(1) The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, through the name of the LORD, and she came to test him with hard questions. (2) She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels bearing spices, a great quantity of gold, and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she asked him all that she had in mind. (3) Solomon had answers for all her questions; there was nothing that the king did not know, [nothing] to which he could not give her an answer. (4) When the queen of Sheba observed all of Solomon’s wisdom, and the palace he had built, (5) the fare of his table, the seating of his courtiers, the service and attire of his attendants, and his wine service, and the burnt offerings that he offered at the House of the LORD, she was left breathless. (6) She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own land about you and your wisdom was true. (7) But I did not believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes that not even the half had been told me; your wisdom and wealth surpass the reports that I heard. (8) How fortunate are your men and how fortunate are these your courtiers, who are always in attendance on you and can hear your wisdom! (9) Praised be the LORD your God, who delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel. It is because of the LORD’s everlasting love for Israel that He made you king to administer justice and righteousness.” (10) She presented the king with one hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a large quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did such a vast quantity of spices arrive as that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.— (11) Moreover, Hiram’s fleet, which carried gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a huge quantity of almug wood and precious stones. (12) The king used the almug wood for decorations in the House of the LORD and in the royal palace, and for harps and lyres for the musicians. Such a quantity of almug wood has never arrived or been seen to this day.— (13) King Solomon, in turn, gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and asked for, in addition to what King Solomon gave her out of his royal bounty. Then she and her attendants left and returned to her own land.
א): "ומלכת שבא שומעת את שמע שלמה לשם ה' ותבוא לנסותו בחידות", מהו בחידות? אמר רבי ירמיה בר שלום: אמרה לו 'אתה הוא שלמה, ששמעתי עליך ועל מלכותך ועל חכמתך?', אמר לה 'הן', אמרה לו 'חכם גדול אתה, אלא אם אני שואלת ממך דבר אחד, אתה משיב לי?', אמר לה (משלי ב ו): "כי ה' יתן חכמה, מפיו דעת ותבונה". אמרה לו 'מה הן שבעה יוצאין, ותשעה נכנסין, ושניים מוזגים, ואחד שותה?' אמר לה 'בוודאי, שבעה ימי נידה יוצאין, ותשעה ירחי לידה נכנסין, שני דדיים מוזגים, והוולד שותה'. אמרה לו 'חכם גדול אתה, אלא אם אני שואלת ממך דבר אחר אתה משיבני?' אמר לה "כי ה' יתן חכמה", אמרה לו 'מה הוא, אשה אמרה לבנה: אביך - אבי, זקנך - בעלי, ואת - ברי, ואנא - אחותך'? אמר לה 'בוודאי, שתי בנותיו של לוט הן'. ועוד דוגמה אחרת עשתה: הביאה לפניו תינוקות בקומה אחת ובכסות אחד, אמרה לו 'הפרש לי מאלו זכרים ונקבות'. רמז לסריסיו, והביאו לו אגוזים וקליות, התחיל מפזרם לפניהם; זכרים, שלא היו מתביישים, היו נוטלים בבגדיהם, ונקבות, שהיו מתביישות, היו נוטלות בסודריהן. אמר לה 'אלו זכרים ואלו נקבות'. אמרה לו 'בני, חכם גדול אתה!'.
All that she desired. (He had relations with her and Nevuchadnetzar was born, and he later destroyed the Beis [Hamikdosh] that had stood 410 years in the territory of all the twelve tribes. Rabbi Yitzchok [Luria] of blessed memory) [He gave her more,] in addition to giving her gifts and delicacies that are found here but are not found in her place.3Alternatively, Shlomo gave her gifts of intellectual wisdom by answering all the problems and questions that she had asked, in addition to solving the riddles that she had posed to him.—Ralbag
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani says that Rabbi Yonatan says: Anyone who says that the queen of Sheba [malkat Sheva] who came to visit King Solomon (see I Kings, chapter 10) was a woman is nothing other than mistaken. What is the meaning of malkat Sheba? The kingdom [malkhuta] of Sheba, as is mentioned in Job: “And Sheba fell on them and took them away” (Job 1:15).
