Eishes chayil - the ideal wife?

What is Eishes Chayil Proverbs 31 -the ideal wife or a description of Torah? or criticism of Shlomo Hamelech?

Mishlei 31): 1. The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.2. What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, son of my vows?3. Give not your strength to women, nor your ways to those who destroy kings.4. (K) It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes to say, Where is strong drink;5. Lest he drink, and forget the decree, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.6. Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish, and wine to those whose hearts are heavy.7. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.8. Open your mouth for the dumb, for the cause of all who are appointed to destruction.9. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and the needy.10. A worthy woman who can find? For her price is far above rubies.11. The heart of her husband safely trusts in her, and he shall have no lack of gain.12. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.13. She seeks wool, and flax, and works willingly with her hands.14. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from far away.15. She rises also while it is yet night, and gives food to her household, and a portion to her maidens.16. She considers a field, and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.17. She girds her loins with strength, and makes her arms strong.18. She perceives that her merchandise is good; her candle does not go out by night.19. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.20. She stretches out her hand to the poor; she reaches forth her hands to the needy.21. She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet.22. She makes herself coverlets; her clothing is fine linen and purple.23. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.24. She makes linen garments, and sells them; and delivers girdles to the merchant.25. Strength and dignity are her clothing; and she shall rejoice at the time to come.26. She opens her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the Torah of loving kindness27. (K) She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.28. Her children rise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.29. Many daughters have done virtuously, but you excel them all.30. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised.31. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own deeds praise her in the gates.

Rashi(Mishlei 31:10 ) The woman of valor - this about Torah

Bamidbar Rabbah (10:4): 4. Hence it is written, The words of king Lemuel (Prov. XXXI, 1).6 Why was Solomon called Lemuel? R. Ishmael said: On the selfsame night that Solomon completed the work of the Holy Temple he married Bathiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, and there was great jubilation on account of the Temple, and jubilation on account of Pharaoh's daughter, and the jubilation on account of Pharaoh's daughter exceeded that of the Temple; as the proverb says: ' Everybody flatters the king.’ The reason why he was called Lemuel is because he cast off the yoke of the kingdom of heaven from his shoulders; as if to say, Lammah lo el 1 (‘what use is God to him’). At that instant the Holy One, blessed be He, conceived the intention of destroying Jerusalem. Hence it is written, For this city hath been to Me a provocation of Mine anger and of My fury from the day that they built it, etc. (Jer. XXXII, 31). Our Rabbis say: Pharaoh's daughter brought him a thousand kinds of musical instruments and ordered that they should be played to him that same night, and she kept saying to him: ' This is how they play to such and such an idol, and this is how they play to such and such an idol.’ What did Pharaoh's daughter do further? She spread a sort of canopy above him2 and set therein all manner of precious stones and pearls which glittered like stars and constellations, and every time Solomon wished to rise he would see these stars and constellations, and so he went on sleeping until four hours in the day. R. Levi said: On that day the continual offering was sacrificed at four hours of the day. It is concerning this occasion that we have learned: It once happened that the continual offering of the dawn was sacrificed at four hours of the day.3 Now Israel were grieved, for it was the day of the dedication of the Temple, and they could not perform the service because Solomon was asleep and they were afraid to wake him, out of their awe of royalty. They went and informed Bathsheba his mother, and she came and woke him up and reproved him. Hence it is written, The burden wherewith his mother corrected him (Prov. XXXI, 1). R. Johanan said: This teaches that his mother bent him over a column4 and said to him: ' What, my son (ib. 2)! Everyone knows that your father was a God-fearing man. Now they will speak thus: " Bathsheba is his mother; she brought him to it!" And what, O son of my womb (ib.)