Money In The Honey

In honor of the anniversary of the passing of King David on Shavuot, we present this story from his youth.
Once there lived in the Land of Israel a very wealthy Jew. Upon his death, he passed on to his wife all of his great wealth. The widow decided to leave her city in search of a place with less memories. Her main concern before going on her journey, was to find a place where she could safely leave her vast inheritance.
She came upon the idea of hiding her gold coins in earthen containers, which she filled with honey. She then asked one of her late husband's close friends if he would watch over her jars of honey while she was away. The friend was happy to oblige.
Months passed. One day, the friend was preparing a festive meal for his son's forthcoming marriage and they had run out of honey. The friend remembered the honey which had been left in his safekeeping by the widow. "Certainly there can be no harm in my borrowing some of the honey," the friend conjectured. "I will replace it tomorrow," he assured himself.
Imagine the friend's surprise when he dipped a large spoon deep into the honey and it came out with two gold coins stuck to it. Again and again the friend dipped the spoon into the honey, and each time it came up with a small fortune. "No one but the widow and myself know that there is money in these earthen jars," thought the friend. And with that, he emptied the jars of all the gold. The next day he quickly refilled the jars to the very top with the sweet, golden syrup.
A few weeks passed and the widow returned to her home-town. She had found a suitable home in a different village where she was certain she would be able to start a new life for herself. When she asked her husband's friend for the honey jars back he was only too happy to return them to her. She thanked him for having 'guarded' them for her all this time.
The widow hurried home with the jars and, once inside, set out to retrieve the gold coins she had placed there months before. At first, she did not become alarmed when the spoon came up empty. But as the minutes passed, and she did not come up with one gold coin, she became hysterical. She took each jar to the back of the house and poured out the honey. She searched inside the jars but found nothing.
Beside herself with grief, the widow ran to the "friend's" house, only to find that he denied any knowledge of the gold coins. "You left jars of honey in my care and I have returned the exact jars of honey that you gave me."
The widow had no choice but to take him to court. The judge, however, noting that there had been no witnesses to the widow's claims that she had put gold in the jars, could not come to a verdict. He sent the case to a higher court, which eventually referred it to King Saul, himself. King Saul, however, also had no clue as to how to decide the case.
While on a walk in the countryside, the widow began to sob bitterly. A young shepherd noticed her bent and broken figure, and approached to offer his assistance. The widow smiled at this innocent lad, and told him her sad story.
"I have an idea that might help prove that the jars were filled with gold," said young David. 'Go to King Saul, and tell him that David, son of Jesse, would like to come to his court and to help settle this matter.'
The widow was touched at the young boy's sincerity. "My dear child," she said, "I have been sent to the King by the highest court in Israel, for they could not reach a decision. How, then, do you think that you will be able to help me?"
"Certainly G-d will help you. Just maybe, that help is meant to come through a young, simple shepherd such as I," David replied. The woman went to King Saul with David's request.
King Saul was intrigued with the young boy's offer and invited him to come to the court. The "friend" was also summoned to the court. Over and over, the thief swore on all that was holy that he had returned the exact same jars that he had been given.
"What do you say about this, my son?" asked King Saul to the young shepherd.
David asked that one of the jars be brought to him and in this way he would be able to prove the truth in the widow's words. David lifted the jar above his head and smashed it against the floor. He then carefully inspected the shards of pottery that were at his feet. Triumphantly, he help up one piece of the jar and waved it in the air. Stuck to the pottery was a gold coin that had been overlooked by the thief, and the widow.
The thief's evil deed had now been proven. All of Israel heard of the wisdom of the young shepherd, David, who later became one of the greatest kings of the Jewish people and from whom Moshiach is descended.

