It's deep, it's rich, but sometimes… it feels inaccessible.
That's where stories, analogies, and parables come in. And King Solomon, according to Jewish tradition, was a master of them.
We find this idea explored in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Song of Songs. It begins by looking at a verse in Ecclesiastes (12:9): “Beyond the fact that Kohelet was wise…” (Kohelet is traditionally attributed to Solomon.) The text emphasizes that if anyone else had shared the wisdom found in Ecclesiastes, we should listen. But all the more so because it was Solomon, and even more so because he spoke through the Ruach (spirit) HaKodesh, the Divine Spirit.
But what exactly did Solomon do? The text goes on to say that he "considered," "investigated," and "composed many proverbs." But there's more to it than just that. He "made ears [oznayim] for the Torah." Oznayim, ears, can also mean handles. The idea is that he made the Torah easier to grasp, more accessible. He gave us a way to hold onto it.
The text then offers a series of beautiful analogies to illustrate this point. Rav Naḥman gives us two. The first is of a grand palace with many entrances where people keep getting lost. A clever person comes along and uses a skein of yarn to mark the correct path. The second analogy is of a thicket of reeds where no one can enter. The clever one cuts a path through it with a scythe. In both cases, someone makes the previously inaccessible accessible. Until Solomon, it suggests, no one could really understand Torah. Once Solomon arose, everyone began to discuss it.
Rabbi Yosei offers another image: a large basket filled with produce but without handles. It can’t be moved. But someone crafts handles, and suddenly it can be carried with ease. Rabbi Sheila uses a similar image, this time with a jug of boiling water too hot to touch—until a handle is added.
Then Rabbi Hanina provides a particularly striking image: a deep well filled with cold, sweet water that no one can reach. A person comes along and ties ropes together, drawing up the water so everyone can drink. The water was always there, the wisdom always present, but it needed a way to be accessed.
These analogies, says the text, shouldn't be seen as trivial. They're the key to unlocking deeper understanding. It's like a king who loses a gold coin or a precious gem in his house. He uses a small candle, a wick worth next to nothing, to find it. (An isar, the text tells us, was a small copper coin.) The small analogy helps us find the great treasure of Torah.
Rabbi Yudan adds a final, crucial point: sharing Torah publicly can lead to the Divine Spirit resting upon you. We learn this from Solomon himself. Because he shared Torah widely, he was blessed with the Ruach HaKodesh and composed the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs.
So, what's the takeaway? Perhaps it's that we all have the potential to be like Solomon, to make the wisdom of the Torah more accessible to ourselves and to others. Maybe it’s that the smallest story, the simplest analogy, can be the key to unlocking profound truths. And maybe, just maybe, by sharing those insights, we can invite a little bit of the Divine Spirit into our own lives.
Another matter, “The song of songs,” that is what the verse says: “Beyond the fact that Kohelet was wise” (Ecclesiastes 12:9). Had another person said them,17The lessons stated in the book of Ecclesiastes. you would have been required to bend your ear and listen to those matters; more so because Solomon said them. Had he said them on his own, you would have been required to bend your ear and listen to them; more so because he said them through the Divine Spirit. “Beyond the fact that Kohelet was wise, moreover, he taught the people knowledge, considered [izen] and investigated, composed many proverbs” (Ecclesiastes 12:9). He considered matters of Torah, investigated matters of Torah, and made ears [ozynayim] for the Torah.18This can be understood to mean that he attracted many listeners for matters of Torah. Or it could be understood to mean that he crafted handles [oznayim] for the Torah in the sense that he explained the Torah and thereby made it more accessible, just as the handles of a vessel allow one to easily lift and transport it. You find that until Solomon arose, there was no analogy.19No one composed analogies to help the masses understand difficult Torah concepts. Rav Naḥman , Rav Naḥman said: [This is analogous] to a large palace in which there were numerous entrances, and everyone who would enter it would stray from the path of the entrance.20They were unable to find the entrance that would take them where they needed to go. One clever man came and took a skein and hung it on the path of the entrance. Everyone would enter and exit by means of the skein. So too, until Solomon arose, there was no person who was able to understand matters of Torah. Once Solomon arose, everyone began discoursing regarding matters of Torah. Rav Naḥman : This is analogous to a thicket of reeds into which no person could enter. One clever man came and took a scythe and cut [them]. Everyone began entering and exiting through the cut area. So it was with Solomon. Rabbi Yosei said: [This is analogous] to a large basked filled with produce, but it did not have a handle, and it could not be moved. One clever man came and crafted handles for it and it began to be moved by means of the handles. So too, until Solomon arose, no one was able to understand matters of Torah. Once Solomon arose, everyone began discoursing regarding matters of Torah. Rabbi Sheila said: [This is analogous] to a large jug that was filled with boiling water but it did not have a handle so that it could be moved. One came and crafted a handle and it began to be moved by means of the handle. Rabbi Ḥanina said: [This is analogous] to a deep well filled with water, and its water was cold, sweet, and excellent, but no creature could drink from it. One man came and tied rope to rope and string to string, drew from it and drank. Everyone began drawing and drinking. So too, from word to word and proverb to proverb, Solomon comprehended the secrets of the Torah, as it is written: “The proverbs of Solomon son of David” (Proverbs 1:1). By means of Solomon’s proverbs, he was able to comprehend matters of Torah. The Rabbis say: Do not let this analogy be insignificant in your eyes, as by means of the analogy a person can comprehend matters of Torah. This is analogous to a king who lost a gold piece in his house, or a fine gem; is it not by means of a wick worth an isar21A small copper coin. that he finds it? So too, do not let the analogy be insignificant in your eyes, as by means of the analogy a person comprehends matters of Torah. Know that it is so, as Solomon, by means of analogy, comprehended the minute details of the Torah. Rabbi Yudan said: It is to teach you that anyone who says matters of Torah in public will be privileged to have the Divine Spirit rest upon him. From whom do you learn [this]? From Solomon, as because he said matters of Torah in public, he was privileged to have the Divine Spirit rest upon him, and he composed three books: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs.
