Haftarah of Pekudei

Melachim I 7:51 – 8:21

This Haftarah describes the completion and inauguration of the Beit HaMikdash, the first Temple, built by Shlomo HaMelech in Yerushalayim.

51) All the work was completed,

that Shlomo HaMelech had done for Beit-Hashem.

Shlomo brought the donations of his father, David,

the silver, the gold, and the vessels,

and placed them in the treasury of Beit-Hashem.

(נא) וַתִּשְׁלַם כָּל הַמְּלָאכָה

אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה בֵּית ה'

וַיָּבֵא שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת קָדְשֵׁי דָּוִד אָבִיו

אֶת הַכֶּסֶף וְאֶת הַזָּהָב וְאֶת הַכֵּלִים

נָתַן בְּאֹצְרוֹת בֵּית ה':

The first step in turning the building into a House of G-d was placing the Ark of the Covenant onto its designated location in the Kodesh HaKodashim, the Holy of Holies. As befitting this milestone in Jewish History, this was done with solemnity and celebration, during the holiday of Succot, which was a time of pilgrimage to Yerushalayim, to allow as many people as possible to participate.

8:1) Then Shlomo assembled the elders of Israel,

all the heads of the tribes and leaders of the families

of B'nei Yisrael,

around Shlomo HaMelech in Yerushalayim,

to bring up the Ark of Hashem's Covenant

from the City of David, which is Tzion.

(א) אָז יַקְהֵל שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

אֶת כָּל רָאשֵׁי הַמַּטּוֹת נְשִׂיאֵי הָאָבוֹת

לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה יְרוּשָׁלִָם

לְהַעֲלוֹת אֶת אֲרוֹן בְּרִית ה'

מֵעִיר דָּוִד הִיא צִיּוֹן:

2) All the men of Yisrael assembled around Shlomo HaMelech,

in the month of Eitanim, during the holiday of Succot,

which is in the seventh month.

(ב) וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה כָּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל

בְּיֶרַח הָאֵתָנִים בֶּחָג

הוּא הַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי:

3) All the elders of Israel came;

the Cohanim carried the Ark.

(ג) וַיָּבֹאוּ כֹּל זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

וַיִשְׂאוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים אֶת הָאָרוֹן:

4) They brought up the Ark of Hashem, and the Tent of Assembly

and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent;

the Cohanim and Levi'im brought them up.

(ד) וַיַּעֲלוּ אֶת אֲרוֹן ה' וְאֶת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד

וְאֶת כָּל כְּלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר בָּאֹהֶל

וַיַּעֲלוּ אֹתָם הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם:

5) And Shlomo HaMelech

and all the congregation of Yisrael that were gathered to him,

were with him before the Ark,

sacrificing sheep and cattle,

which were numerous beyond reckoning.

(ה) וְהַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה

וְכָל עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנּוֹעָדִים עָלָיו

אִתּוֹ לִפְנֵי הָאָרוֹן

מְזַבְּחִים צֹאן וּבָקָר

אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִסָּפְרוּ וְלֹא יִמָּנוּ מֵרֹב:

6) The Cohanim brought the Ark of Hashem's Covenant

to its place in the Sanctuary of the House, in the Holy of Holies,

under the wings of the Cherubim.

(ו) וַיָּבִאוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים אֶת אֲרוֹן בְּרִית ה'

אֶל מְקוֹמוֹ אֶל דְּבִיר הַבַּיִת אֶל קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים

אֶל תַּחַת כַּנְפֵי הַכְּרוּבִים:

7) For the Cherubim spread their wings

over the place of the Ark;

the Cherubim covered the Ark and its poles from above.

(ז) כִּי הַכְּרוּבִים פֹּרְשִׂים כְּנָפַיִם

אֶל מְקוֹם הָאָרוֹן

וַיָּסֹכּוּ הַכְּרֻבִים עַל הָאָרוֹן וְעַל בַּדָּיו מִלְמָעְלָה:

8) The poles were long;

the ends of the poles could be seen from beyond the Sanctuary

but could not be seen outside.

They stayed there,

until this day.

(ח) וַיַּאֲרִכוּ הַבַּדִּים

וַיֵּרָאוּ רָאשֵׁי הַבַּדִּים מִן הַקֹּדֶשׁ עַל פְּנֵי הַדְּבִיר

וְלֹא יֵרָאוּ הַחוּצָה

וַיִּהְיוּ שָׁם

עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה:

9) There was nothing in the Ark,

except the two stone tablets,

which Moshe had placed there at Chorev,

which Hashem made as a covenant with B'nei Yisrael

when they came out of the Land of Egypt.

