Midrash su I Re 11:1

(Lev. 14:2:) “This shall be the law of the leper.” Let our master instruct us: How many people have no share in the world to come?¹Numb. R. 14:1; PR 6:4; ARN, A, 36; Midrash on Proverbs, 22. Thus have our masters taught (in Sanh. 10:1-2): These are they who have no share in the world to come…. Three kings and four commoners²Gk.: idiotes. have no share in the world to come. The three kings are Jeroboam, Ahab, and Manasseh.³See Sanh. 101b-104a. R. Judah ben Shallum said, “The sages of the Mishnah wanted to teach that there were four kings and reckon Solomon with them; however, a heavenly voice (bat qol) came forth and said (in the words of Ps. 105:15), ‘Touch not my anointed.’ Nevertheless they returned one day to teaching [as before]. Fire from the heavens came and destroyed their benches. [The heavenly voice] returned and said (according to Job 34:33), ‘Should He repay as you would, when you have refused?’” All the same, why did they so teach? Because it is written (in I Kings 11:1, 6), “Now King Solomon loved many foreign wives […]. And Solomon did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord.” (Sanh. 10:2, at the end:) The four commoners are Balaam, Doeg, Ahithophel and Gehazi. You find that these were condemned to Geihinnom on account of the words of their mouths. In the case of Balaam, he was driven into Geihinnom because of his speech, as stated (in Numb. 23:7), “From Aram has Balak brought me, the king of Moab,”⁴Numb. R. 20:19; also below, Numb. 7:17. [meaning] I was one of the exalted ones;⁵Heb.: MRMYM, which the midrash seems to understand as related to M’RMYM, i.e., “one of the Arameans.” I was one of the division of the patriarchs, [but] Balak brought me (yanheni) and cast me into Geihinnom.” Now brought me (yanheni, rt.: nhh) can only imply Geihinnom, since it is stated (in Ezek. 32:18), “Son of man, lament over (rt.: nhh)⁶The Buber text reads the middle letter in this root as a het in agreement with Numb. 23:7; but the parallels in Numb. R. 20:19, and the Masoretic Text all read the middle letter as a he, a reading which together with the preposition ‘al, requires the translation, LAMENT OVER. [the masses of Egypt and cast them down… unto the lowest part of the nether world].” So also was Doeg banished because of his speech. When? When David fled to Nob, the city of priests where Ahimelech received him, Saul noticed and gathered all his servants. He said to them, “A fine way you are treating me! For David does whatever he wishes, and not one of you has put a word in my ear.” It is so stated (in I Sam. 22:8), “Is that why all of you have conspired against me? For no one is putting a word in my ear when my son is making a deal with the son of Jesse….” Doeg began to utter evil speech, as stated (in vs. 9), “Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing among the servants of Saul, answered and said, ‘I saw the son of Jesse come to Nob….’” It was also by his hand that eighty-five priests who wear the ephod and Ahimelech the High Priest were slain. “And he smote Nob the city of priests with the edge of the sword” (I Samuel 22:19). R. Eleazar said, “Anyone who becomes merciful upon the cruel one will end by being cruel to the merciful: It is written (I Samuel 15:9), ‘But Saul had pity upon Agag and upon the best of the sheep and the cattle’; and it is [also] written (I Samuel 22:19) about Nob the city of priest, ‘And he smote Nob the city of priests with the edge of the sword.’“ So also was Ahithophel banished because of his speech. Thus it is stated (in II Sam. 17:23), “So when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not heeded… and he set his house in order and hanged himself.” Gehazi also was banished on account of his speech. When Naaman became leprous and was healed at the hands of Elisha, Naaman began to give silver, gold and gifts⁷Gk.: dora. to Elisha, but he did not want to accept them. Now Gehazi was ministering to Elisha. He saw the silver, the gold, and the clothes; so he said (in II Kings 5:20), “My Lord has spared that Aramean Naaman without accepting what he brought; as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” Certainly he took [something; he took] his deformity. Thus it is stated (in vs. 27), “And the leprosy of Naaman shall cleave to you and to your seed forever.” Why [did Elisha not want anything]? Because it is stated (in Deut. 13:18), “And let nothing cleave to your hand of that which is devoted.” Now Naaman and the king of Aram served idols; and it is written (in Deut. 7:26), “Do not bring an abomination unto your house.” R. Pedat said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, has made a covenant with the world that anyone who utters evil speech receives leprosy.” Where is it shown? From what is written on the matter (in Lev. 14:2), “This shall be the law of the leper (hametsora'),” [ i.e. ] the one who proclaims evil (hamotsi' ra').