Long ago,[i] lived one of our greatest rulers, the wise and mighty King Solomon. King Solomon over the course of his lifetime, built the Temple in Jerusalem, established peace in Israel, and brought prosperity to the Jewish people. However, as King Solomon became older and his time on earth more fleeting, he became deeply depressed. The king was filled with great sorrow and sadness.
The king called upon all those in the
land who could lift his spirits and provide him with encouragement. His doctors prescribed the greatest medicines
of the day, but nothing seemed to work.
His jesters wore funny outfits and told outrageous jokes, but the King
wouldn’t even crack a smile. Finally,
after many months, just as spring was approaching, the King called upon his
most devoted Minister, Benaiah, captain of the guard, for his help.
Over the course of many decades
together, Benaiah had saved the king’s life multiple times, stood side-by-side
with the king during their fiercest battles, and never, ever, failed at any
task that the king had asked him to complete.
“Benaiah”
“Yes, your Majesty”
“I have a request that only you can accomplish.
I have heard that there is a magical
ring that can provide me with comfort and lift my spirits. I humbly ask that you find this ring for me. I know that it might be difficult, so I give
you six months to find it. I hope to
wear it on Rosh Hashanah, so it will be a Happy New Year for me.”
“Of course, your Majesty. Tell me more about this ring!”
“Benaiah, I have heard that this ring
has magical powers. When a happy person looks
at the ring, they become sad. But when mournful
person, like me, looks at the ring, they immediately become comforted.”
“Your majesty, I am on it. Your spirits shall once again be lifted. You shall wear this ring on Rosh Hashanah.”
Early the next morning, Benaiah traveled to Beersheba to meet the great caravans that were traveling back from Babylon, Tyre, Egypt, and Yemen. “Dear Traders, I’m looking for a magical ring. When a happy person looks at it, they immediately become sad. But, a mournful person becomes comforted.” The traders looked at each other and raised their eyebrows. “I’m afraid we have never heard of a ring like that. How about beautiful metal carving from Yemen. The metal working there is exquisite and will delight the king.“ “No, no!” said Benaiah. There is only one ring that is fit for the king and this is the magical ring.
Spring turned to summer and Benaiah
traveled to the city of Jaffa. Perhaps
this ring comes from across the Great Sea.
Benaiah met ship captains who traveled to far off islands. “Dear Captains, I’m looking for a ring,
perhaps you have seen it on your voyages.
“When a happy person looks at it, they immediately become sad. But, a mournful person becomes comforted.” The ship captains laughed out loud. “You are being hoodwinked! There is no such ring. We did
find one-of-a-kind pearl out in our travels.
Would the king fancy that?” “No,
no.” The king never lies. This ring exists. I will find it.”
Time was not on Benaiah’s side. Six months had passed quickly and it was only days before the New Year would begin. He hadn’t found the magical ring. How could he have failed the king? On the night before Rosh Hashanah, Benaiah walked through the streets of Jerusalem traveling farther and farther from the palace. He ended up in a poorer neighborhood where he saw a young man dressed in shabby clothes. In front of him, on a tattered blanket were small trinkets, mismatched earrings, and dulled rings for sale. “My friend, I’m looking for a magical ring. When a happy person looks at it, they immediately become sad. But a mournful person becomes comforted.”
“Minister, look at me, what do I know about magical rings?” Benaiah turned to leave to give up his quest, when the young man’s grandmother approached and whispered in his ear. “I know of such a ring. Give me a moment and I’ll have it ready for you.”
The old woman presented Benaiah with
a simple metal ring. Benaiah who was
forlorn, laughed out loud when he saw the ring.
Even though he was sad, looking at the magical ring made him happy!
Benaiah hurried to the palace. Everyone was preparing for Erev Rosh
Hashanah. The king was the saddest
Benaiah had ever seen him. Although it
was Rosh Hashanah, the king seemed sorrowful and mournful.
“Benaiah, have you found the ring?”
“Yes, your majesty!”
Benaiah presented King Solomon with the magical ring. The king who was filled with great sadness immediately felt comforted. Etched inside the ring were three simple letters. Gimmel, Zayin, and Yud. They stood for three words: “Gam Zeh Ya’avor.” “This too shall pass!”
