great sage!'. And another example she did: she brought circumcised and uncircumcised, said to him 'Distinguish for me the circumcised from the uncircumcised'; he immediately hinted to the high priest and opened the Ark of the Covenant, the circumcised among them bowed down to half their height, and not only that but their faces were filled with the radiance of the Divine Presence, and the uncircumcised among them fell on their faces, he immediately said to her 'These are uncircumcised and these are circumcised.' She said to him 'Where did you get that from?' He said to her 'From Balaam, for it is written (Numbers 24:4): "He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling but with opened eyes", if he had not fallen - he would not have seen anything.' And if you don't want to learn from Balaam, come and learn from Job: at the hour when the three friends of Job came to comfort him, he said to them (Job 12:3): 'I have a heart like you; I am not inferior to you,' 'I am not inferior to you.' At that hour it was said to him (1 Kings 10:7): 'I did not believe the words until I came and my eyes saw, and behold, the half was not told to me; you have added wisdom and goodness to the hearing that I have heard; happy are your men, happy are these your servants who stand before you always and hear your wisdom; may the Lord your God be blessed who desired you, to place you on the throne of Israel and so on, and he made you king to do justice and righteousness.' It was said about Solomon 'justice and righteousness,' and it was said about David 'justice and righteousness,' from where? Because it is written (2 Samuel 8:15): 'David administered justice and righteousness to all his people,' and it is said about Solomon 'justice and righteousness,' the Scripture tells us that the wisdom of Solomon is equal to the wisdom of David, and the wisdom of David is equal to the wisdom of Solomon. Alternatively, 'Where can wisdom be found?' - this teaches that Solomon was searching for where wisdom is found. Rabbi Eliezer says: in the head, Rabbi Joshua says: in the heart. As it is said (Psalms 4:1): 'You have given joy in my heart,' and it is written (Proverbs 27:11): 'Be wise, my son, and gladden my heart.' And why was wisdom given in the heart - because all the organs depend on the heart. Solomon said: I am doing as my father opened, who opened with his wisdom with the first letters and ended with the middle letters: [opened] with the head - because it is written (Psalms 1:1): 'Happy is the man who does not walk,' and he ended in the middle - as it is said (Psalms 150:6): 'Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.' In the beginning, I open in the middle, and I end at the end: I open from the place where wisdom is given, where is it - in the heart, and where is the heart given - in the middle. It turns out you are saying that David caught on to Rabbi Eliezer's words, and Solomon to Rabbi Joshua's words. And not only that, but the heart is in God's hands, as it is written (Proverbs 21:1): 'The king's heart is like streams of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he wills.' And since Solomon saw that wisdom is given in the heart, he said: I am beginning from the place where wisdom was given, for he says 'The proverbs of Solomon.' 'The son of David' - what son of David, and don't all know that he is the son of David?! Rather, everything he did, he did in honor of David. 'King of Israel' - and don't all know that he is the King of Israel?! Rather, what he did, he did for the honor of Israel."

“I also gathered for myself silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and countries; I acquired for myself songsters and songstresses, and chests and wagons of the pleasures of people” (Ecclesiastes 2:8).
“I also gathered for myself silver and gold” – that is what is written: “The king made the silver in Jerusalem as stones” (I Kings 10:27). Is it possible that [silver was placed] as stones on paths and in courtyards and was not stolen? It is because they were large, ten-cubit stones and eight-cubit stones. It is taught: Even the weights during the reign of Solomon were made of gold, and they would use weights of gold, [even the weight of] a kanterin.¹⁸A talent; a very large measure. Each and every weight, large and small, was of gold.
“And the treasure of kings” – as it is stated: “All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon” (II Chronicles 9:23). “And countries [vehamedinot]” – this is the queen of Sheba, who would challenge [medayyenet] him with her wisdom and her questions, but was unable to overcome him, as it is stated: “She came to challenge him with riddles” (I Kings 10:1). “King Solomon gave the Queen of Sheba all her desires that she requested” (I Kings 10:13).¹⁹The Hebrew verse cited does not correspond exactly to the actual verse. “I acquired for myself songsters and songstresses” – male singers and female singers; “the pleasures of people” – pools of flowing water and bathhouses; “chests [shidda] and wagons [veshiddot]” – demons [sheida] and demonesses [vesheideta], who would heat them.
Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Neḥemya said: Does the verse come to teach us only of Solomon’s wealth? It is speaking only regarding matters of Torah. “I increased my actions [maasai]” – this is what is written: “The tablets were the work [maaseh] of God” (Exodus 32:16). “I built myself houses” – these are synagogues and study halls. “I planted myself vineyards” – these are the rows of Torah scholars who sit in rows like a vineyard, as it is taught in a mishna: This exposition was expounded by Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya before the Sages in the vineyard of Yavne.²⁰Mishna Ketubot 4:6. Was it in fact a vineyard? Rather, these are Torah scholars who sit in rows like a vineyard.
“I made myself gardens and orchards” (Ecclesiastes 2:5) – these are the great compendia of baraitot like the compendium of Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great, and the compendium of Rabbi Hoshaya the Great, and the compendium of bar Kappara. “And I planted in them trees of every fruit” (Ecclesiastes 2:5) – this is the Talmud that is included in them.²¹The great compendia of baraitot include expositions typical of the Talmud. “I made myself pools of water” (Ecclesiastes 2:6) – Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great said: These are the expositions. “To irrigate from them a forest which grows trees” (Ecclesiastes 2:6) – these are the children who study. Rabbi Naḥman said: This is the Talmud. “To irrigate from them a forest which grows trees” – these are the Torah scholars who study.
“I purchased myself slaves and maidservants” (Ecclesiastes 2:7) – these are the nations, as it is stated: “Upon the slaves and upon the maidservants, too, in those days I will pour out My spirit” (Joel 3:2).as it is written in Isaiah: “Strangers will stand and graze your flocks…” (Isaiah 61:5). “And I had stewards[benei bayit]” (Ecclesiastes 2:7) – this is the Divine Spirit.²²The term benei bayit literally means “household members.” Thus, the midrash is stating that the Divine Spirit was regularly present in Solomon’s home. “I also had great possession of herds and flocks” (Ecclesiastes 2:7) – these are offerings; this is what is written: “From the herds and the flocks you shall sacrifice” (Leviticus 1:2). “I also gathered for myself silver and gold” – these are matters of Torah, as it is stated: “More desirable than gold” (Psalms 19:11). “And the treasure of kings,” as it is stated: “Through me kings reign.… through me princes rule” (Proverbs 8:15–16).²³Torah scholars rule the world. “And countries [medinot]” – these are the Torah scholars, who deliberate [medainin] in halakha. “I acquired for myself songsters and songstresses”– these are the Tosefta.²⁴The men recite and memorize the halakhot relevant to them, and the women recite and memorize the halakhot relevant to them. “And the pleasures” – these are the aggadot, which are the pleasures of the biblical text; “chests [shidda] and wagons [shiddot]” – male judges and female judges.

Another matter, “Yitro…heard,” that is what is written: “Lord, my strength and my stronghold and my refuge on the day of trouble, to You nations will come from the ends of the earth” (Jeremiah 16:19). Israel said to the Holy One blessed be He: ‘When You performed miracles on our behalf at the sea, we said to You: “The Lord is my strength [uzi] and song” (Exodus 15:2). Did Raḥav not hear and adhere to You? As it is stated: “She said to the men: I know that the Lord has given you the land…as we heard that the Lord dried the waters of the Red Sea”’ (Joshua 2:9–10). That is, “Lord, my strength and my stronghold and my refuge on the day of trouble.” ‘When You performed miracles in the days of Solomon, as it is stated: “He will give strength [oz] to His king” (I Samuel 2:10), did the Queen of Sheba not come and praise You? As it is stated: “The Queen of Sheba heard Solomon’s reputation” (I Kings 10:1). What did she say? “May the Lord your God be blessed, Who has chosen you” (I Kings 10:9). When You took us out of Egypt and gave us the Torah, which is called oz, as it is stated: “He will give strength [oz] to His people (Psalms 29:11), did Yitro not hear, come, and adhere to You?’ That is, “to You nations will come from the ends of the earth.”