⁸Below, 5:5; ySot. 2:1 (17d); ‘Arakh. 15b; Cf. Lev. R. 16:1. Our masters have said, “Plagues only affect a person on account of the evil speech which comes out of his mouth.” So the holy spirit cries out (in Eccl. 5:5), “Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin,” [ i.e. ] to afflict your body; (ibid., cont.) “and do not say before the angel that it was a mistake,” [ i.e. ] and do not say before the angel who is appointed over you, “By mistake I brought forth the word from my mouth.” For every word which issues from your mouth, whether good, evil, by mistake, or on purpose, is written in a book. Where is it shown that it is so? Where it is stated (in Mal. 3:16), “Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another; the Lord has hearkened and listened, and a book of remembrance has been written before Him […].” And so with the trait of calamity, David said (in Ps. 139:2), “You know when I sit down and when I stand up, You discern my thoughts from afar.” Job also said (in Job 14:16), “For You count my footsteps,” and (Job 13:27) “You look closely over the treading of my feet.” (Eccl. 5:5, cont.:) “Why should God be angry over your voice and destroy the work of your hands?” These are the hands and the body when they are afflicted by leprosy. Another interpretation (of Eccl. 5:5), “Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin”: The Torah has spoken to you euphemistically. If your wife has told you that she is menstruating (niddah), do not cause your body to sin by touching her. Do not say before the angel who is appointed over the formation of the fetus, “’I made a mistake and did not know.” (Ibid., cont.:) “Why should God be angry over your voice and destroy the work of your hands?” This refers to the children who are afflicted with leprosy. R. Aha said, “If a man has intercourse with his wife when she is menstruating, the children will be afflicted with leprosy. How? [If] he has intercourse on the first day of her menstruating, the child which is born shall be afflicted after ten years. [If] he has intercourse with her on the second day, it shall be afflicted after twenty years. On the third day it shall be afflicted after thirty years. On the fourth day it shall be afflicted after forty years. On the fifth day it shall be afflicted after fifty years. On the sixth day it shall be afflicted after sixty years. On the seventh day it shall be afflicted after seventy years, corresponding to the seven days of her menstruation. Moreover, he shall not depart from the world before he has seen his fruit spoiled. Now the days of a person's life are only seventy years, for so David says (in Ps. 90:10), ‘The days of our life comprise seventy years, and’ [only if] one merited, ‘eighty.’ Therefore if a man has intercourse with a menstruating woman on the seventh day, the fetus is afflicted at seventy years of age, so that he does not depart from the world until he has seen his fruit spoiled. This punishment, as it were, does not come from Me. I have already testified to you and told you (in Lev. 14:2,) ‘This shall be the law of the leper.’” Another interpretation (of Eccl. 5:5), “Do not let your mouth [cause your flesh to sin, and do not say before the angel (mal'akh) that it was a mistake]”: If you have acted with malice aforethought and led astray a high priest, who is called an angel (mal'akh), as stated (in Mal. 2:7), “For the lips of a priest preserve knowledge, and they should seek Torah from his mouth; for he is the messenger (mal'akh) of the Lord of hosts”; then do not say, “I sinned by mistake,” [ i.e. ] (in Eccl. 5:5), “ do not say before the angel (i.e., before the high priest) that it was a mistake.” Why? You are leading yourself astray. You are afflicting yourself. The voice which you send forth from your mouth will destroy the work of your hands. (Eccl. 5:5) “Why should God be angry over your voice [and destroy the work of your hands]?” This refers to the children who are afflicted with leprosy.

