The story of King Solomon and the Daughter of Pharaoh, as told in Midrash Mishlei, is a potent reminder. It's a tale of celebration, misdirection, and a temple almost lost.
Rabbi Ishmael tells us that on the very night Solomon finished building the Beit HaMikdash (בֵּית־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ), the Holy Temple, he married the Daughter of Pharaoh. Imagine the scene: jubilant celebrations, a culmination of years of work, and a royal wedding all rolled into one. But here's where things take a turn. According to the Midrash, the celebration for the Daughter of Pharaoh actually overshadowed the celebration of the Temple itself! The text quotes, "That it is always so that people flatter the king." It was too much.
And what was God's reaction? The Midrash says that God considered destroying the Temple right then and there. Harsh, right? The verse from Jeremiah (32:31) is cited: "The city has aroused My anger and My wrath from the day it was built until this day; so it must be removed from My sight." A chilling thought.
But the story doesn't end there. Rabbi Levi brings in another layer: the disruption of the Temple service. The Tamid (תָּמִיד), the daily morning sacrifice, was in danger of being delayed, dangerously so.
So, what happened? The Daughter of Pharaoh, it seems, had a trick up her sleeve. She created a special sheet, a sort of canopy, above Solomon's bed, decorated with stars and planets. Every time Solomon started to wake up, he'd see this celestial display and drift back to sleep for another four hours. Talk about a sleep inducer!
Rabbi Levi emphasizes the impact: the Morning Sacrifice was nearly offered in the fourth hour of the day – a serious breach of protocol. The Midrash paints a picture of distress amongst the people. It was the very day of the Temple's inauguration, and they were unable to carry out the sacrifice at its proper time because Solomon was still asleep. They were afraid to wake him, such was their reverence (and perhaps fear) of the King.
In desperation, they turned to Bat-Sheva, Solomon's mother. She went and woke him up, rebuking him for his lapse. The text references this, saying, “rebuke that his mother rebuked him." It's a powerful image: even a king, even the wisest of men, is still subject to the loving correction of his mother.
What are we to make of this story? It's a cautionary tale about priorities, about the dangers of misplaced celebrations, and about the importance of heeding wise counsel. It shows us that even the most magnificent achievements, like the building of the Temple, can be threatened by seemingly small distractions. And it reminds us that sometimes, even a king needs a good talking-to from his mother. It makes you wonder, doesn't it, what "stars and planets" might be distracting us from what truly matters in our own lives?