! All the other women of thy father's house, when once they had become pregnant, saw the king's face no more, but I forced my way through and entered, so that my son might be fair complexioned and active!1 And what, O son of my vows  (ib.)! All the women of thy father's house, when they became pregnant, would make vows2 and say: " May we have a son worthy of kingship," but I made a vow and said: "May I have a son diligent and learned in the Torah and worthy of prophecy! " Give not thy strength unto women  (ib. 3), by going in pursuit of lewdness, for they confuse a man's mind; He that keepeth company with harlots wasteth his substance (ib. XXIX, 3). Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings (ib. XXXI, 3). The Torah has given a warning, Neither shall he multiply wives to himself (Deut. XVII, 17). Be cautious in these things, for they are the ruination of kings! It is not for kings, O Lemuel (Prov. XXXI, 4). What have you to do with kings who say, "What use is God to us (lammah lanu el),”3 that you should copy their deeds? It is not for kings to drink wine (ib.). Why should you liken yourself to kings who drink wine and become intoxicated and indulge in all manner of lewdness? Do not according to their deeds! Nor for princes (rozenim)4 to say: Where is strong drink? (ib.). Shall he to whom all the world's mysteries (raze) are revealed,5 drink wine and become inebriated?’ Lest they drink, and forget that which is decreed [lit. ‘engraved’] (ib. 5). R. Simeon said that this word refers to the words of the Torah which are engraved and in which is written, Thou shalt not commit adultery. And pervert the justice due to any that is afflicted (ib.). She said to him: ‘Justice was entrusted to the royal house of David; as you read, O house of David, thus saith the Lord: Execute justice in the morning (Jer. XXI, 12). If you drink wine you will pervert the justice due to those who are afflicted; you will acquit the guilty and condemn the innocent.’From this the Sages have inferred that a judge who has taken a fourth of a log of wine must not judge a case. Similarly, a Sage who has taken a fourth of a log of wine must not give a decision. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto the bitter in soul (Prov. XXXI, 6). R. Hanan said: Wine was created in the world solely for the purpose of paying the wicked their reward in this world, for they are lost to the next world, and of comforting the mourners; hence it is written, ‘And wine unto the bitter in soul.’ From this the Sages derived the rule that all those who were about to be executed by the court should be given to drink wine in its undiluted state, so that the criminal's mind should become confused; in fulfilment of what it says,  ' Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish.’ Let him drink, and forget his poverty (ib. 7). This is said of the condemned man who is about to perish, namely that he shall forget death, which is his grief. And his misery (ib.)1’is said of him who is bitter in soul, namely whose sons and daughters have died and who is bitter in soul; the wine would make his heart glad so he would not remember his grief any more. And remember his misery no more (ib.). ‘Misery’ applies to his sons, for they are his misery, as is confirmed by what we have learned,2 And our misery (Deut. XXVI, 7) 3 alludes to the sons, for it says,  Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, etc. (Ex. I, 22).4 Open thy mouth for the dumb (Prov. XXXI, 8). From this it can be inferred that if an heir or a purchaser5 has no advocate the court must act as his advocate. Another exposition: ' Open thy mouth for the dumb’ is said in reference to orphans who are unable to conduct their case and who, moreover, have no knowledge of their father's affairs. In such a case the court pleads their cause for them. Thus you can explain the text, In the cause of the sons of him who is appointed to pass away- halof (ib.)6; that is, the sons of the deceased who has passed away and gone to his eternal home. Another reason  why they are called ‘the sons of halof’ is because they take the place of (hilufe) their father; as is confirmed by the text, Such as have no changes (halifoth), etc. (Ps. LV, 20) (R. Hanina said that this refers to one who does not leave a son behind him whom you can teach how to conduct a defence.1) Open thy mouth, judge righteously (Prov. XXXI, 9) indicates that you must not teach them how to plead. And plead the cause of the poor and needy, as you read, Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause (Ex. XXIII, 6). Another exposition3: It refers to alms and to the gifts of the poor which are theirs by right4 and which you must take from the robber5 and give to them; to confirm what