(Lev. 14:2:) THIS SHALL BE THE LAW OF THE LEPER. Let our master instruct us: How many children of Adam have no share in the world to come?¹Tanh., Lev. 5:1; Numb. R. 14:1; PR 6:4; ARN, A, 36; Midrash on Proverbs, 22. Thus have our masters taught (in Sanh. 10:1–2): THESE ARE THEY WHO HAVE NO SHARE IN THE WORLD TO COME…. THREE KINGS AND FOUR COMMONERS²Gk.: idiotes. HAVE NO SHARE IN THE WORLD TO COME. THE THREE KINGS ARE JEROBOAM, AHAB, AND MANASSEH.³See Sanh. 101b-104a. R. Judah ben Shallum the Levite said: The sages of the Mishnah wanted to teach that there were four kings and reckon Solomon with them; however, a heavenly voice (bat qol) came forth and said (in the words of Ps. 105:15): TOUCH NOT MY ANOINTED. Nevertheless they returned one day to teaching < as before >. Fire from the heavens came and destroyed their benches. < The heavenly voice > returned and said (according to Job 34:33): SHOULD HE REPAY AS YOU WOULD, WHEN YOU HAVE REFUSED? All the same, why did they so teach? Because it is written (in I Kings 11:1, 6): NOW KING SOLOMON LOVED MANY FOREIGN WIVES < …. > AND SOLOMON DID WHAT WAS EVIL IN THE EYES OF THE LORD. (Sanh. 10:2, at the end:) THE FOUR COMMONERS ARE BALAAM, DOEG, AHITHOPHEL AND GEHAZI. You find that these were condemned to Gehinnom on account of the words of their mouths. In the case of Balaam, he was driven into Gehinnom because of his speech, as stated (in Numb. 23:7): FROM ARAM HAS BALAK BROUGHT ME, THE KING OF MOAB < FROM THE HILLS OF THE EAST: COME, CURSE JACOB FOR ME…. >⁴Numb. R. 20:19; also below, Numb. 7:17. < He said: > I was one of the exalted ones;⁵Heb.: MRMYM, which the midrash seems to understand as related to M’RMYM, i.e., “one of the Arameans.” I was one of the division of < the > patriarchs. BALAK BROUGHT ME (yanheni) and cast me into Gehinnom. Now BROUGHT ME (yanheni, rt.: NHH) can only imply Gehinnom, since it is stated (in Ezek. 32:18): SON OF ADAM, BRING (rt.: NHH)⁶The Buber text reads the middle letter in this root as a het in agreement with Numb. 23:7; but the parallels in Tanh., Lev. 5:1; Numb. R. 20:19, and the Masoretic Text all read the middle letter as a he, a reading which together with the preposition ‘al, requires the translation, LAMENT OVER. THE MASSES OF EGYPT AND CAST THEM DOWN… < UNTO THE LOWEST PART OF THE NETHER WORLD ALONG WITH THOSE WHO GO DOWN TO THE PIT >. So also was Doeg banished because of his speech. When? When David fled to Nob, the city of priests {to Ahimelech}, where Ahimelech received him, Saul noticed and gathered all his servants. He said to them: A fine way you are treating me! For David does whatever he wishes, and not one of you has put a word in my ear. It is so stated (in I Sam. 22:8): IS THAT WHY ALL OF YOU HAVE CONSPIRED [AGAINST ME? FOR NO ONE IS PUTTING A WORD IN MY EAR] < WHEN MY SON IS MAKING A DEAL WITH THE SON OF JESSE >…. Doeg began to utter evil speech, as stated (in vs. 9): THEN DOEG THE EDOMITE, WHO WAS STANDING AMONG THE SERVANTS OF SAUL, < ANSWERED AND SAID: I SAW THE SON OF JESSE COME TO NOB…. > It was also by his hand that eighty-five priests who wear the ephod and the high priest Ahimelech were slain. And he smote Nob the city of priests with the edge of the sword. So also was Ahithophel banished because of his speech. Thus it is stated (in II Sam. 17:23): SO WHEN AHITHOPHEL SAW THAT HIS COUNSEL WAS NOT HEEDED…. THEN HE SET HIS HOUSE IN ORDER AND HANGED HIMSELF. Gehazi also was banished on account of his speech. When Naaman became leprous and was healed at the hands of Elisha, Naaman began to give silver, gold and gifts⁷Gk.: dora. to Elisha, but he did not want to accept them. Now Gehazi was ministering to Elisha. He saw the silver, the gold, and the clothes; so he said (in II Kings 5:20, 21, 27): MY LORD HAS SPARED < THAT ARAMEAN > NAAMAN…. < THEN GEHAZI CHASED AFTER NAAMAN…. > THEREFORE THE LEPROSY OF NAAMAN [SHALL CLEAVE TO YOU AND TO YOUR SEED FOREVER]. Why? Because it is stated (in Deut. 13:18): AND LET NOTHING CLEAVE TO YOUR HAND OF THAT WHICH IS DEVOTED. Now Naaman and the king of Aram served idols; and it is written (in Deut. 7:26): DO NOT BRING AN ABOMINATION UNTO YOUR HOUSE…. Since you said (in II Kings 5:20): AND I WILL ACCEPT SOMETHING FROM {HIS HAND} [HIM], by your life, you shall < also > take his deformity. Thus it is stated (in vs. 27): THEREFORE THE LEPROSY OF NAAMAN SHALL CLEAVE TO YOU. R. Pedat said: The Holy One has made a covenant with the world that anyone who utters evil speech receives leprosy. Where is it shown? From what is written on the matter (in Lev. 14:2): THIS SHALL BE THE LAW OF THE LEPER (hametsora'), < i.e. > the one who proclaims evil (hamotsi' ra').⁸Below, 5:5; ySot. 2:1 (17d); ‘Arakh. 15b; Cf. Lev. R. 16:1.

