This Too Shall Pass »
by Avatar on Apr 23, 2009 in Wisdom | 13 Comments
The phrase “This Too Shall Pass” came from Jewish wisdom folktale, involving King Solomon. I love the phrase and the story that originated the phrase. Have you heard of the story? There are many version available but I took the one I found on wikipedia (as of 23rd April 2009) and made some editing, here it is:
One day, King Solomon decided to humble Benaiah Ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister. King Solomon said to him, “Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want you to bring to me. I wish to wear it for Sukkot which gives you six months to find it.”
Benaiah replied, “If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty, I will find it and bring it to you but what makes the ring so special?”
King Solomon answered, “It has magic powers, if a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy.” King Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world but he wished to give his minister a little taste of humility.
Spring passed, then summer and still Benaiah had no idea where he could find the ring. On the night before Sukkot, he decided to take a walk in one of the poorest quarters of Jerusalem.
He passed by a merchant who had begun to set out the day’s wares on a shabby carpet. Benaiah asked, “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?”
He watched the grandfather take a plain gold ring from his carpet and engrave something on it. When Benaiah read the words on the ring, his face broke out in a wide smile.
That night the entire city welcomed in the holiday of Sukkot with great festivity. King Solomon asked, “Well, my friend, have you found what I sent you after?” All the ministers laughed and Solomon himself smiled. 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. The jeweler had written three Hebrew letters on the gold band: gimel, zayin, yud, which began 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.
Abraham Lincoln made the phrase and story popular in his ‘Address Before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, Milwaukee, Wisconsin’ on September 30, 1859.
It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence, 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! – Abraham Lincoln
