דברי הימים ב, פרק י׳, פסוק ו׳

At a critical crossroads at the beginning of his reign, the new king faces a public demand to lighten the heavy burden of national taxes. Before giving an answer to the crowd, he seeks counsel from the leadership of the previous generation to form a measured and careful response.

He turns to the older, experienced ministers of the kingdom [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The description of these men as those who served King Solomon highlights three unique virtues they possessed. First, their advanced age provided them with profound life wisdom. Second, they gained unparalleled experience by serving Solomon, the wisest of men. Third, they served him during his lifetime, at the very peak of his power and the glory of his reign [חומת אנך].

When the king asks for their guidance, he is not merely asking for a quick opinion. He wants to know what they propose [ביאור שטיינזלץ] and how they have deliberated among themselves to form this advice [רד״ק]. In fact, his inquiry indicates that these elders had already held a preliminary, internal discussion about this very issue before he even approached them [רש״י].

Despite seeking out such highly qualified advisors, Rehoboam ultimately made a severe error in judgment. He failed to grasp the depth of the elders' wisdom. They guided him to appease the people with kind words and a gentle approach, regardless of what he actually decided to do about the taxes. Instead, he abandoned their counsel and turned to young, inexperienced advisors who had grown up with him and did not understand true leadership. By choosing to do the exact opposite of what the elders suggested—speaking harshly to the people and threatening to make their burden even heavier—he triggered a massive historical disaster that led to the division of the kingdom and a rebellion against the House of David [חומת אנך].