(ט) אֵין בָּאָרוֹן

רַק שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת הָאֲבָנִים

אֲשֶׁר הִנִּחַ שָׁם מֹשֶׁה בְּחֹרֵב

אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת ה' עִם בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

בְּצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:

Once the Ark is in place, G-d's Presence, in the form of a "cloud", fills the Beit HaMikdash.

10) As the Cohanim left the place of Holiness,

the Cloud filled Beit-Hashem.

(י) וַיְהִי בְּצֵאת הַכֹּהֲנִים מִן הַקֹּדֶשׁ

וְהֶעָנָן מָלֵא אֶת בֵּית ה':

11) And the Cohanim were unable

to stand and serve because of the Cloud;

for the Glory of Hashem filled Beit-Hashem.

(יא) וְלֹא יָכְלוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים

לַעֲמֹד לְשָׁרֵת מִפְּנֵי הֶעָנָן

כִּי מָלֵא כְבוֹד ה' אֶת בֵּית ה':

Shlomo explains that this is what he had hoped for in building Beit HaMikdash, that it would be a place where G-d's Presence would be felt.

12) Then Shlomo said,

"Hashem said,

that He would dwell in the mist.

(יב) אָז אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה

ה' אָמַר

לִשְׁכֹּן בָּעֲרָפֶל:

13) I have built You a palace,

a foundation for Your dwelling forever."

(יג) בָּנֹה בָנִיתִי בֵּית זְבֻל לָךְ

מָכוֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ עוֹלָמִים:

Shlomo HaMelech blesses all who are gathered there, and also blesses G-d for giving him the opportunity to fulfil the dream of his father, David HaMelech, to build this House.

14) The king turned his face,

and blessed all the assembly of Israel,

and the entire assembly was standing.

(יד) וַיַּסֵּב הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת פָּנָיו

וַיְבָרֶךְ אֵת כָּל קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵל

וְכָל קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵל עֹמֵד:

15) He said, "Blessed is Hashem, the G-d of Israel,

who spoke with His mouth,

to my father, David,

and appointed him, saying:

(טו) וַיֹּאמֶר בָּרוּךְ ה' אֱ-לֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּפִיו

אֵת דָּוִד אָבִי

וּבְיָדוֹ מִלֵּא לֵאמֹר:

16) "From the day that I have taken out

My people, Yisrael, from Egypt,

I have not chosen a city from among the tribes of Yisrael,

in which to build a House

that My Name would be there;

but I have chosen David

to be over My people, Yisrael."

(טז) מִן הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי

אֶת עַמִּי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם

לֹא בָחַרְתִּי בְעִיר מִכֹּל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

לִבְנוֹת בַּיִת

לִהְיוֹת שְׁמִי שָׁם

וָאֶבְחַר בְּדָוִד

לִהְיוֹת עַל עַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל:

17) It was in the heart of my father, David,

to build a House to the name of Hashem, the G-d of Yisrael.

(יז) וַיְהִי עִם לְבַב דָּוִד אָבִי

לִבְנוֹת בַּיִת לְשֵׁם ה' אֱ-לֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:

18) Hashem said to my father, David:

"Because it was in your heart

to build a House to My Name,

you did well that this was in your heart.

(יח) וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל דָּוִד אָבִי

יַעַן אֲשֶׁר הָיָה עִם לְבָבְךָ

לִבְנוֹת בַּיִת לִשְׁמִי

הֱטִיבֹתָ כִּי הָיָה עִם לְבָבֶךָ:

19) However, you

will not build the House,

but rather your son who comes from you,

he will build the House to My Name."

(יט) רַק אַתָּה

לֹא תִבְנֶה הַבָּיִת

כִּי אִם בִּנְךָ הַיֹּצֵא מֵחֲלָצֶיךָ

הוּא יִבְנֶה הַבַּיִת לִשְׁמִי:

20) Hashem fulfilled

the statement that He had spoken;

I have arisen in place of my father, David,

and I sat on the throne of Israel,

as Hashem had spoken,

and I have built the House,

to the Name of Hashem, the G-d of Yisrael.

(כ) וַיָּקֶם ה'

אֶת דְּבָרוֹ אֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר

וָאָקֻם תַּחַת דָּוִד אָבִי

וָאֵשֵׁב עַל כִּסֵּא יִשְׂרָאֵל

כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה'

וָאֶבְנֶה הַבַּיִת

לְשֵׁם ה' אֱ-לֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:

21) And I made there a place for the Ark,

in which lies the Covenant of Hashem

that He had made with our fathers,

when He took them out of Egypt.

(כא) וָאָשִׂם שָׁם מָקוֹם לָאָרוֹן

אֲשֶׁר שָׁם בְּרִית ה'

אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת עִם אֲבֹתֵינוּ

בְּהוֹצִיאוֹ אֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:

In memory of my father, Peter Rozenberg, z"l

לעילוי נשמת אבי מורי פנחס בן נתן נטע ז''ל