Commentaire sur Rois 1 5:33

Fat. Fattened in the stall.

Pastured. [I.e.,] on the grass.

And fattened fowl. Among our Rabbis there are those who say [it refers to] roosters which were fattened.¹See Maseches Bava Metzia 86b.

Forty thousand stables of horses. In Divrei Hayomim it states, “four thousand [stables of horses].”²II Divrei Hayomim 9:25. Our Rabbis explained there were forty thousand stables and in each there were four thousand partitions, or there were four thousand stables and in each there were forty thousand partitions.³See Maseches Sanhedrin 21b.

They omitted nothing. Even [fruits and vegetables] of the summer season, in the winter season.

And the barley and the straw. Were provided by these officers in the place where the king would be.

Than the wisdom of all the Eastern people. What was the wisdom of the children of the East? They were learned in the field of astronomy, etc. as it is [stated] in the Pesikta of Parah Adumah, and this entire chapter is expounded there according to its plain meaning.

He was wiser than any man. [To be understood] according to its plain meaning.⁴Alternatively, “he gained wisdom from every man,” as the Mishmah in Avos 4:1 states, “Who is wise? He who learns from every man.”

Eison the Ezrachite and Heimon, Chalkol and Darda. They were brothers, the sons of Zerach son of Yehudah, as it is stated, “And the children of Zerach were Zimri and Eison [and Heimon and Chalkol and Dora]”⁵I Divrei Hayomim 2:6. (who were Leviyim who played musical instruments).

The sons of Mochol. They knew how to compose psalms which are recited with the accompaniment of dance and song; the Leviyim recited on their platform psalms which were composed in the book of Tehillim, [e.g.,] “An instruction of Eison the Ezrachi,”⁶Tehillim 89:1. [and,] “An instruction to Heimon the Ezrachi.”⁷Ibid. 88:1. The Midrash Aggadah in the Pesikta [expounds]: “Than all men,” refers to Adam; “Eison Ha’ezrachi,” refers to Avrohom; “Heimon,” refers to Moshe; “Chalkol,” refers to Yoseif; “Darda,” refers to the generation of the wilderness; “Mochol,” who were forgiven for the act of the golden calf.

Three thousand parables. Three parabolical studies [=אלפים]. It is written three times, “the proverbs of Shlomo,” in the book of Mishlei.

And his songs numbered [one thousand and] five. The above three, and Shir Hashirim and Koheles.

One thousand. Each on its own is worthy of studying [=ואלף]. The Midrash Aggadah [states that Shlomo’s wisdom] enabled him to say three thousand allegories for each verse, and for each of the allegories [he was able to say] one thousand and five reasons.⁸See Maseches Eruvin 21b.

He spoke of trees. Which medical remedy is derived from each [tree], and that a particular tree is best suited for that type of building or to be planted in a particular field. And similarly regarding to animals, what is its cure and the vital elements needed for its development and its food. The Midrash Aggadah [expounds]: Why did God see [fit] that a leper becomes ritually clean with the tallest of the tall [trees]⁹I.e., cedar tree. and the lowest of the low [trees]?¹⁰I.e., hyssop tree. “And of the animals and the fowl,” why did God see fit that this one¹¹Fowl. should become permissible through Shechitah, by severing one organ,¹²The trachea or the esophagus. and this one,¹³E.g., cattle, etc. by [severing] both [organs],¹⁴The trachea and the esophagus. and fish and grasshoppers without anything [i.e., slaughtering].

Was unable to build a house, etc. He was not permitted because of the state of war and the Torah states, “And He will give you rest from all your enemies all around,”¹⁵Devarim 12:10. and afterwards, “It will be that the place, etc.¹⁶Ibid. v. 11. Will you seek His Presence, etc.”¹⁷Ibid. v. 5.

As the Tzedonim. They¹⁸Tzidon and Tzur. were neighboring with the forest on one side, and under the kingdom of Chirom.

I will make them into rafts. They are referred to as רפסודות in Divrei Hayomim.¹⁹II Divrei Hayomim 2:15. And in German, flots, and in O.F., res. They would tie logs together and float them on the water, and sail them [in the same manner] as ships are sailed.

To the designation that you designated to me. That you will notify me to bring them there.