דָּבָר אַחֵר, הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהלים עב, ז): יִפְרַח בְּיָמָיו צַדִּיק וְרֹב שָׁלוֹם עַד בְּלִי יָרֵחַ, עַד שֶׁלֹא הוֹצִיא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם בְּרֶמֶז הוֹדִיעַ לָהֶם שֶׁאֵין הַמַּלְכוּת בָּאָה לָהֶם עַד שְׁלשִׁים דּוֹר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים, הַחֹדֶשׁ שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם, וּמַלְכוּת שֶׁלָּכֶם שְׁלשִׁים דּוֹר. הַלְּבָנָה בָּרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל נִיסָן מַתְחֶלֶת לְהָאִיר, וְכָל שֶׁהִיא הוֹלֶכֶת מְאִירָה עַד חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר יָמִים, וְדִסְקוֹס שֶׁלָּהּ מִתְמַלֵּא, וּמֵחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר עַד שְׁלשִׁים אוֹר שֶׁלָּהּ חָסֵר, בִּשְׁלשִׁים אֵינָהּ נִרְאֵית. כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר דוֹר מִן אַבְרָהָם וְעַד שְׁלֹמֹה. אַבְרָהָם הִתְחִיל לְהָאִיר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה מא, ב): מִי הֵעִיר מִמִּזְרָח צֶדֶק יִקְרָאֵהוּ לְרַגְלוֹ, בָּא יִצְחָק אַף הוּא הֵאִיר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים צז, יא): אוֹר זָרֻעַ לַצַּדִּיק. בָּא יַעֲקֹב וְהוֹסִיף אוֹר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה י, יז): וְהָיָה אוֹר יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאֵשׁ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ יְהוּדָה, פֶּרֶץ, חֶצְרוֹן, רָם, עֲמִינָדָב, נַחְשׁוֹן, שַׂלְמוֹן, בֹּעַז, עוֹבֵד, יִשַּׁי, דָּוִד. כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּא שְׁלֹמֹה נִתְמַלֵּא דִסְקוֹס שֶׁל לְבָנָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברי הימים א כט, כג): וַיֵּשֶׁב שְׁלֹמֹה עַל כִּסֵּא ה' לְמֶלֶךְ, וְכִי יוּכַל אָדָם לֵישֵׁב בְּכִסְאוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, מִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ (דניאל ז, ט): כָּרְסְיֵהּ שְׁבִיבִין דִּי נוּר. אֶלָּא מָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שׁוֹלֵט מִסּוֹף הָעוֹלָם וְעַד סוֹפוֹ וְשׁוֹלֵט בְּכָל הַמְלָכִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קלח, ד): יוֹדוּךָ ה' כָּל מַלְכֵי אָרֶץ, כֵּן שָׁלַט שְׁלֹמֹה מִסּוֹף הָעוֹלָם וְעַד סוֹפוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברי הימים ב ט, כג כד): וְכֹל מַלְכֵי הָאָרֶץ מְבַקְּשִׁים אֶת פְּנֵי שְׁלֹמֹה וגו' וְהֵמָּה מְבִיאִים אִישׁ מִנְחָתוֹ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: וַיֵּשֶׁב שְׁלֹמֹה עַל כִּסֵּא ה' לְמֶלֶךְ. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְבוּשׁוֹ הוֹד וְהָדָר וְנָתַן לִשְׁלֹמֹה הוֹד מַלְכוּת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברי הימים א כט, כה): וַיִּתֵּן עָלָיו הוֹד מַלְכוּת. בְּכִסְאוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כְּתִיב (יחזקאל א, י): וּדְמוּת פְּנֵיהֶם פְּנֵי אָדָם וּפְנֵי אַרְיֵה, וּבִשְׁלֹמֹה כְּתִיב (מלכים א ז, כט): וְעַל הַמִּסְגָּרוֹת אֲשֶׁר בֵּין הַשְּׁלַבִּים אֲרָיוֹת בָּקָר. וְכָתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר (מלכים א ז, לג): כְּמַעֲשֵׂה אוֹפַן הַמֶּרְכָּבָה. בְּכִסְאוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֵין דָּבָר רָע נוֹגֵעַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים ה, ה): לֹא יְגֻרְךָ רָע, וּבִשְׁלֹמֹה כְּתִיב (מלכים א ה, יח): אֵין שָׂטָן וְאֵין פֶּגַע רָע. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עָשָׂה שִׁשָּׁה רְקִיעִים וּבַשְּׁבִיעִי יוֹשֵׁב, וּבְכִסְאוֹ שֶׁל שְׁלֹמֹה כְּתִיב (מלכים א י, יט): שֵׁשׁ מַעֲלוֹת לַכִּסֵּא, וְיוֹשֵׁב בַּמַּעֲלָה הַשְּׁבִיעִית, הֲרֵי נִתְמַלֵּא דִּסְקוֹס שֶׁל לְבָנָה וּמִשָּׁם הִתְחִילוּ הַמְלָכִים פּוֹחֲתִין וְהוֹלְכִין, (דברי הימים א ג, י):
