Kohelet Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Ecclesiastes, grapples with this very question, using the famous story of King Solomon and the two mothers to illustrate its point.
The text opens with a stark contrast, quoting (Ecclesiastes 10:16-17): “Woe is you, land, whose king is a lad, and your princes dine in the morning. Happy are you, land, that your king is a free man, and your princes dine at the proper time, in valor and not in drunkenness.” This sets the stage for a deeper dive into what constitutes good and bad leadership, using Solomon's iconic judgment as a case study.
Remember the story? Two women, both claiming to be the mother of the same baby, come before King Solomon. One baby has died, and each woman insists the living child is hers. It’s a gut-wrenching situation, and Solomon, in his wisdom (or perhaps initially, apparent lack thereof), famously calls for a sword to divide the baby in two.
But who were these women? The text offers several interpretations. Rabbi Meir suggests they were spirits! The Rabbis offer a more grounded explanation: they were women awaiting yibbum, levirate marriage. This is where, according to Jewish law, if a man dies without children, his brother is obligated to marry his widow. According to Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) HaMevo’ar, the outcome of Solomon’s case would determine which woman was subject to this law. Then Rabbi Simon, in a more blunt assessment, says they were actual prostitutes, and Solomon rendered his verdict without the usual legal formalities.
The text dissects the courtroom drama. We get a play-by-play, almost like a director's cut of the biblical narrative. "The one woman said: Please, my lord…it was on the third day after I gave birth…the son of this woman died" (I (Kings 3:17)–19). Rabbi Pinḥas and Rabbi Yirmeya, citing Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba and Rabbi Beivai (or Rabbi Pedat, depending on who you ask!), outline the proper judicial procedure: judge sits, parties stand, mediator decides (though some dispute the mention of a mediator), plaintiff complains, defendant responds, and then the judge decides.
Rabbi Simon adds a crucial detail: a good judge reiterates the claims of both parties. He draws this from the verse: "[The king said:] This one says: This is my son that lives [and your son is the dead], and that one says: [No, your son is the dead and my son is the living]" (I (Kings 3:2)3). It’s about ensuring everyone is heard and understood.
But what about the sword? Rabbi Yehuda, quoting Rabbi Ilai, offers a fascinating, if slightly alarming, insight: Had he been there, he would have wrapped soft wool around Solomon's neck! Why? Because a judge who issues a false judgment is executed by strangulation. The idea is that when Solomon called for the sword, he was testing the women. Had the true mother not been overcome by mercy, Solomon’s judgment would have led to an unjust outcome.
It's at this moment, the text argues, that the "Woe is you, land, whose king is a lad" applies. It's a moment of potential disaster averted only by the true mother's compassion. But then, Solomon’s wisdom truly emerges. He realizes the significance of human anatomy, noting that God created us with pairs of eyes, ears, hands, and feet in anticipation of this very judgment! As the text notes, the Holy One blessed be He created man proportionally so it would be possible to cut the child lengthwise into two equal parts. And instead, he declares, “Give her the living child, and do not kill him" (I (Kings 3:2)7).
And here, we transition to "Happy are you, land, that your king is a free man." This is the moment Solomon proves his worth. The Kohelet Rabbah interprets "dines at the proper time" as referring to the World to Come, and "not in drunkenness" as "in his strength and not in his weakness."
The text culminates with a powerful image: "The Divine Spirit was shouting and saying: She is certainly his mother." Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani identifies three instances where the attribute of justice itself cried out: in the court of Shem, the court of Samuel, and here, in the court of Solomon. In each case, a divine voice affirms the truth.
Finally, the text offers another interpretation: "Woe is you, land, whose king is a lad" refers to the kings of Israel, while "Happy are you, land, that your king is a free man" refers to the kings of Judah. The kings of Israel, being wicked, consumed all their goodness in this world, while the righteous kings of Judah saved their reward for the World to Come.
So, what do we take away from all this? The story of Solomon isn’t just a clever trick. It's a lesson in leadership, compassion, and the importance of divine guidance. It’s a reminder that true wisdom isn't just about intellect, but about understanding the human heart and acting with justice and mercy. And maybe, just maybe, it suggests that sometimes, the best leaders are the ones who know when to listen to a higher power.
