Inauguration of the Temple

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Temple Ablaze with Divine Fire
TANAKH
The divine intervention during the inauguration of the Temple, marked by fire from heaven and the filling of the Temple with the glory of the LORD, signifies God's approval and presence. The book of II Chronicles recounts the dramatic events of the Temple's dedication, highlighting the divine response to Solomon's prayer.
When Solomon finished praying, fire descended from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the House.
II Chronicles 7:1
The Path of the Divine Fire
COMMENTARY
The divine fire's path during the consecration of the Tabernacle is a fascinating and detailed journey that underscores God's acceptance of the Israelites' offerings. Rashbam, a medieval French Torah commentator and grandson of Rashi, provides a vivid description of this event in his commentary on Leviticus.
'ותצא אש מלפני ה, this fire emanated from the Holy of Holies, traveled via the golden altar in order to burn up the incense which was always offered before the daily communal burnt offering, as described in Yuma 33. This is also where the fire encountered the sons of Aaron beside the altar Subsequently, this fire moved to the altar in the courtyard of the Tabernacle and consumed the sacrificial meat consisting of both burnt offerings and peace-offerings.
Rashbam on Leviticus 9:24:1
The Princes' Initiative
COMMENTARY
The princes of Israel took the initiative to inaugurate the altar, each earning different levels of merit for their contributions. Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar’s 18th-century commentary, Or HaChaim, provides deep insights into the spontaneous actions and individual merits of the princes during the Temple's inauguration.
מאת נשיאי ישראל, from the princes of Israel, etc. Why did the Torah have to write these words? Perhaps the Torah wanted to praise the princes for having acted spontaneously in order to inaugurate the altar. The word מאת is as if the Torah had written מאתם, i.e. that the idea originated with the princes and they had not been prompted. Our sages in Sifri volume 1 item 53 state that they all had an equal share in the single מצוה. What the sages meant was the offerings themselves were accounted as if they were a single offering…
Or HaChaim on Numbers 7:84:2
Purification and Dedication of the Temple
SECOND TEMPLE
The deeds of Judah Maccabeus and his brothers, particularly their efforts to purify and rededicate the temple, are central to the celebration of Hanukkah. The Book of Maccabees II, an apocryphal work that tells the story of the Hasmonean revolt and its aftermath, recounts the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire, highlighting Jewish resilience and the importance of religious freedom.
And the deeds of Judah Maccabeus, his brothers, the purification of the temple from its impurity, the dedication ceremony of the temple, and the wars against Antiochus the great and his son Aopater.
The Book of Maccabees II 2:20
From Sinai to the Tabernacle
COMMENTARY
The inauguration of the Tabernacle mirrors the divine revelation at Mount Sinai, emphasizing the continuity of God's presence and the sacred rituals involved. Rabbeinu Bachya, a medieval Jewish commentator, explores the parallels between these two pivotal events in Jewish history, highlighting the sanctity and regulations that connect them.
You are aware already that the attribute כבוד which descended on Mount Sinai was the same which now had taken up residence in the Tabernacle. Just as at the time this attribute descended onto Mount Sinai it was accompanied by myriads of ministering angels, so the journeys of the Jewish people with the Tabernacle took place under the auspices of flags. Just as at Mount Sinai G’d had warned the people not to touch the mountain (Exodus 19,13), a similar restriction was placed against entering the sacred domain of the Tabernacle when the Torah writes: “any stranger (non-priest) who approaches…
Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 7:87:2
The Transformative Power of the Shekhina
HALAKHAH
The Shekhina (Divine Presence) radiating from the Kodesh Ha-kodashim has the power to transform and guide Israel and the world back to God. King Solomon’s prayer at the Temple’s dedication highlights the spiritual significance of the Kodesh Ha-kodashim in facilitating repentance and prayer.
Although people were not permitted to enter the Kodesh Ha-kodashim, nevertheless, by the light of the Shekhina (Divine Presence) which radiated from it, Israel and the whole world could return to God, correct their sins, and channel their prayers to God, as expressed in King Shlomo’s prayer at the Temple’s dedication. (See 1 Melakhim, ch. 8.)
Peninei Halakhah, Days of Awe 10:1:3
The Shechinah's Manifestation
COMMENTARY
The manifestation of the Shechinah in the Temple signifies God's dwelling among the people, a profound moment in Jewish history. Rashi, the renowned medieval French commentator, explains King Solomon's realization of God's presence in the Temple through the appearance of a cloud and thick darkness.
