(no subject)
Benaiah ben Yehoyadah was King Solomon's most trusted minister. He used to boast that he had never failed to do what the king asked of him.
One day Solomon decided to humble Benaiah to put an end to his boasting. So he summoned his minister and said to him, Benaiah, there is a certain ring I want you to find and bring to me. I wish to wear it for Sukkot. That gives you six months to find it.
If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty, replied Benaiah, I will find it and bring it to you! But what makes this ring so special?
It has magic powers, answered the king. If a happy person looks at it, that person becomes sad, and if a sad person looks at it, he becomes happy.
Now Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world, but he wished to give his minister a little taste of humility.
You shall have it in time for Sukkot! promised Benaiah, and eagerly he left the palace to begin his search.
But as hard as he looked, he could not find the ring. He searched all the jewelry shops in Jerusalem, but no jeweler had ever heard of such a ring. He asked caravan drivers who traveled to far-off markets in Egypt and Babylon and the Spice Lands of the East, but they had never run across it. He asked ship captains who sailed the seven seas, but they too were ignorant of such a ring.
Spring passed and then summer, and still Benaiah had no idea where he could find the ring. As Sukkot neared, he became so sad that he avoided seeing people, especially the king.
On the night before Sukkot, he decided to take a walk in one of the poorest quarters of Jerusalem.
Perhaps, he thought, a miracle will happen and I will find the ring tucked away in some forgotten corner of a poor jewelers shop.
But as dawn began to light up the eastern sky, he still had had no luck.
Then he passed by a young merchant who had just begun to set out his days wares on a shabby carpet in front of his shop.
Have you by any chance heard of a magic ring that makes the happy wearer forget his joy and the broken-hearted wearer forget his sorrows? asked Benaiah. If you have such a ring, you may ask any price, and I will pay it.
The young merchant shook his head. But nearby, his grandfather overheard Benaiahs question, and he now beckoned to his grandson with one gnarled finger. He whispered something into his grandson's ear, which made the young man smile broadly.
Wait! he called out to Benaiah, who had begun to walk away. I think I can help you.
Benaiah's heart almost stopped beating, and he ran back to the young merchant. Baffled, he watched the man take a plain gold band from his carpet and engrave something on it. But when Benaiah read the words engraved on the ring, his face broke out in a wide smile.
"This is it!" he cried, and he emptied his purse of gold coins into the merchant's hands. Then he ran swiftly through the dark streets to the kings palace, grasping the gold ring tightly in his hand.
That night the entire city welcomed in the holiday of Sukkot with great festivity. In the palace, Solomon presided over a magnificent feast for all his court. Benaiah sat down near the king, concealing the ring in his pocket until the king should ask for it.
"Well, my friend," said Solomon, "have you found what I sent you after?"
All the ministers laughed, and Solomon himself smiled. Poor Benaiah! He had finally failed his king and would feel the sting of shame. But Solomon was prepared to redeem his minister's honor by now revealing to him that he had been sent on a wild goose chase.
But to everyone's surprise, Benaiah held up a small gold ring and declared, "Here it is, your majesty!"
As soon as Solomon read the inscription, the smile vanished from his face. For the jeweler had written three Hebrew letters on the gold band: Gimel, Zayin, Yud, which begin the words Gam Zeh Ya'avor -- "This too shall pass."
At that moment Solomon realized that all his wisdom and fabulous wealth and tremendous power were but fleeting things, for one day he would be nothing but dust. And the amusement he had just felt a moment before now gave way to sorrow.
Solomon beckoned to his minister and said, "I have always known you were faithful, Benaiah, but now I know that you are truly wise."
Then Solomon slipped the ruby signet ring off his finger and replaced it with the gold band that Benaiah had brought him.
"I shall always wear this ring," my friend, he said, "and keep its wisdom close to my heart. And you shall have this ruby ring as my thanks to you."
And until the day he died, Benaiah never once failed to do whatever the king asked of him.
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Gam Ze Ya'Avor is what I am getting tattooed on my body. Where should I get it- and it will be in hebrew of course.