Another interpretation: "This month for you..." (Exodus 12:2) This is what is written, "That the righteous shall flourish in his days and multiply peace until the moon is no more" (Psalms 72:7) - until the Holy One Blessed Be He does not bring out Israel from the land of Egypt. It was a hint that kingship did not come to them for 30 generations, as it is written "This month for you shall be the head of the months..." A month is 30 days, and your kingship is 30 generations. The moon begins to give light on the 1st of Nissan, and all the more so it gives light until 15 days, and its disc becomes full. And from 15 to 30, its light diminishes - on the 30th, it cannot be seen. Accordingly is Israel 15 generations from Abraham to Solomon. Abraham began to give light, as was written: "Who has roused a righteous one from the East; He shall call him to His foot" (Isaiah 41:2) [reading ha-ir with an ayin "roused" as "ha-ir" with an aleph "gave light"] Isaac came, and even he gave light, as was said, "Light was sown for the righteous" (Psalms 97:11). Jacob came and added light, as was said, "And the light of Israel will be for fire" (Isaiah 10:17). And after this: Judah, Peretz, Ram, Amminadab, Nachshon, Salmon, Boaz, Oved, Jesse, David. When Solomon came, the disc of the moon became full, as was said, "And Solomon sat on the throne of YHVH as king" (1 Chronicles 29:23). And how could a human sit on the throne of the Holy One Blessed Be He who said about it, "His throne was tongues of flame" (Daniel 7:9)? Rather, just as the Holy One Blessed Be He dominated from end to end of the earth and dominates all kings, as is said "All of the kings of the world shall acknowledge You" (Psalms 138:4), so Solomon dominated from end to end of the earth, as was said, "And all the kings of the earth would request to come before Solomon... and each one of them would bring his tribute..." (2 Chronicles 9:23-24) And therefore it was said, "And Solomon sat on the throne of YHVH as king". The Holy One Blessed Be He dressed him in majesty and splendor and gave Solomon the majesty of kingship, as was said, "And He gave him the majesty of kingship..." (1 Chronicles 29:25) on the throne of the Holy One Blessed Be He, as was written, "And the likeness of their faces was the face of a man and the face of a lion..." (Ezekiel 1:10). And regarding Solomon, it was written "And on the insets that were between the frames were lions, oxen..." (I Kings 7:29) And one verse says, "...like the work of chariot wheels..." (I Kings 7:33). On the throne of the Holy One Blessed Be He, no bad thing befalls, as was said, "Evil cannot dwell with You" (Psalms 5:5), and regarding Solomon it is written, "...there is no bad adversary and no bad happenstance" (I Kings 5:20). The Holy One Blessed Be He made 6 firmaments and dwelt in the seventh. And regarding Solomon's throne it is written "Six steps up to the throne..." (I Kings 10:19) and he sits on the seventh step. Behold, the disc of the moon became full, and from there, the kings began to diminish and go:
Rabbi Yitzḥak raises a contradiction: It is written in one verse: “Silver was not worth anything in the days of Solomon” (II Chronicles 9:20), and it is written in another verse: “And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones” (I Kings 10:27), i.e., gems. The Gemara responds: It is not difficult: Here, where silver was worthless, this was before Solomon sinfully married Pharaoh’s daughter. There, where the silver was valuable, this was after Solomon married Pharaoh’s daughter. Rabbi Yitzḥak says: When Solomon married Pharaoh’s daughter, the angel Gabriel descended from Heaven and implanted a pole in the sea. And it gradually raised up a sandbar [sirton] around it, creating new, dry