Another matter, “The song of songs,” Rabbi Aivu and Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Aivu said: Song, one, of songs, two; that is three.²⁸The term song is singular while the term songs is plural. Adding the two terms together, they refer to three songs, indicating that Song of Songs is really comprised of three independent songs. Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said: Song of Songs is entirely one. The other two, what do you do with them? [One is] “A song of ascents for Solomon” (Psalms 127:1) and one is: “A psalm, a song for the dedication of the House, by David” (Psalms 30:1). They thought to say that David said it. But you say it was attributed to David,²⁹One might think that David composed Psalm 30 with divine inspiration, despite the fact that it is about the Temple, which was built after his death. The midrash clarifies that Solomon composed it and attributed it to David because David had made the preparations necessary for the construction of the Temple. Thus, the verse is to be understood as referring to the “House by David,”—the Temple, whose construction was prepared by David. as it is stated: “Your neck is like the tower of David” (Song of Songs 4:4).³⁰This is a reference to the Temple. Rather, it is just like Song of Songs; Solomon said it, and attributed it to David.
When you analyze you say that all the actions of that man [Solomon] were threefold. Solomon rose to three levels. Regarding the first level, it is written: “For he ruled over the entire region beyond the River” (I Kings 5:4). Regarding the second level, it is stated: “Solomon was the ruler [over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt]” (I Kings 5:1). Regarding the third level, it is stated: “Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king” (I Chronicles 29:23). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Is it possible for a person to sit on the throne of the Lord, in whose regard it is written: “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire” (Deuteronomy 4:24), and it is written: “A river of fire flowed and emerged [from before Him]” (Daniel 7:10), and it is written: “His throne was sparks of fire” (Daniel 7:9), and you say: “Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord”? Rather, just as the throne of the Holy One blessed be He rules from one end of the earth to the other, so, too, the throne of Solomon ruled from one end of the earth to the other. Just as the throne of the Lord judges without witnesses and forewarning, so, too, the throne of Solomon judged without witnesses and forewarning. Which [trial] was that? That was the trial of the harlots. That is what is written: “Then two women, [who were harlots,] came” (I Kings 3:16).³¹They each had a baby, and one of the babies died. Each claimed the living baby was hers, and they came before King Solomon for adjudication. See I Kings 3:16–28. Who were they? Rav said: They were spirits. The Rabbis say: They were childless women awaiting levirate marriage.³²If a man dies without children, his widow is subject to the law of levirate marriage, whereby the brother of her dead husband must marry her. The husbands of these women had died without living children, but while their wives were pregnant, and the women subsequently gave birth. However, a child who dies within the first thirty days of its life does not exempt the mother from undergoing levirate marriage, and therefore an outcome of the case would be the determination of which woman would be subject to levirate marriage (Midrash HaMevo’ar). Rabbi Simon said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: They were actual harlots, and Solomon issued his ruling without witnesses and forewarning.