We will detach them there. As their binding is untied and they are brought unto dry land each log individually, is called ניפוץ. (Any whole object when it is taken apart, is called ניפוץ.) Depced, in O.F.

Food for his household. אלפים is an expression of food [מאכל].

Crushed oil. Pure oil, because the olives were not ground in a mill but were crushed with a mortar, and this does not stir up as much dregs as ground [olives].

The tax consisted of. Which amounted to the wages of thirty thousand men.

In shifts. As he concludes and says, “they will be a month in Levanon.” When the ten thousand men were in Levanon in Tishrei and the twenty thousand men were at home in Mar Cheshvan, the second ten thousand would alternate and go out to Levanon and these would return to their home[s]. And in Kislev the third ten thousand would go out to Levanon, and these [second ones] would return to their home[s]. And in Teiveis the first ones go out and return to Levanon, and thus they would continue the cycle, which resulted that each ten thousand among them spent one month in Levanon and two months at home.

In charge of the tax. To collect it.

Seventy thousand men who carried loads. To bring the stones from the mountain to the city, and there were [an additional] eighty thousand who quarried them from the mountain, totaling one hundred fifty thousand [workers]. And they were all proselytes who were drawn, [i.e.,] they converted because of Shlomo’s greatness and his hospitality. And it is likewise written in Divrei Hayomim, “And Shlomo counted all the proselytes and they were found a hundred and fifty thousand. And he made seventy thousand, etc.”²⁰II Divrei Hayomim 2:17.

Chief officers. The oppressors and overseers over those who did the work.

Three thousand three hundred [officers]. And in II Divrei Hayomim it says, “[three thousand] and six hundred.”²¹Ibid. It is my opinion that three thousand three hundred men were in charge of one hundred fifty thousand, so that each one was in charge of slightly over forty-five, and the three hundred that were added in Divrei Hayomim were in charge of all of them, so that each was in charge of a little more than five hundred. And you should know that there are two additional passages regarding this matter, that contradict each other. For [further on] in this book it states, “These were the supervising officers that oversaw the work for Shlomo, [there were] five hundred and fifty [of them],”²²I Melochim 9:23. and in Divrei Hayomim it says, “two hundred and fifty.”²³II Divrei Hayomim 8:10. These are four verses contradicting each other. But we may explain that those that are in the latter verses²⁴I Melochim 9:23 and II Divrei Hayomim 8:10. are referring to those who were in charge of all of them. And Shlomo had employed these proselytes to be bearers of burdens to hew stones in the mountain. He had the remaining workers for the store cities who were native born [Jews], because these passages are stated there.²⁵In II Divrei Hayomim the passages discuss the store cities. However, in the book of Melochim he counted the proselyte officers in two separate totals. [First was the total of] the officers who were in charge of forty-five men each, separately, and he combined²⁶In I Melochim 9:23. the three hundred superior officers with the two hundred and fifty men who were in charge of the builders of the store cities and total together five hundred and fifty officers. And in II Divrei Hayomim he counted all the proselyte officers separately, the more important together with the less important, three thousand six hundred [men], all were proselytes. And the officers [in charge of the workers] in the store cities who totaled two hundred and fifty Jews, he counted separately.

Who controlled the people that did the work. The taskmasters over the people who did the work.

And they brought. From the mountains; an expression of uprooting.

Heavy stones. Heavy.

Hewn stone. Carved and chiseled. And if you ask, it has already been stated, “Neither hammer nor axe [nor any iron tool] was heard in the Beis Hamikdosh, during its construction.”²⁷Below 6:7. The explanation is, that no iron was heard in the Beis [Hamikdosh], while it was being built, but they would chisel on the outside, and bring in and build [it] inside. Thus is this expounded in the Maseches Sotah.²⁸See 48b.

[And they] carved. In the mountains.

And the Givlim. A nation whose name was Geval, and they were skilled in chiseling stones and in building,²⁹Geval comes from the word גבול [=boundary]. The Givlim knew how to mark the boundaries of the stone before they cut it, and were thus able to cut stone to exact dimensions. as it is stated in reference to Tzur, “The elders of Geval and its wise men, were within you, caulkers of your cracks.”³⁰Yechezkeil 27:9.

And they prepared. An expression of designating.³¹The stones and wood to their exact position.