Then Solomon said Since the House is full of smoke, I now know that the Shechinah is resting in the thick darkness therein, for so is His wont, as it is written (Exod. 20:18): “and Moses drew near to the thick darkness wherein God appeared.” [Therefore, I deduce that] He surely wishes to stay therein, and in Sifre it is explained: Then Solomon said - when he saw the cloud, he said, “Now I see that the Shechinah rests in the House that I have built, for He promised to come and dwell therein out of the midst of the cloud and the thick darkness.” Now where did He say this? (Lev…
Rashi on II Chronicles 6:1:1
Persian Kings and the Rebuilding of the Temple
SECOND TEMPLE
The Persian kings, Darius and Cyrus, played a crucial role in the rebuilding of the Second Temple, showcasing their support and the involvement of Jewish leaders and prophets. Josephus' account in 'The Antiquities of the Jews' details the cooperation between Persian authorities and Jewish leaders, fulfilling prophecies by Haggai and Zechariah.
7. When Darius had found this book among the records of Cyrus, he wrote an answer to Sisinnes and his associates, whose contents were these: "King Darius to Sisinnes the governor, and to Sathrabuzanes, sendeth greeting. Having found a copy of this epistle among the records of Cyrus, I have sent it you; and I will that all things be done as is therein written. Fare ye well." So when Sisinnes, and those that were with him, understood the intention of the king, they resolved to follow his directions entirely for the time to come…
The Antiquities of the Jews 11:4:7
Divine Favor in the Rebuilding of the Temple
TARGUM
The return from Babylonian exile and the rebuilding of the Temple were marked by divine intervention and miraculous events. The Aramaic Targum to Song of Songs recounts these significant historical events, emphasizing the divine favor and the reestablishment of Jewish religious practices.
And the Lord of the World received their prayer favorably and went down to Babylon to the Sanhedrin of sages and gave relief to His people and brought them up from their exile by means of Cyrus, Ezra, Nehemiah, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and the Elders of the Jews. And they built the Temple, and appointed the priests over the sacrifices, and the Levites over the guardianship of the Holy Word. And He sent fire from heaven and favorably received the sacrifices and the spice incense. And as a man feeds his beloved son with delicacies, that is how He indulged them…
Aramaic Targum to Song of Songs 6:2
Repentance and Divine Forgiveness
KABBALAH
Even in times of exile, repentance and prayer can reach God and bring about divine forgiveness. Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla’s Kabbalistic work, Sha'arei Orah, references King Solomon’s prayer during the dedication of the First Temple to emphasize the power of repentance and prayer.
All this was expressly stated by King Solomon when the Holy Temple was built and he prayed on behalf of the Jewish people. He said, “When they sin against You – for there is no man who never sins – and You become angry with them, and You deliver them to an enemy, and their captors take them captive to the land of the enemy, faraway or nearby, and they take it to heart in the land where they were taken captive and repent and supplicate to You in the land of their captors etc., and pray to You, by way of their land, that You gave to their forefathers…
Sha'arei Orah, Second Gate, Ninth Sefirah 172
A Rare Phrase in Jewish History
TANAKH
A rare phrase in Tanakh appears at key moments in Jewish history, including King Solomon’s prayer at the consecration of the Temple. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explores the significance of this phrase in his final compilation of essays, offering deep insights into Jewish beliefs and history.
Aryeh Kaplan, in The Living Torah, got it right when he translated it as “God your Lord will keep the covenant and love with which He made an oath to your fathers.” Not “covenant of love” but “covenant and love.” But still: What is the covenant, and what is the love that is distinct from the covenant?
I Believe; A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible, Ekev; The Covenant and the Love 8
The Dedication of the Tabernacle
COMMENTARY
The first day of Nisan, Rosh Hodesh, marks the dedication of the Tabernacle and the indwelling of the Divine Presence both in heaven and on earth. The Pesach Haggadah, the guiding text of the Passover seder, recounts the dedication of the Tabernacle, a pivotal event symbolizing God's presence among the Israelites.