it says,  Rob not the poor, because he is poor, etc. (Prov. XXII, 22). An alternative exposition: The words of King Lemuel; the burden wherewith his mother corrected him (ib. XXXI, 1). ' His mother ' alludes to the Torah which corrected Solomon and which is called the mother of those who study it; as you read, Call thou understanding: Mother6 (ib. II, 3). The text can be read ‘em.7 And why is it called ‘a burden ‘? Because a hard blow will befall any who will do according to the deed of Solomon. What, my son (beri), etc. (ib. XXXI, 2).8 It does not say, ' What, beni? ‘ but ' What, beri? ' This alludes to the commands and exhortations in the Torah, which is called bar (pure); as you read, Do homage to that which is pure10 (bar)lest He be angry, etc. (Ps. II, 12); for all the words in it are pure. And it is regarding the exhortation written in the Torah, namely, Neither shalt thou make marriages with them: thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son (Deut. VII, 3), that this is said; for Solomon took from the daughters of the nations and contracted marriages with them; as it says,  Now king Solomon loved many wives ... of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel: Ye shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you; for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods; Solomon did cleave unto these in love (I Kings XI, 1 f.). Hananiah, son of R. Joshua, said: It was on this account that Scripture said, ‘Neither shalt thou make marriages with them. ' R. Simeon b. Yohai says that ' in love’ denotes literally ‘whoredom’. R. Jose, son of Halafta, says that ‘In love’1ging them beneath the wings of heaven. What, O son of my womb-bitni? (Prov. XXXI, 2). The Torah cautioned him against intercourse with another man's wife and this is the reason why ' womb ' (beten) is mentioned here, since in connection with the adulterer and adulteress it is written, And her belly (bitnah) shall swell, etc. (Num. V, 27), Make thy belly (beten) to swell, etc. (ib. 22). And what, O son of my vows? (Prov. Ioc. cit.). The Torah warned him not to drink wine that he might not be led to engage in whoredom. And the reason why ‘my vows’ is written here is to allude to the section regarding the nazirite which follows the section dealing with the suspected wife, concerning whom it is stated, WHEN EITHER MAN OR WOMAN SHALL CLEARLY UTTER A VOW (VI, 2). Give not thy strength unto women (Prov. XXXI, 3). After referring to these three prohibitions by allusion, the Holy Spirit again enumerates them distinctly. Hence it is written, ‘Give not thy strength unto women,’ which refers to the heathen wives that he had taken and who turned away his heart from the Holy One, blessed be He. Thus ' Thy strength’ alludes to thy strength in the Torah4 which said, Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, etc. (Deut. XVII, 17) and which he has transgressed. Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings--melakim (Prov. XXXI, 3). Scripture speaks of adultery with another man's wife. Hence it is written, ‘Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth (limehoth)1-which bears on the text, For all flesh had corrupted their way (Gen. VI, 12)2-i.e. to that which blots out the words of the Torah that give you good counsel; as you read, Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom (Prov. VIII, 14). And ‘melakim’ cannot but denote ‘counsel’, as you may infer from the text, Wherefore, O King, let my counsel (milki)be acceptable unto thee (Dan. IV, 24). Thus we have explained limehoth melakim, in accordance with the text, And the priest shall write these curses in a scroll, and he shall blot them out-mahah (Num. V, 23). It is not for kings, O Lemuel, etc. (Prov. XXXI, 4). He was called by three names: Jedidiah, Koheleth, and Solomon. R. Joshua, son of Levi, said: Seven; Agur, the son of Jakeh, Lemuel, and Ithiel.4 R. Samuel, son of R. Nahman, said that the chief and most authentic of them were the three: Jedidiah, Koheleth, and Solomon. R. Samuel, son of R. Nahman, concedes the other four but holds that he was merely described by these and that they require to be expounded.5 He was called ' Agur ' because he collected (agar) the words of the Torah; ' Jakeh ' because he disgorged (heki) the words of the Torah like a bowl, which is filled one moment and emptied the next6; ‘Lemuel’ because he spoke to God (nam la'el) and said: ' I am able to take many wives yet not sin.’ ' Ithiel’ because he said: ' I have the [moral] strength (itti el), and so I may do it.’ It says, moreover, It is not for kings, O Lemuel (Prov. XXXI, 4): The Torah8 says: Of the three things about which kings were commanded-not to multiply wives, not to multiply horses, and not to multiply silver and gold9-they must not say to God that they will multiply them and not sin. It is not for kings to drink wine (ib.).