King Shlomo inaugurated the First Temple on the festival of Sukkot. It appears that the timing of the event was not coincidental, but rather the result of Shlomo’s intentional planning. Why?

We find a few possible inspiring factors from the rest of Tanakh, such as that of Hakhel, the Clouds of Glory, and the inauguration of the Mishkan (around the time of Pesach).  We then discuss the inauguration of the Second and future Temples.

It appears that Shlomo arranged that the Temple inauguration would coincide with the festival of Sukkot in order to emphasize the Temple’s role in bringing the entire world to belief in God via Am Yisrael. 

6 pages
Courtesy of the Virtual Beit Midrash, Yeshivat Har Etzion