The story goes that after his encounter with Asmodeus – that powerful, not-exactly-pleasant demon – Solomon was so shaken by Asmodeus's "forbidding ugliness" that he couldn't rest easy. Imagine that! This king, who commanded spirits and ruled over vast lands, needed a squad of valiant heroes guarding his bed just to feel safe. We read of this in Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What did Solomon really see? What was it about Asmodeus that burrowed so deep into the king's psyche? The text doesn't spell it out, but it hints at a vulnerability, a crack in even Solomon's seemingly impenetrable armor.
And speaking of Solomon's court, it was quite the gathering place. Just as David, his father, had surrounded himself with scholars and heroes, Solomon's court was a magnet for the best and brightest of the land. According to tradition, the most important of them all was Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.
Benaiah was a legend in his own right. A man of unparalleled learning and piety, unmatched during both the First and Second Temple periods, Benaiah held the esteemed position of chancellor. He was Solomon's right-hand man, privy to the king’s trust and favor.
Solomon enjoyed Benaiah's company and would often invite him for a game of chess. Now, Solomon, being the wise king he was, naturally always won. But one day, something strange happened. Solomon had to step away from the chessboard for a moment. Benaiah, seizing the opportunity, subtly removed one of Solomon's pieces. And you guessed it: Solomon lost.
This seemingly small incident sparked a deeper unease in Solomon. He couldn't shake the feeling that Benaiah had acted dishonestly. The king, in his wisdom (or perhaps his pride), decided to teach his chancellor a lesson. What that lesson would be, we don't know yet, but the stage is set for a fascinating confrontation.
It begs the question: Was Benaiah truly being dishonest? Or was he trying to show Solomon something, perhaps a flaw in his thinking, a vulnerability in his strategy? Maybe, just maybe, Benaiah knew that sometimes, even a king needs to lose to truly learn.