Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Commentary for I Samuel 21:7

וַיִּתֶּן־ל֥וֹ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן קֹ֑דֶשׁ כִּי֩ לֹא־הָ֨יָה שָׁ֜ם לֶ֗חֶם כִּֽי־אִם־לֶ֤חֶם הַפָּנִים֙ הַמּֽוּסָרִים֙ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לָשׂוּם֙ לֶ֣חֶם חֹ֔ם בְּי֖וֹם הִלָּקְחֽוֹ׃

So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.—

Rashi on I Samuel

In order to put hot bread. Other warm bread on the day this was removed. Our Rabbis said, that it was warm on the day it was taken, i.e., it was as warm on the day it was removed as it was on the day it was arranged.7See Maseches Menachos 96a and Chagigah 26b which describes the miracle of the showbread; it retained its warmth and freshness after lying on the table more than a week. The preservation of warmth and freshness symbolized that ה׳ preserves the strength of the Bnei Yisroel and never allows it to fully dissipate.
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