• The first day of Nisan is Rosh Hodesh, the first day of Nisan, is the day on which the Tabernacle was dedicated and the Holy one dwelled among the people, “In heaven and on earth”
Marbeh Lesaper on Pesach Haggadah, Nirtzah, Echad Mi Yodea 1:17
Divine Consequence
MIDRASH
Moses initially resisted God's calling at the burning bush, asking that God send someone else to Egypt in his place. Midrash Tanchuma, a medieval collection of midrash, recounts how Moses' experience at the inauguration of the Mishkan was a divine response to that initial reluctance.
(Lev. 9:1:) “And it came to pass on the eighth day.” This text is related (to Ps. 92:13), “The righteous one shall flourish (rt.: prh) like the palm….” This is Aaron, of whom it is stated (in Numb. 17:23), “[and there] the staff of Aaron of the House of Levi had sprouted (rt.: prh).” In the case of all the [other] trees, one plants them and they grow up by themselves (as single trees); but in the case of the palm, one plants it and it sends up sprouts on all sides. So it was in the case of Aaron. He planted and sprouts came up. These were Aaron's sons (i.e., according to I Chron…
Midrash Tanchuma, Shmini 3:1
Music and Praise in the Temple
GUIDES
The Levites and priests used music and unified praise to invoke a divine manifestation during a pivotal moment in Jewish history. Adin Steinsaltz describes the collective worship and the resulting divine presence in the form of a cloud filling the house of the Lord.
Also the Levites who were the singers, all of them of Asaf, of Heman, of Yedutun, with their sons and their brethren, clothed in white linen, having cymbals and lutes and lyres, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests sounding the trumpets: and it came to pass when all at once the trumpeters and the singers sounded a note in unison, in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good…
Introductions to the Babylonian Talmud, Arakhin, Introduction to Perek II 5
Restoring the Divine Connection
MUSAR
The inauguration of the Temple restored the relationship between God and humanity to its pre-sin state, allowing divine blessings to flow to mankind. Rabbi Isaiah HaLevi Horowitz’s 17th-century work, Shenei Luchot HaBerit, explores the spiritual significance of the Holy Temple as a conduit for divine blessings.
This is what Solomon referred to in his prayer in Kings 18,12: "Then Solomon declared: 'The Lord has chosen to abide in a thick cloud. I have now built for You a stately House, a place where You may dwell forever'" It is further written as part of Solomon's prayer in Kings I 8,26: "Now, therefore, O G–d of Israel, let the promise that You made to Your servant my father David be fulfilled. But will G–d really dwell on earth? Even the heavens to their uttermost reaches cannot contain You, how much less this House that I have built!" At this point David's prayer in Psalms 132…
Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Terumah, Torah Ohr 6
David's Dream, Solomon's Temple
JEWISH THOUGHT
David felt a profound sense of guilt for living in a permanent home while the Ark of God resided in a temporary tent. This narrative explores King David's desire to build a permanent and aesthetically fitting home for the Ark, a task ultimately fulfilled by his son Solomon.
Consumed with guilt that he lived in a home while God “lived” in a tent, David wanted to build the Ark a permanent home where the beauty of its contents would be matched by its aesthetic covering, not by flimsy cloth walls. When the Mikdash was finally completed by David’s son Solomon, the new king offered his benediction by exploring the contradictory notion of place in the constellation of holiness:
In the Narrow Places; Daily Inspiration for the Three Weeks, Introduction; When Memory Speaks 74
Bringing Up the Ark
TANAKH
The communal and celebratory aspect of bringing up the Ark of the Covenant highlights the collective participation of all Israel in this joyous event. The first book of Chronicles describes the grand procession and musical celebration as the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem.
All Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD with shouts and with blasts of the horn, with trumpets and cymbals, playing on harps and lyres.
I Chronicles 15:28
A Celebration of Renewal
LITURGY
The musical and celebratory aspects of this event symbolize renewal and purification. Psalm 30, traditionally recited during this celebration, is included in the Yom Kippur morning prayers to align with the themes of atonement and spiritual renewal.
a song for the inauguration of the Temple,
Machzor Yom Kippur Ashkenaz Linear, The Morning Prayers, Mizmor Shir 3
Prayer for the Restoration of the Temple, Hamburg (Germany), c. 1750. Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman, The Jewish Museum, New York.
Prayer for the Restoration of the Temple, Hamburg (Germany), c. 1750. Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman, The Jewish Museum, New York.

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