land, and on it the great city of Rome was built. This shows that the beginning of the Jewish people’s downfall to Rome came with Solomon’s marriage to Pharaoh’s daughter. And Rabbi Yitzḥak says: For what reason were the rationales of Torah commandments not revealed? It was because the rationales of two verses were revealed, and the greatest in the world, King Solomon, failed in those matters. It is written with regard to a king: “He shall not add many wives for himself, that his heart should not turn away” (Deuteronomy 17:17). Solomon said: I will add many, but I will not turn away, as he thought that it is permitted to have many wives if one is otherwise meticulous not to stray. And later, it is written: “For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods” (I Kings 11:4). And it is also written: “Only he shall not accumulate many horses for himself nor return the people to Egypt for the sake of accumulating horses” (Deuteronomy 17:16), and Solomon said: I will accumulate many, but I will not return. And it is written: “And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver” (I Kings 10:29), teaching that not only did Solomon violate the Torah, but he also failed in applying the rationale given for its commandments. This demonstrates the wisdom in the Torah’s usual silence as to the rationale for its mitzvot, as individuals will not mistakenly rely on their own wisdom to reason that the mitzvot are inapplicable in some circumstances. § The mishna teaches that the king writes a Torah scroll for his sake. The Sages taught in a baraita (Tosefta 4:4): The king fulfills the mitzva provided that he does not beautify himself with the Torah scroll of his ancestors for this purpose, i.e., he must write his own scroll.
(1) Of Solomon. O God, endow the king with Your judgments, the king’s son with Your righteousness; (2) that he may judge Your people rightly, Your lowly ones, justly. (3) Let the mountains produce well-being for the people, the hills, the reward of justice. (4) Let him champion the lowly among the people, deliver the needy folk, and crush those who wrong them. (5) Let them fear You as long as the sun shines, while the moon lasts, generations on end. (6) Let him be like rain that falls on a mown field, like a downpour of rain on the ground, (7) that the righteous may flourish in his time, and well-being abound, till the moon is no more. (8) Let him rule from sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth. (9) Let desert-dwellers kneel before him, and his enemies lick the dust. (10) Let kings of Tarshish and the islands pay tribute, kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. (11) Let all kings bow to him, and all nations serve him. (12) For he saves the needy who cry out, the lowly who have no helper. (13) He cares about the poor and the needy; He brings the needy deliverance. (14) He redeems them from fraud and lawlessness; the shedding of their blood weighs heavily upon him. (15) So let him live, and receive gold of Sheba; let prayers for him be said always, blessings on him invoked at all times. (16) Let abundant grain be in the land, to the tops of the mountains; let his crops thrive like the forest of Lebanon; and let men sprout up in towns like country grass. (17) May his name be eternal; while the sun lasts, may his name endure; let men invoke his blessedness upon themselves; let all nations count him happy. (18) Blessed is the LORD God, God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things; (19) Blessed is His glorious name forever; His glory fills the whole world. Amen and Amen. (20) End of the prayers of David son of Jesse.