“Woe is you, land, whose king is a lad, and your princes dine in the morning. Happy are you, land, that your king is a free man, and your princes dine at the proper time, in valor and not in drunkenness” (Ecclesiastes 10:16–17). “Woe is you, land, whose king is a lad” – it is written: “Then, two women who were prostitutes came” (I Kings 3:16).71They each had a baby and one of the babies died. Each claimed the live one was hers, and they came before King Solomon for adjudication. See I Kings 3:16–28. Who were they? Rabbi Meir says: They were spirits. The Rabbis say: They were women awaiting levirate marriage.72If a man dies without children, his widow is subject to the law of levirate marriage. The husbands of these women died without children but while their wives were pregnant, and the women subsequently gave birth. However, a child who dies within the first thirty days does not exempt the mother from levirate marriage, and therefore an outcome of the case would be the determination of which woman would be subject to levirate marriage (Midrash HaMevo’ar). Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua says: They were actual prostitutes, and he issued their verdict without witnesses and forewarning. “The one woman said: Please, my lord…it was on the third day after I gave birth…the son of this woman died” (I Kings 3:17–19) because she rolled upon him. “She arose during the night.… I arose in the morning to nurse my son.… The woman said: No, but…. The king said: This one says…” (I Kings 3:20–23). Rabbi Pinḥas and Rabbi Yirmeya [said] in the name of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba and Rabbi Beivai, and some tend to cite it in the name of Rabbi Pedat: The procedure of the judgment is as follows: The judge sits, the judged stand, the mediator decides between them,73Some commentaries suggest that the phrase “the mediator decides between them” is mistaken and should not appear (see Rabbi David Luria). the plaintiff lodges his complaint, the defendant responds, and the judge decides between them. Rabbi Simon said: From here it is derived that the judge must reiterate their claims, from this verse: “[The king said:] This one says: This is my son that lives [and your son is the dead], and that one says: [No, your son is the dead and my son is the living]” (I Kings 3:23). “The king said: Bring me a sword.… The king said: Cut the living child.… The woman whose child was the living one…” (I Kings 3:24–26) – Rabbi Yehuda said that Rabbi Ilai said: Had I been there, I would have wrapped soft wool around his neck,74Around Solomon’s neck, as a judge who issues a false judgment is executed by strangulation. as when he said: “Bring me a sword,” had [the mother] not been overcome by mercy for him [her child], he would have been killed. Regarding that moment, it says: “Woe is you, land, whose king is a lad.” At that moment, he began spouting wisdom; he said: Was it for nothing that the Holy One blessed be He created in this person two eyes, two ears, two feet, two hands? It was because the Holy One blessed be He foresaw that this judgment is destined to transpire.75The Holy One blessed be He created man proportionally so it would be possible to cut the child lengthwise into two equal parts. [Ultimately] he did not do so, but rather he said: “Give her the living child, and do not kill him” (I Kings 3:27). Regarding that moment, it says: “Happy are you, land, that your king is a free man and your princes dine at the proper time” – at the time of the World to Come; “and not in drunkenness [vashti]” – in his strength and not in his weakness [bitshisho]. “The king answered and said: Give her the living child.” The Divine Spirit was shouting and saying: She is certainly his mother. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: In three places, the attribute of justice shouted: In the court of Shem, in the court of Samuel, and in the court of Solomon. In the court of Shem, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “Judah recognized and said: She is more righteous than I” (Genesis 38:26), and the Divine Spirit shouted and said: All of these matters originated with Me.76The events leading up to the trial (see Genesis, chap. 38) were a result of Divine providence. In the court of Samuel, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “Here I am; testify against me before the Lord.… He said to them: The Lord is witness for you, and His anointed is witness” (I Samuel 12:3–5). It is not written here, “they said…witness,” but rather, “he said…witness.” Who said “witness”? The Divine Spirit said: ‘You will testify regarding the revealed, and I will testify regarding the concealed.’ In the court of Solomon, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “The king answered and said: Give her the living child” (I Kings 3:27). The Divine Spirit shouted and said: She is certainly his mother. Another matter: “Woe is you, land, whose king is a lad” – these are the kings of Israel; “happy are you, land, that your king is a free man” – these are the kings of Judah. “And your princes dine in the morning” – these are the kings of Israel; “and your princes dine at the proper time” – these are the kings of Judah.77The kings of Israel were wicked, and therefore consumed in this world all goodness they will receive. Many of the kings of Judah were righteous, and have a share in the World to Come.
