Melachim I 7:40-50
The Haftarah describes the utensils that were made for the House of Hashem (the Temple), built by King Shlomo. The chief craftsman of the project was Hiram of Tzor, introduced earlier in the chapter as being the son of a widow from Naftali and a father from Tzor. Tzor (Tyre) was a city-state in the south of Lebanon, which was renowned for its craftsmanship as well as natural resources. The king of Tzor, also named Hiram, was a close ally of King David and of King Shlomo and supplied the cedar wood used to build the Temple.
The Haftarah first lists all the objects that Hiram crafted out of bronze. It describes how they were made off-site in the Jordan valley. The quantity of bronze used in production was so great that Shlomo did not bother to track it.
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40) Hiram made the pots, the shovels and the basin. Hiram completed all the work that he did for King Shlomo for the House of Hashem. |
(מ) וַיַּעַשׂ חִירוֹם אֶת הַכִּיֹּרוֹת וְאֶת הַיָּעִים וְאֶת הַמִּזְרָקוֹת וַיְכַל חִירָם לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת כָּל הַמְּלָאכָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה בֵּית ה’: |
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41) The two pillars, the two crowning bowls that were over the two pillars, the two nets to cover the two crowning bowls that were over the two pillars. |
(מא) עַמֻּדִים שְׁנַיִם וְגֻלֹּת הַכֹּתָרֹת אֲשֶׁר עַל רֹאשׁ הָעַמֻּדִים שְׁתָּיִם וְהַשְּׂבָכוֹת שְׁתַּיִם לְכַסּוֹת אֶת שְׁתֵּי גֻּלֹּת הַכֹּתָרֹת אֲשֶׁר עַל רֹאשׁ הָעַמּוּדִים: |
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42) The four hundred pomegranates for the two nets, two rows of pomegranates for each net, to cover the two crowning bowls that were above the two pillars. |
(מב) וְאֶת הָרִמֹּנִים אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת לִשְׁתֵּי הַשְּׂבָכוֹת שְׁנֵי טוּרִים רִמֹּנִים לַשְּׂבָכָה הָאֶחָת לְכַסּוֹת אֶת שְׁתֵּי גֻּלֹּת הַכֹּתָרֹת אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי הָעַמּוּדִים: |
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43) The ten bases, and the ten sinks on the bases. |
(מג) וְאֶת הַמְּכֹנוֹת עָשֶׂר וְאֶת הַכִּיֹּרֹת עֲשָׂרָה עַל הַמְּכֹנוֹת: |
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44) The one pool, and the twelve oxen under the pool. |
(מד) וְאֶת הַיָּם הָאֶחָד וְאֶת הַבָּקָר שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר תַּחַת הַיָּם: |
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45) The pots, the shovels, and the basins, and all these vessels that Hiram made for King Shlomo for the House of Hashem were of burnished bronze. |
(מה) וְאֶת הַסִּירוֹת וְאֶת הַיָּעִים וְאֶת הַמִּזְרָקוֹת וְאֵת כָּל הַכֵּלִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה חִירָם לַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה בֵּית ה’ נְחֹשֶׁת מְמֹרָט: |
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46) In the Jordan valley the king cast them, in the clay ground between Sukkot and Tzartan. |
(מו) בְּכִכַּר הַיַּרְדֵּן יְצָקָם הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּמַעֲבֵה הָאֲדָמָה בֵּין סֻכּוֹת וּבֵין צָרְתָן: |
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47) Shlomo left all the vessels un-weighed, for there were tremendous quantities; the weight of the bronze was not audited. |
(מז) וַיַּנַּח שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת כָּל הַכֵּלִים מֵרֹב מְאֹד מְאֹד לֹא נֶחְקַר מִשְׁקַל הַנְּחֹשֶׁת: |
Next there is a list of the objects made of gold. Even though it says that Shlomo made them, the implication is not that he was the actual goldsmith, but rather that he commissioned them to be made. (Note the repetition of the word "gold".)
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48) Shlomo made all the vessels for the House of Hashem: the altar of gold, the table upon which was the show bread, of gold. |
(מח) וַיַּעַשׂ שְׁלֹמֹה אֵת כָּל הַכֵּלִים אֲשֶׁר בֵּית ה’ אֵת מִזְבַּח הַזָּהָב וְאֶת הַשֻּׁלְחָן אֲשֶׁר עָלָיו לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים זָהָב: |
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49) The candelabras, five on the right, and five on the left, before the Sanctuary, of pure gold, the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold. |
(מט) וְאֶת הַמְּנֹרוֹת חָמֵשׁ מִיָּמִין וְחָמֵשׁ מִשְּׂמֹאול לִפְנֵי הַדְּבִיר זָהָב סָגוּר וְהַפֶּרַח וְהַנֵּרֹת וְהַמֶּלְקַחַיִם זָהָב: |
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50) The cups, snuffers, basins, spoons, fire-pans - of pure gold. The hinges for the inner house for the Holy of Holies, and for the doors of the Hall – of gold. |
(נ) וְהַסִּפּוֹת וְהַמְזַמְּרוֹת וְהַמִּזְרָקוֹת וְהַכַּפּוֹת וְהַמַּחְתּוֹת זָהָב סָגוּר וְהַפֹּתוֹת לְדַלְתוֹת הַבַּיִת הַפְּנִימִי לְקֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים לְדַלְתֵי הַבַּיִת לַהֵיכָל זָהָב: פ |
Copyright © Kira Sirote
In memory of my father, Peter Rozenberg, z"l
לעילוי נשמת אבי מורי פנחס בן נתן נטע ז''ל