Daily Tanach Tuesday Sefer Melachim 1 – Chapter 3: The King settles a dispute regarding who is the true mother of the living child

1. The King settles a dispute regarding who is the true mother of the living child:

• At that time, two women who are harlots arrived before the king for him to settle a dispute that they have, and they told the king the following story.
• The claim of the first woman: One of the women stated as follows: “My master, I and this other woman were sitting in the same home, and I gave birth to a child while she was there. On the third day after my birth this woman also gave birth. There was no one else present in the home when we gave birth besides for the two of us. Now, the child of this woman passed away at night after she slept on top of him and suffocated him. Now, what did the woman do? She woke up in the middle of the night and took my son who was with me while I was sleeping and placed my child in her bosom, and she took her dead child and laid him to rest in my bosom. I woke up in the morning to nurse my son and I see that he is dead. I contemplated on his figure in the morning, and I recognized that he is not my child that I gave birth to.”
• The claim of the second woman: The other woman stated as follows: “You are making a false claim, as my child is the one who is alive, and it is your child who is dead.” And the dispute continued between the two with each one claiming to be the mother of the living son and claiming that the other is the mother of the dead son.
• The King reviews the claims: The king stated, “This one says that my son is the living one and the others son is the dead one, and this one says no, rather your son is the dead one and my son is the living one.” [From here we learn that a judge is required to verbally review the claims of each side in front of the sides, in order so he assures that he understood them properly.^[1]]
• The king gives a verdict to cut the child in half: The king requested for a sword to be brought to him, and so a sword was brought in front of the king. The king then the stated that the living child should be cut into two, and half the child should be given to one mother and the other half to the other mother.
• The true Motherly instinct becomes revealed: The true mother of the living son became filled with compassion and mercy for her son after hearing this verdict from the king and requested from the king, “Please my master, give her the living child and do not put him to death.” However, the other woman responded by saying [to the sword bearer], “Also me and also you will not have the child, so cut him.”
• The King reverses his verdict and grants the child to the true mother: The king responded to the above by saying, “Give her the living child and do not put him to death as she is the true mother.” [A heavenly voice than came and proclaimed that indeed she is the true mother.^[2]]
• The king’s wisdom spreads to the populace: All the Jewish people heard of the above court case and the adjudication that was given by the king to solve the case. They became ingrained with much awe of the king, as they saw that the wisdom of G-d is found within him for the purpose of adjudication [and therefore feared doing anything evil for which they may need a judgment for^[3]].

[1] Radak 3:23

[2] Makos 23b; Rashi 3:27

[3] Radak 3:28