---- King Solomon
Oneday Solomon decided to humble Benaiah Ben Yehoyada, his most trustedminister. He said to him, "Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I wantyou to bring to me. I wish to wear it for Sukkot which gives you sixmonths to find it." "If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty,"replied Benaiah, "I will find it and bring it to you, but what makesthe ring so special?" "It has magic powers," answered the king. "If ahappy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, hebecomes happy." Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world,but he wished to give his minister a little taste of humility. Springpassed and then summer, and still Benaiah had no idea where he couldfind the ring. On the night before Sukkot, he decided to take a walk inone of the poorest quarters of Jerusalem. He passed by a merchant whohad begun to set out the day's wares on a shabby carpet. "Have you byany chance heard of a magic ring that makes the happy wearer forget hisjoy and the broken-hearted wearer forget his sorrows?" asked Benaiah.He watched the grandfather take a plain gold ring from his carpet andengrave something on it. When Benaiah read the words on the ring, hisface broke out in a wide smile. That night the entire city welcomed inthe holiday of Sukkot with great festivity. "Well, my friend," saidSolomon, "have you found what I sent you after?" All the ministerslaughed and Solomon himself smiled. To everyone's surprise, Benaiahheld up a small gold ring and declared, "Here it is, your majesty!" Assoon as Solomon read the inscription, the smile vanished from his face.The jeweler had written three Hebrew letters on the gold band: gimel,zayin, yud, which began the words "Gam zeh ya'avor" -- "This too shallpass." At that moment Solomon realized that all his wisdom and fabulouswealth and tremendous power were but fleeting things, for one day hewould be nothing but dust.
