They had witnessed something extraordinary, something shrouded in mystery, and they knew that keeping it to themselves was simply not an option. But who did their secret concern? None other than a king, and the implications for a particular baby were nothing short of life and death.
The story goes that these wise men, after witnessing this cryptic "sight" (Ginzberg doesn't elaborate on the exact nature of the vision in this particular passage), went home, troubled and restless. Can you imagine the weight they must have felt? The Talmud (Sanhedrin 99b) emphasizes the importance of not concealing knowledge, especially when it concerns the well-being of others or the stability of the community. This idea clearly influenced the wise men’s decision.
The next morning, they gathered in their bet midrash, their house of study, and debated what to do. "Lo, the sight that we saw last night is hidden from the king," they said to one another, as recorded in Legends of the Jews, "it has not been made known to him, and should this thing become known to him in the latter days, he will say to us, Why did you conceal this matter from me? and then we shall all suffer death."
Their reasoning was clear. If they kept this secret and it later came to light, the king would be furious, suspecting them of treason or, at the very least, gross negligence. The consequences would be dire, perhaps even fatal.
So, they made a fateful decision. "Now, let us go and tell the king the sight which we saw, and the interpretation thereof, and we shall be clear from this thing." And so they did. They approached the king, laid bare their vision, and offered their interpretation. But the story doesn't end there. Along with their revelation, they added a chilling piece of advice: that the king should pay the child's value to Terah, and slay the babe.
Who was this Terah, and why was this baby such a threat? We'll have to delve deeper into the story to uncover that. But for now, let's consider the courage, or perhaps the desperation, of these wise men. They chose to speak truth to power, even though it meant potentially condemning an innocent child.
It begs the question: Is it ever right to sacrifice one life for the perceived greater good? And what responsibility do we have when we are privy to knowledge that could change the course of history? These are the kinds of questions that these ancient stories force us to confront, questions that resonate even today.