Solomon descended three descents. The first descent: After he was a great king from one end of the earth to the other, his kingdom diminished and he was king only over Israel. That is what is written: “The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel” (Proverbs 1:1). The second descent: After he was king over Israel, his kingdom diminished and he was king only over Jerusalem. That is what is written: “I am Kohelet, I was king over Israel in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 1:12). The third descent: After he was king over Jerusalem, his kingdom diminished and he was king only over his house,³³The reading in the Gemara (Sanhedrin 20b) is that he was king only over his own bed. as it is stated: “Behold Solomon’s bed; [sixty mighty men are around it, from the mighty of Israel,] all armed with a sword… [from fear in the nights]” (Song of Songs 3:7–8). He was not even king over his bed, as he feared the spirits.³⁴Even in his own bed he was not a powerful king, as indicated in the verses cited in the midrash. He feared the spirits who had deposed him from his throne; see Kohelet Rabba 1:12.
He saw three worlds. Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Ḥunya, Rabbi Yudan said: King, commoner, and king, wise man, fool, and wise man, wealthy, indigent, and wealthy.³⁵He was a king, wise, and wealthy, and then he became a commoner, a fool, and indigent, and then he once again became a king who was wise and wealthy. These were Solomon’s three worlds, meaning three stages of life. What is the reason? “I have seen everything in the days of my vanity” (Ecclesiastes 7:15). A person relates his troubles only during the days of his wellbeing.³⁶Thus, since this verse was written at the end of Solomon’s life, it is apparent that he was restored to his position of wellbeing, as a king who was wise and wealthy. Rabbi Hunya said: Commoner, king, and commoner, fool, wise man, and fool, indigent, wealthy, and indigent. What is the reason? “I am Kohelet, I was king over Israel in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiastes 1:12). “I was,” I was when I was; however, now, I am no longer.³⁷Thus, since this verse was written at the end of Solomon’s life, it is apparent that he ended his life as a commoner who was a fool and indigent. Since Solomon did end his life as a wise king, this is to be understood to mean that he did not regain the levels of power, wisdom, and wealth that he once had (Etz Yosef).
He violated three prohibitions: He amassed horses, he amassed women, he amassed silver and gold,³⁸These were in violation of the Torah’s commandments regarding the behavior of kings; see Deuteronomy 17:16–17. as it is stated: “The king rendered the silver in Jerusalem like stones” (II Chronicles 9:27). Would they not have been stolen? Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: They were ten-cubit stones and eight-cubit stones.³⁹Thus, the silver and gold pieces on the streets of Jeusalem were too heavy to steal. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: Even the weights that were in use during Solomon’s era were of gold; that is what is written: “Silver was not considered anything in the days of Solomon” (II Chronicles 9:20). He amassed women, as it is stated: “King Solomon loved many foreign women, and Pharaoh’s daughter…from the nations of whom the Lord said to the children of Israel: Do not consort with them and they shall not consort with you… [to them Solomon cleaved for love]” (I Kings 11:1–2).
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: It is due to: “You shall not marry them” (Deuteronomy 7:3).⁴⁰In addition to the fact that Solomon married too many women, the verse in Kings appears to critique him for marrying foreign women. This is due to the fact that he violated the verse cited here from Deuteronomy. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai says: “For love” (I Kings 11:2); for actual love, for licentiousness.⁴¹He consorted with them but did not marry them. Thus, he did not violate the prohibition stated in Deuteronomy 7:3, but his conduct was considered improper. Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili says: It is written: “He, too, the foreign women caused him to sin” (Nehemiah 13:26); it teaches that he would have relations with them when they were menstruants and they would not inform him. Rabbi Yosei ben Ḥalafta says: “For love,” to render them beloved [to God], to love them, to draw them near, to convert them, and to cause them to enter beneath the wings of the Divine Presence. It turns out that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, and Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili all said the same thing. Rabbi Yosei ben Ḥalafta disagrees with the three of them.⁴²According to Rabbi Yosei ben Ḥalafta, the verse does not criticize Solomon for the fact that he married foreign women.
