Shlomo's Prayer

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  1. The Dedication of the Mikdash

    Rabbi Alex Israel

    The Dedication of the Mikdash, the dedication of the Mishkan and Matan Torah at Sinai, the three foundational national events of collective revelation are linked together. This chapter raise several issues rearding the Mikdash:

    • The Mikdash as a place of prayer and a  conduit for all prayer, from near or far 
    • Is the Mikdash a place for God or a place for man?
    • The place of the non-Jew in the Mikdash

    The dedication concludes with God's promise that his sanctity dwelling in the Mikdash is conditional on keeping the Mitzvot. 

  2. Yehoshafat, King of Yehuda

    Rabbi Alex Israel

    The brief description of Yehoshafat in Kings I indicates  that his perios was one of enormous prosperity and extensive political hegemony over the region. In Divrei Hayamim, his reign is described in luxurious detail, spanning four extensive chapters. Yehoshafat is determined to actively pursue national unity with the Northern kingdom and the House of Ahav despite prophetic criticism. The results of this questionable policy included one failed military campaign and a broken fleet of ships. Yehoshafat began his monarchy with a passion for spreading Torah, and later , upon receiving the criticism of the prophet he decides to rehabilitate the legal system.

    As a king, Yehoshafat is superior even to Shlomo in his positive and responsive interactions with the prophet and in the fact that, despite his association with Ahav, he is insusceptible to idolatry.  In the landscape of Sefer Melakhim, Yehoshafat stands as one of the greatest and most impressive kings of Yehuda.

  3. Nusach Ha-mikra – Accuracy of the Biblical Text

    Part 7 - Textual Amendments

    Rabbi Amnon Bazak

    An examination of several proposals to amend the biblical text shows that while the amendment might make sense on a superficial level, they miss various literary messages in the text. Therefore, the greatest degree of caution must be exercised in this area.

  4. Introduction to Nehemya

    Rabbi Tzvi Sinensky

    A cursory glance at the book of Nehemya makes it clear that many of the concerns encountered in Ezra remain relevant in Nehemya: the arrival of a new leader on the scene; opposition from the indigenous population; the importance and challenges of construction; censuses of the olim; and mass ignorance and repentance.

    While both Ezra and Nehemya arrive under grave circumstances – each travels to Jerusalem at great personal sacrifice to guide a struggling community – there are a number of obvious differences between the two.

    Upon hearing the news of the state of Jerusalem Nehemya launches into prayer. Nehemya, much more so than Ezra, laces his tefilla with rich allusions to prior Torah texts and personalities. The Jewish community was rudderless, lacking in leadership and direction, and unable to provide basic security for its residents. The only way he would feel secure in making his request from the king was by first invoking some of his outstanding predecessors throughout Jewish history: Moshe, Aaron, David, and Shlomo. 

  5. The David and Batsheva Episode

    Rabbi David Fohrman

    תאריך פרסום: 5777 | | 58 minutes

    We will examine the David and Batsheva episode - a very difficult episode in Tanakh, and our focus will be its aftermath. The child that is conceived dies – David prays for him to survive, but the child dies. Why, though, does Shlomo live? He, too, is born in the immediate aftermath. Not only does Shlomo live, but Gid seems ecstatic about his birth.  Is there another dimension to the Tanakh's emphasis on the urgency with which David prays for the first child to survive? To find answers, we look for clues through a close reading of related Tanakh texts.

     In the prophet Natan's  analogy of the "poor man's lamb," who is the lamb in the story, and does it hint at Uriah's childlessness? We compare the story of Yitzhak's birth to that of Shlomo. Both  are "miracle children" who survive after seemingly-impossible situations whose destiny is to carry on a dynasty of sorts. Finally, we look at Shlomo's dream and the story of the two women in the court case that Shlomo solves. The court case with the two women may be the final key to explaining why Shlomo ultimately survived, if we look at it as yet another parable.  Shlomo asks for wisdom, and God grants him wisdom - but perhaps not in the way Shlomo expects.