“Benaiah, you are truly a faithful servant. You have found the magical ring. I shall wear it on my finger as a signet. It will serve as a reminder of how quickly the world can change. Sadness to happiness, joy to mourning, Gam Zeh Ye’avor. “This too shall pass!”
This evening, as we turn the page from 5784 to 5785, we know that too many in our community, like King Solomon, are filled with great sadness. Too many of us, our family, and our friends are experiencing illness. Too many of us buried loved ones, too many lost jobs or encountered great difficulties. For all of us, a great sadness permeates our souls with the ongoing conflict in Israel and in Gaza, and now Iran.
King Solomon’s Ring is an old story told in our Persian Jewish community. I’m certain that the phrase “This too shall pass!” is not unknown to you. In Israel, as one traverses the jewelry stores and tourist shops on Ben Yehuda Street, it’s easy to find rings with the words Gam Zeh Ye’avor, “This too shall pass.” In so many ways, Israelis live by this motto praying that the world as it is, will transform into the world as it should be. This adage is a prayer of hope, that tomorrow will be better than today.
For all of us, I pray that the
hardship, the sadness, the worries, and the stress will pass away. May our sorrows be eased. May our mourning truly give way to comfort.
But there is another side to “This too shall pass.” For others of us, we welcome Rosh Hashanah with great happiness and great joy! There have been so many simchas in our community over the last twelve months. Births, graduations, weddings, family reunions, new jobs, renewed friendships, and celebrations with our loved ones! “This too shall pass” is a stark warning, a reminder, that the happy moments don’t occur each day. This motto reminds us that we must seize every moment! We know how fleeting life can be. How quickly the tables can turn. In this New Year, may we always be present at the happy moments. May we celebrate with joy. May we dance, smile often, and laugh heartedly. May we savor every simcha!
There is a third interpretation of
“This too shall pass!” We often think that
this phrase applies to us as individuals.
When I am sad, I pray that comfort will come to me. When I am happy, I know that sadness will sometime
again fill my soul. But we don’t go
through life as individuals; we live together in a community. We are connected to each other and our lives
and our wellbeing depend on the people that surround us.
Our great President, Abraham Lincoln,
reminds us of this sentiment in a speech he gave on September 30, 1859, to the
Wisconsin State Agricultural Society in Milwaukee.[ii] I guess even then Wisconsin was a swing
state!
“It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentiment to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words, "And this, too, shall pass away." How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride; how consoling in the depths of affliction! "And this, too, shall pass away." And yet, let us hope, it is not quite true. Let us hope, rather, that by the best cultivation of the physical world, beneath and around us, and the intellectual and moral worlds within us, we shall secure an individual, social, and political prosperity and happiness, whose course shall be onward and upward, and which, while the earth endures, shall not pass away.”
I don’t need to tell you that our world is on fire right now. Our country, the Middle East, even our city is at a precipice. President Lincoln reminds us of our obligation as Jews and as Americans to secure the social, political prosperity, and the happiness of the entire community. We have a responsibility to do our part to make sure that goodness, justice, compassion, and peace continue to thrive in our country. If we don’t act, then the fights we have won will pass away into the dustbins of history.
An election is coming. Israel and Gaza cause great sorrow. There are challenges in our community, our families, and our world. In our Jewish tradition, “This too shall pass,” is not a passive phrase, but a reminder that our world only changes through our own and our collective action.
On these first minutes of 5785, we
pray with all our hearts for a year of happiness, a year of health, a year of joy,
and a year of peace. “This too shall
pass” looms large. In this New Year, may
we never let a simcha pass by with celebration.
May we always celebrate with gusto.
And in these times of great difficulty, may we stand up, may we reach
out, and may we work together to make this world “the world as it should be.” Ken Yehi Ratzon, May it be so, Amen.
[i] A
famous Persian Jewish tale about King Solomon.
This story is based upon a version told by Judith Ish-Kishor “King
Solomon’s Ring” found in The Jewish Spirit: A Celebration in Stories and Art
edited by Ellen Frankel
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