The Story Of King Saul And king David

Shavuot is the anniversary of the passing of King David
King Shaul (Saul) had lost grace in the eyes of G-d. G-d told the Prophet Shmuel (Samuel) to travel to Beit Lechem, where he would find the new king among the sons of Yishai (Jesse). Although the older sons were all upstanding young men, Shmuel asked, "Is there another son?" Yes, the youngest who was tending the flocks. When David was summoned, Shmuel knew at once; this boy would be the next king. David was quickly anointed, but many travails would precede his ascension to the throne. It was at this time that Shaul became very depressed. David was summoned to play his harp for the king and to ease his spirit with beautiful music. Ironically, Shaul couldn't know that the lad who played so soothingly would soon replace him on the royal throne.
The war against the Jewish people's bitter enemy, the Philistines, continued unresolved. One day, as the two armies lay encamped opposite each other, a gigantic soldier, completely covered in armor, appeared from among the Philistine ranks. Goliath roared out a challenge to the Jews: "Send out a man to fight me one on one." No one came forth.
David was shepherding his father's sheep at the time, oblivious to the danger confronting his brethren, until his father sent him to the Jewish camp to deliver supplies to his brothers. When he saw the Philistine giant, David volunteered to fight him. King Shaul refused to allow the slight youth to sacrifice himself. But David was persistent, and professed such a staunch faith in G-d's protection that Shaul finally succumbed to his plea.
David faced Goliath armed with only a staff and a sling. When the giant saw his opponent he scoffed at him. But David countered, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear, and with a shield, but I come to you in the name of the L-rd of Hosts, the G-d of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Everyone here will know that G-d saves not with a sword and spear. The battle is the L-rd's and He will deliver you into our hands."
Goliath advanced and David readied his sling. With a well-aimed stone, he pierced the giant through his skull; Goliath toppled to the ground. David leaped forward and cut off his head. The Philistines fled in panic.
As a reward for his courage, Shaul gave David his daughter Michal's hand in marriage. Shaul's son, Jonathan, became David's closest friend. The king, however, felt more and more threatened by the young warrior, whose popularity with the people continued to grow. Shaul's jealousy grew ever more bitter, until it hardened into a deep hatred. Shaul realized his days as king were numbered and that G-d's choice had fallen upon his young son-in-law.
It was Jonathan who alerted David to the king's implacable anger. David was forced to flee the king's wrath. He fled to the hills until he came to the town of Nob where many kohanim (priests) lived. David, known as a great hero and the son-in-law of the king, was provided with food and a sword. However, he was being watched.
As David continued his journey, the actions of the priests of Nob were reported to Shaul. Shaul summoned them, and all 86 innocent priests were condemned to death.
David's travails continued unabated, as the king hunted him across the land in between battles with the dreaded Philistines. During one chase, the exhausted king entered a cave to rest. Unknown to him, he had chosen the very cave where David and his warriors were hidden. David's loyal troops tried to convince him that this was a Divinely- planned chance to be rid of his royal foe. But, David still held his allegiance to the anointed king sacred. As the king sat tired and dispirited, David quietly approached and with his sword, cut off some fabric from the hem of the king's robes.
David bided his time. After the king left the cave, he approached Shaul with deep respect and showed him the severed cloth. The king gazed at the evidence of David's greatness, for surely David could have killed him, and said, "You are more righteous than I, for you have repayed me good for evil." The two parted, but Shaul's battle against David continued.
Another time, the king's troops lay encamped in a valley while David watched from above. Shaul was left unguarded as his soldiers slept around him, and for a second time Shaul's fate lay in David's hands. Again, David was entreated to attack, but he responded, "Do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against G-d's anointed and be guiltless?"
Instead, David descended into the king's camp and stealthily approaching him, removed the king's water flask and his spear. When he returned to his perch on the opposite hill, David called out to the king's guard, "As G-d lives, you are worthy to die, because you have not guarded you master, the L-rd's anointed; now, look where the king's spear and cruse of water lie which were near his head!"
Shaul recognized David's voice and for the moment, his jealousy ebbed. Shaul countered with these words, "Blessed are you, my son David; you will undertake great things and you will prevail." Those prophetic words were the last the tragic king would ever speak to David. Divine Providence fated that they never meet again in this world.