Solomon Swift in His Work and the Stones That Built Themselves

Pesikta Rabbati 6:1

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD" (1 Kings 7:51). Let our master teach us: the Chanukah lamp from which oil was left over, what must one do with it? Our masters taught us the same as above, until: it is forbidden to make use of it. You find that this Chanukah we observe is a remembrance of the dedication of the Hasmonean house, for they made war and defeated the Greeks, and so now we kindle. Likewise, when the work of the Tabernacle was completed they made a dedication, as it is written, "this was the dedication of the altar" (Numbers 7:84); and when the Temple was built they made a dedication, "and they dedicated the house" (1 Kings 8:63). When did they dedicate it? When all its work was finished. From where? From what they read in the prophet: "So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD." "So was ended all the work" — thus Rabbi Tanchuma opened: this is what the holy spirit said through Solomon, "Do you see a man diligent in his work? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men" (Proverbs 22:29). "A man diligent in his work" — this is Joseph: "and it came to pass about this time, that he went into the house to do his work" (Genesis 39:11). Rabbi Yehuda says it was the day of the flooding of the Nile, and all went out to the flooding while he went in to do his work. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: you were diligent in your work; by your life, "he shall stand before kings" — "Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt" (Genesis 41:46). Another: "a man diligent in his work" — this is Moses, who shepherded the flock and was diligent; and Daniel, "I rose up, and did the king's business" (Daniel 8:27). Another: "a man diligent in his work" — this is Solomon. In what work? In the work of the Temple. You find that when he built his own house he built it over thirteen years, but when he built the Temple he built it in seven years. Whoever hears that he built his own house in thirteen years and the house of the Holy One, blessed be He, in seven might think his own house was larger than God's. Not so; rather, he was lax in his own house and not lax in the house of the Holy One, blessed be He, and moreover he put God's honor before his own. Another interpretation: "So was ended all the work" — this is what Scripture says, "How great are Your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep" (Psalms 92:6). Come and see the wonders of the Holy One, blessed be He: He creates worlds within worlds. He created the demons, who see human beings but human beings do not see them; He created the ministering angels, who see the demons but the demons do not see the angels; and He sees all, but no creature sees Him. Another interpretation: "So was ended all the work" — it does not say "the work" but "all the work," the work of the six days of creation. As it is written, "which God created to make" (Genesis 2:3) — it does not say "made" but "to make," there is still other work. When Solomon came and built the Temple, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: now the work of heaven and earth is completed. Therefore he was called Solomon, because the Holy One, blessed be He, completed (hishlim) the work of the six days of creation into the work of his hands. Another interpretation: "So was ended" (vatishlam) — it became peace (shalom). All the craftsmen who built it — not one of them died, not one fell ill, no axe broke, no eye ached, no tool wore out or snapped. Therefore "and all the work was peace." Another interpretation: "How great are Your works" — of itself the house was being built and rising. When it was built it does not say "and the house, when it was being built," but "and the house, in its being built" (1 Kings 6:7), "of whole stone made ready it was built," the stone moving itself, rising and building itself. This is what Solomon said in his song, "I have surely built You a house to dwell in" (1 Kings 8:13) — he meant: I was building, and the stones flew up and rose of themselves. And if you wonder — for a single righteous man, Daniel, the Holy One, blessed be He, did this: "a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den" (Daniel 6:18), and from where did they have a stone in Babylon? Our masters said it rolled and came from the Land of Israel in a single moment.

Themes

TempleCreationProvidence

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