Is any of this really fair? After learning about Shlomo's bad decisions and consequential downfall, I still can't help but ask myself- how is this fair? I would do the same! Of course Shlomo was the king of the Jewish people and therefore should behave as any role model should. Yes, he did directly defy the word of G-d himself. But let's just take a step back for a moment- it seems as if G-d is directly setting Shlomo up for failure by granting his more wisdom and wealth than anyone can truly handle.

By specifically telling Shlomo that a king cannot have too many horses, too much gold, or too many wives,  Shlomo became tempted to do exactly that.

It's kind of like when your mom makes cookies and specifically tells you not to eat them fresh out of the over. The cookies are sitting right there, so obviously you are going to eat a cookie as soon as she leaves the room (not that I would know from experience... Mindy doesn't bake). It is kind of the same thing.

Taking a step back, it is also fair to say that Shlomo was the king of the Jewish people, and despite taking the throne at a young age, he was in a position of great leadership and should have known better. Of course it would be incredibly difficult to resist the temptation all around you. But, Shlomo was the KING, for crying out loud. He was the ultimate role model for the Jewish people. His failure to comply to Hashem's specific rules and submission to the temptation around him showed he was truly unfit for the job.

The whole situation still makes me a bit uncomfortable. The whole thing still does seem a bit iffy. But looking at the bright side, it became clear that Shlomo was obviously not fit for the throne and needed to be replaced. Maybe in the end it turned out to be what was best for the Jewish people, when a new, better-behaved king took the throne. Maybe Shlomo's story set an example for the Jewish people and sort of scared them into following Hashem. By failing the test, Shlomo paved the way for change in the leadership of the Jewish people and set an example of exactly what not to do. Who knows... maybe that was Hashem's point? Meh. Maybe.