Thoughts?
One day Solomon decided to humble Benaiah to put an end to his boasting. So he summoned his minister and said to him, Benaiah, there is a certain ring I want you to find and bring to me. I wish to wear it for Sukkot. That gives you six months to find it.
If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty, replied Benaiah, I will find it and bring it to you! But what makes this ring so special?
It has magic powers, answered the king. If a happy person looks at it, that person becomes sad, and if a sad person looks at it, he becomes happy.
Now Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world, but he wished to give his minister a little taste of humility.
You shall have it in time for Sukkot! promised Benaiah, and eagerly he left the palace to begin his search.
But as hard as he looked, he could not find the ring. He searched all the jewelry shops in Jerusalem, but no jeweler had ever heard of such a ring. He asked caravan drivers who traveled to far-off markets in Egypt and Babylon and the Spice Lands of the East, but they had never run across it. He asked ship captains who sailed the seven seas, but they too were ignorant of such a ring.
Spring passed and then summer, and still Benaiah had no idea where he could find the ring. As Sukkot neared, he became so sad that he avoided seeing people, especially the king.
On the night before Sukkot, he decided to take a walk in one of the poorest quarters of Jerusalem.
Perhaps, he thought, a miracle will happen and I will find the ring tucked away in some forgotten corner of a poor jewelers shop.
But as dawn began to light up the eastern sky, he still had had no luck.
Then he passed by a young merchant who had just begun to set out his days wares on a shabby carpet in front of his shop.
Have you by any chance heard of a magic ring that makes the happy wearer forget his joy and the broken-hearted wearer forget his sorrows? asked Benaiah. If you have such a ring, you may ask any price, and I will pay it.
The young merchant shook his head. But nearby, his grandfather overheard Benaiahs question, and he now beckoned to his grandson with one gnarled finger. He whispered something into his grandson's ear, which made the young man smile broadly.
Wait! he called out to Benaiah, who had begun to walk away. I think I can help you.
Benaiah's heart almost stopped beating, and he ran back to the young merchant. Baffled, he watched the man take a plain gold band from his carpet and engrave something on it. But when Benaiah read the words engraved on the ring, his face broke out in a wide smile.
"This is it!" he cried, and he emptied his purse of gold coins into the merchant's hands. Then he ran swiftly through the dark streets to the kings palace, grasping the gold ring tightly in his hand.
That night the entire city welcomed in the holiday of Sukkot with great festivity. In the palace, Solomon presided over a magnificent feast for all his court. Benaiah sat down near the king, concealing the ring in his pocket until the king should ask for it.
"Well, my friend," said Solomon, "have you found what I sent you after?"
All the ministers laughed, and Solomon himself smiled. Poor Benaiah! He had finally failed his king and would feel the sting of shame. But Solomon was prepared to redeem his minister's honor by now revealing to him that he had been sent on a wild goose chase.
But to everyone's surprise, Benaiah held up a small gold ring and declared, "Here it is, your majesty!"
As soon as Solomon read the inscription, the smile vanished from his face. For the jeweler had written three Hebrew letters on the gold band: Gimel, Zayin, Yud, which begin the words Gam Zeh Ya'avor -- "This too shall pass."
At that moment Solomon realized that all his wisdom and fabulous wealth and tremendous power were but fleeting things, for one day he would be nothing but dust. And the amusement he had just felt a moment before now gave way to sorrow.
Solomon beckoned to his minister and said, "I have always known you were faithful, Benaiah, but now I know that you are truly wise."
Then Solomon slipped the ruby signet ring off his finger and replaced it with the gold band that Benaiah had brought him.
"I shall always wear this ring," my friend, he said, "and keep its wisdom close to my heart. And you shall have this ruby ring as my thanks to you."
And until the day he died, Benaiah never once failed to do whatever the king asked of him.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Gam Ze Ya'Avor is what I am getting tattooed on my body. Where should I get it- and it will be in hebrew of course.
Thoughts?