Creating a Civil Society

R. Eleazar said in the name of R. Hannina: The disciples of the wise increase peace in the world; as it is said, "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord ; and great shall be the peace of thy children" (Is. liv. 13). Read not banayik "thy children" but bonayik "thy builders[1]" "Great peace have they that love Thy law; and there is no stumbling for them" (Ps. cxix. 165). "Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces" (ibid, cxxii. 7). "For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee" (ibid. v. 8). "For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek thy good" (ibid. v. 9). "The Lord will give strength unto His people ; the Lord will bless His people with peace" (ibid. xxix. 11)[2] May we return unto thee : He who beholds!

(1) And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt; they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. ...(5) And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. (6) And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. (7) And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon’s table, every man in his month; they let nothing be lacking. (8) Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds brought they unto the place where it should be, every man according to his charge. (9) And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea-shore. (10) And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt. (11) For he was wiser than all men: than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the nations round about. (12) And he spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs were a thousand and five. (13) And he spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; he spoke also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. (14) And there came of all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

(1) all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the broad place that was before the water gate; and they spoke unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. (2) And Ezra the priest brought the Law before the congregation, both men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. (3) And he read therein before the broad place that was before the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the Law. (4) And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Uriah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. (5) And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people—for he was above all the people—and when he opened it, all the people stood up. (6) And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered: ‘Amen, Amen’, with the lifting up of their hands; and they bowed their heads, and fell down before the LORD with their faces to the ground. (7) Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, even the Levites, caused the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. (8) And they read in the book, in the Law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. (9) And Nehemiah, who was the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people: ‘This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep.’ For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. (10) Then he said unto them: ‘Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy unto our Lord; neither be ye grieved; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.’