{"id":62292,"date":"2019-09-03T15:28:41","date_gmt":"2019-09-03T12:28:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=62292"},"modified":"2023-03-29T06:50:55","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T03:50:55","slug":"counsel-of-the-elders-versus-the-counsel-of-the-young-men","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/counsel-of-the-elders-versus-the-counsel-of-the-young-men\/","title":{"rendered":"Counsel Of The Elders Versus The Counsel Of The Young Men"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[871,363,924,372],"acf":{"old_id":"62292","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":33877,"related_cahpter":"299","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Who should be listened to? And what does his little finger have to do with it?","content":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our chapter tells how Rehoboam came to Shechem to be acclaimed king of all Israel. The people request that Rehoboam first lighten the heavy burden of taxation that King Solomon had placed on them to finance his extensive building projects (12:1-5). He first consulted with the elders, who advised him to reduce the taxes. But he ignored them, and instead asked young men, apparently childhood friends of his. Scripture reports their response: \u201cSay to them: My little finger is thicker than my father\u2019s loins. My father imposed a heavy yoke on you, and I will add to your yoke; my father flogged you with whips, but I will flog you with scorpions\u201d (verses 6-11). This leads to the rebellion of the Northern Tribes of Israel and the division of the previously United Monarchy (verses 12-33).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Talmud (Nedarim 40a, Megillah 31b) expands on the biblical story of Rehoboam\u2019s rejection of the wise counsel of the Elders in a \u201cBaraita\u201d (tradition from the period of the Mishnah). \u201cIt was taught (Tanya) that Simeon ben Eleazar said: If the \u201cChildren\u201d tell you \u201cbuild!\u201d, but the Elders say: \u201ctear down!\u201d (setor!), listen to the Elders rather than to the \u201cChildren\u201d, for the building of the \u201cChildren\u201d is destruction, while the destruction of the Elders is building. And a biblical precedent for this principle is the story of Rehoboam the son of Solomon.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rashi to Nedarim explains that because Rehoboam acted on the counsel of the \u201cChildren\u201d, Solomon\u2019s \u201cbuilding\u201d, the Temple in Jerusalem was eventually destroyed. The Maharsha (Rabbi Shmuel Eidels, died 1631) on Nedarim understands this Talmudic principle to refer to one who has a walled building on which he wishes to build an additional story. The \u201cChildren\u201d tell him to build the second story, while the Elders, who certainly were more experienced, tell him to tear down the building, in order to build thicker walls to bear the weight of a second story. But like Rehoboam, he listens to the \u201cChildren\u201d and misses the opportunity to construct a tall building that will stand the test of time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Listening to the counsel of more experienced Elders, rather than one\u2019s youthful peers, remains sound advice to this day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Image: Hans Holbein the Younger, Fragment of the wall painting in the Great Council Chamber of Basel Town Hall, c. 1529 \/ Wikimedia (It portrays Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, whose arrogant government led to his people&#8217;s rebellion and the loss of part of his kingdom. He holds out his little finger, saying, &#8220;My little finger is thicker than my father&#8217;s waist!&#8221; The murals reminded the councilors of the need for wise and godly government).<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":62293,"id":62293,"title":"1kings12-Rehoboam by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger.","filename":"1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger..jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger..jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/counsel-of-the-elders-versus-the-counsel-of-the-young-men\/1kings12-rehoboam-by_hans_holbein_the_younger\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"1kings12-rehoboam-by_hans_holbein_the_younger","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":62292,"date":"2019-09-03 12:28:29","modified":"2021-08-17 14:13:57","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1024,"height":696,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger.-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger.-300x204.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":204,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger.-768x522.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":522,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger.-1024x696.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":696,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger..jpg","1536x1536-width":1024,"1536x1536-height":696,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger..jpg","2048x2048-width":1024,"2048x2048-height":696,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger..jpg","post_full_size-width":1024,"post_full_size-height":696,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger.-618x420.jpg","home_baner-width":618,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"Counsel Of The Elders Versus The Counsel Of The Young Men","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"Who should be listened to? And what does his little finger have to do with it?","preview_embedded":"","preview_image":{"ID":62293,"id":62293,"title":"1kings12-Rehoboam by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger.","filename":"1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger..jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger..jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/counsel-of-the-elders-versus-the-counsel-of-the-young-men\/1kings12-rehoboam-by_hans_holbein_the_younger\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"1kings12-rehoboam-by_hans_holbein_the_younger","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":62292,"date":"2019-09-03 12:28:29","modified":"2021-08-17 14:13:57","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1024,"height":696,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger.-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger.-300x204.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":204,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger.-768x522.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":522,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger.-1024x696.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":696,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger..jpg","1536x1536-width":1024,"1536x1536-height":696,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger..jpg","2048x2048-width":1024,"2048x2048-height":696,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger..jpg","post_full_size-width":1024,"post_full_size-height":696,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/1kings12-Rehoboam-by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger.-618x420.jpg","home_baner-width":618,"home_baner-height":420}},"preview_video":"","external_link":"","link_for_pay":false,"tile_gallery_items":false,"credits":""},"alternate_tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"","hide_media":false},"tile_group":{"preview_image_url":false,"main_caption":"","sub_caption":"","":null,"popup_package_extra_content":"","read_time":""},"home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo":{"seo_title":"","seo_description":"","seo_default_title":"","seo_default_description":""},"links":false,"send_noty":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62292"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62292"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":113835,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62292\/revisions\/113835"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}