Three adversaries confronted him. That is what is written: “The Lord raised up an adversary for Solomon, Hadad the Edomite” (I Kings 11:14); and it is written: “God raised up an adversary for him: Retzon son of Elyada” (I Kings 11:23); and it is written: “He was an adversary for Israel all the days of Solomon,” (I Kings 11:25).⁴³Although this verse refers to Retzon, the midrash may be interpreting this as a reference to Jeroboam, whom the next verse (I Kings 11:26) states rebelled against Solomon. Thus, Jeroboam is the third adversary (see Etz Yosef). He amassed horses, as it is stated: “A chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred silver pieces and a horse for one hundred and fifty” (I Kings 10:29).⁴⁴The verse previously established (I Kings 10:26) that Solomon had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, which were considered very large numbers.
He stated three proverbs: “The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel” (Proverbs 1:1); “the proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to a father” (Proverbs 10:1); “these, too, are the proverbs of Solomon, that the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied” (Proverbs 25:1).
He said three vanities: “Vanity [havel] of vanities [havalim] said Kohelet…” (Ecclesiastes 1:2), havel, one, havalim, two;⁴⁵Havel is a singular term, whereas havalim is a plural term. that is three.
He recited three songs: Song, one, of songs, two, that is three.
He was called three names: Yedidya, Solomon, Kohelet. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said these three, [and also] Agur, Yakeh, Lemuel, Itiel,⁴⁶These additional names are based on Proverbs 30:1 and 31:1. are seven. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: The primary among them are Yedidya, Kohelet, Solomon. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman concedes that these [additional] four were added for him and that he was called by them, and they must be expounded: Agur, because he amassed [agur] matters of Torah; bin-Yakeh, a son [bin], who vomited [hekia] for a time, like this basin that is filled for a time and emptied for a time; so, too, Solomon studied Torah for a time and forgot it for a time. Lemuel,⁴⁷This is expounded as though it were written Nemuel. who spoke to God [nam laEl] with all his heart. He said: I can amass and not sin. “To Itiel, to Itiel and Ukhal” (Proverbs 30:1). Itiel, God [el] is with me [iti] and I will prevail [veukhal].
He wrote three books: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. Which of them did he write first? Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great and Rabbi Yonatan, Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great said: He wrote Proverbs first, then Song of Songs, and then Ecclesiastes, and he derived it from this verse: “He spoke three thousand proverbs” (I Kings 5:12); proverbs, this is the book of Proverbs; “his songs were one thousand and five” (I Kings 5:12), this is Song of Songs, and he said Ecclesiastes last.
The baraita of Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great disagrees with this statement.⁴⁸This baraita represents an alternate tradition regarding Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great’s opinion, different from the statement cited previously in his name. The baraita says: He wrote the three of them simultaneously, and the statement says that he wrote each and every one individually. Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great taught: It was only in Solomon’s old age that the Divine Presence rested upon him and he composed three books: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. Rabbi Yonatan said: He wrote Song of Songs first, then Proverbs, and then Ecclesiastes. Rabbi Yonatan derived it from the way of the world. When a person is young, he says words of song, when he matures, he says words of proverbs, when he grows old, he speaks of [how the pleasures of the world are] vanities. Rabbi Yannai, the father-in-law of Rabbi Ami said: Everyone concedes that he composed Ecclesiastes last.

Similarly, (II Samuel 2:30) "And there were lacking of David's servants, nineteen men and Asahel." Now was not Asahel included (in "David's servants")? Why, then, was he singled out for special mention? We hereby infer that he was more formidable than all of them. Similarly, (I Kings 11:1) "And King Solomon loved many foreign women and the daughter of Pharaoh." Now was the daughter of Pharaoh not included (among the women)? Why, then, was she singled out for special mention? We hereby infer that she was more beloved than all, and, vis-à-vis sin, that she caused him to sin more than all. They said: On the day that Solomon wed Pharaoh's daughter, Gavriel descended and stuck a reed in the sea, which raised a sandbank upon which was built the great city of Rome. And on the day when Yeravam set up the two calves, Ramilo and Romolo and his son built two cities in Rome.