King Solomon and the Amazing Instructor
Long ago, when the wise and just King Solomon ruled, the Holy Temple shone in the heart of Jerusalem. Although he took the throne at a very young age from his father, King David, he became the wisest ruler ever to sit on Israel’s throne.
One day, a curious thought arose in his mind:
– How could I create something that helps people and works on its own, without human touch?
After extensive research, Solomon studied the plans of the Temple, which had been given to Moses by the Eternal One. And then, he discovered something marvelous: the Hoshen, the High Priest’s breastplate. It was a unique and precious ornament adorned with twelve sparkling gemstones (each representing a tribe of Israel). It also contained the Urim and Thummim (light and perfection), which answered the High Priest’s most important questions to the Eternal One.
– This is it! – exclaimed King Solomon. – In the past, there were already “speaking stones” that helped people make decisions. What if I also created something that could give advice? I need a Amazing Instructor!
The king summoned the finest craftsmen and ordered them to construct a remarkable device that could store great knowledge. The artisans worked tirelessly for months, even years, until at last, the Wise Device was completed. It could hear people’s questions and provide them with answers.
Solomon smiled with satisfaction:
– This device is not alive; it has no soul, but it is built from knowledge, and it will help people!
Before long, the people of the city grew curious, and they lined up before the device to seek its guidance.
– Amazing Instructor! Tell me, when will the next great rain arrive? – asked a farmer.
The device recalled all known weather patterns, calculated the expected forecast, and answered.
– Amazing Instructor! How can I bake the finest challah for Shabbat? – asked a woman.
The device searched through all known recipes, selected the best one, and responded.
– Amazing Instructor! How should I lead the army to protect our kingdom from attacks? – asked the general.
The device analyzed all known battles, strategies, and weapons, compiled valuable advice, and gave a response.
One day, a little boy stood before King Solomon. After a deep bow, he asked with sincere curiosity:
– Wise King! Does this device truly know everything?
Solomon smiled:
– No, my child. This device only knows what we have taught it. The Urim and Thummim reflected the Eternal’s wisdom, but this device is built only on human knowledge. It is merely a Amazing Instructor (A.I.), and it knows only what we have put into it.
(The storyteller whispers: Even today, we create special knowledge-based systems, and we also call them A.I.: “Artificial Intelligence”)
The little boy thought for a moment.
– Then why do we use it?
– Because it can help us – Solomon replied. – The Eternal One has given knowledge into the hands of people. It is up to us to use it wisely and with a pure heart for good purposes.
The little boy smiled.
– So it’s like a book, filled with the wisdom of many wise people?
– Exactly! – Solomon nodded. – A book, too, is full of knowledge, but it is not alive. The difference is that the Torah is the living teaching of God. This device is just a tool.
Then the king addressed his people:
– This device may assist us, but true wisdom is in the Torah. We must learn to use knowledge correctly – because stones and machines cannot make decisions for us. Without the Torah, even the smartest device remains empty.
And so, the king and his people used the Amazing Instructor – but they strived to live by the teachings of the Torah, knowing that the Eternal’s true wisdom lives in the Torah and in the hearts of people.
Of course, this was just a made-up tale. This Wise Device, this Amazing Instructor, never really existed.
But today, something similar does: artificial intelligence. These systems (various A.I. models and tools) have accumulated vast amounts of knowledge, and they can be very helpful in everyday life. However, we must always be careful – they can still make mistakes, and their moral values (if they have got any) do not align with Torah principles. That’s why we must always listen to the mitzvot that live in our hearts.
After all, these are human creations. They lack the Urim and Thummim – the divine light and perfection.
In our morning prayers, we say:
“The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God.”
רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה יִרְאַת יְהוָה
“Réshit chochmá jirát HaShem.”
Always ask, always learn, and remember: knowledge is a great power, but the most important decisions should be made by listening to the Eternal who lives in your heart.
“…for this commandment is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” (Deuteronomy 30:12)
The Breastplate of Light
(Verse 1)
There was a breastplate, long ago,
The High Priest wore it, all aglow.
Within it shone the Urim bright,
A guiding flame in darkest night.
And Thummim – pure, mirror truth,
To show the path that’s right to choose.
(Chorus)
The Hoshen spoke, the signs were lit,
Through it, the answers would fit.
The root of wisdom, honest art:
The fear of God within our heart.
(Verse 2)
Intellect – a thoughtful mind,
A wealth of knowledge left behind.
Man has built it, wise yet blind,
A tool so vast, yet undefined.
(Chorus)
The Hoshen spoke, the signs were lit,
Through it, the answers would fit.
The root of wisdom, deep and true:
The fear of God is in our sinew.
(Verse 3)
A machine? Just human thought,
Fast and sharp, yet wisdom’s not.
Seek the light within your soul,
Where love and faith will make you whole.
(Bridge)
Mitzvot, truth, and kindness shine,
These will lead your steps divine.
True wisdom, if you seek to know,
The Torah’s light will always show!
The 12 Tribes and Their Symbolic Stones (“Sign-Stones”)
Here is the list of the 12 tribes and the stones that symbolize them (in some cases, two common names are given):
Reuben (Reuven): Ruby or Red Jasper
Simeon (Shimon): Topaz or Peridot
Levi: Emerald or Jade
Judah (Yehuda): Garnet or Carnelian
Issachar (Yissachar): Sapphire
Zebulun (Zevulun): Diamond or Beryl
Dan: Opal or Amber
Gad: Amethyst
Asher: Topaz or Aquamarine
Naphtali (Naftali): Onyx or White Agate
Joseph (Yosef): Jasper
Benjamin (Binyamin): Amethyst or Quartz
(This list follows traditional interpretations, but the precise identification of the gemstones remains uncertain, so multiple possibilities exist.)
What is “Artificial Intelligence”?
Imagine you have a magic box! You put in a question, the box hums, spins, clicks… and poof! It gives you an answer! But be careful! Sometimes the box says funny things, sometimes it makes mistakes, and sometimes it takes everything so seriously that if you ask, “Tell me a joke!” it might reply: “Joke: A statement that causes laughter.” (Does that make you laugh?)
Artificial intelligence is like a very, very big brain built by humans using computers. It cannot think for itself, it cannot eat ice cream, and if it falls down, it won’t cry (actually, it doesn’t fall down at all!). But if it “eats” a huge amount of books, pictures, and knowledge (of course, in a computer-like way, by processing information), it can answer questions quite skillfully!
However! Since it does not know the difference between good and bad, we must always be mindful of what it says! Because if you ask, “What is the best lunch?” it might say: “Boiled carrots with mustard!” (Yuck, really?)
And then we have to correct it: “No, dear artificial intelligence, pancakes are much tastier!”
What is the Hoshen?
The Hoshen (חֹשֶׁן), also known as the breastplate of the High Priest, is described in Exodus (Shemot) 28:15-30, in the Torah portion Tetzaveh. Here, the Eternal One gives Moses precise instructions for crafting the High Priest’s garments, especially the breastplate, which contained gemstones representing the 12 tribes of Israel.
Excerpt from the Torah (Exodus 28:15-17, 21):
“And you shall make a breastplate of judgment, skillfully woven, like the work of the ephod; you shall make it of gold, blue, purple, and crimson wool, and fine twisted linen. It shall be square and doubled, a span in length and a span in width. And you shall set it with settings of stones, four rows of stones…
“And the stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve according to their names, engraved like a signet ring, each with its name for the twelve tribes.”
The Hoshen was not just an ornamental garment; it was a sacred instrument that, with the help of the Urim and Thummim, revealed the Eternal’s will to the people of Israel.