Commento su I Re 11:46

And [especially] the daughter of Pharaoh. She too was one of the foreign women, but because she was beloved by him more than all of them, she was counted separately.¹Alternatively, Pharaoh’s daughter is singled out because she was the cause for the beginning of Shlomo’s downfall.—Radak And similarly, “And there were missing of Dovid’s servants nineteen men and Asahel.”²II Shmuel 2:30.

Then Shlomo built a Bomoh [altar]. Our Rabbis said, that because he did not protest against his wives, it is called by his name.³Maseches Shabbos 56b. A Jew is responsible for the behavior of those subject to his influence. The Torah demands, “you shall reprove your fellow and do not bear a sin on his account” [Vayikra 19:17], implying that if you fail to reprove him, you will bear his sin.—Ralbag

On the mountain opposite Yerusholayim. The Mount of Olives.

This had been with you. [I.e.,] you knew that you were transgressing My commandments.

But I shall not tear the entire kingdom away – This will not be because David is your father, because this would only help Shlomo himself. Rather I will do this for the sake of ‘David My servant,’

because he was My servant and his throne was like the sun before me.

and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen. As it is written “…also their sons will sit on your throne forever. For the Lord has chosen Zion; He desired it for His habitation.” (Tehillim 132:12-13) Through the choosing of Zion it will be seen that David’s throne will remain there because he built Zion, as I explained in my commentary on Tehillim.

Dovid was in Edom. Then Hadad fled from Dovid and Yoav.⁴Below v. 17.

To bury the dead. For they buried the slain of Edom, this is what is stated in the Book of Shmuel, “And Dovid made [for himself] a name when he returned from slaying [those of] Edom,”⁵II Shmuel 8:13. Rashi apparently had a different version of the text than ours which reads, “...after returning from slaying [those of] Aram.” For clarification, see Tehillim 60:2. for all were praising him as a pious person for he buries his slain. And similarly it states concerning the wars of Gog and Magog, “And they will bury all the people of the land, and it will bring them fame.”⁶Yechezkeil 39:13. However, [Targum] Yonoson rendered לקבר את החללים, “to strip the slain,” [i.e.,] to remove their clothing.

And ordered that he be provided with food. He said to his servants, “So much and so much bread should you give him daily.”

The Queen. The queen.

That Dovid slept. For Dovid who died of natural causes, an expression of sleeping [שכיבה] is mentioned; but for Yoav who was killed, an expression of dying [מיתה] is mentioned.. Another explanation is that concerning Dovid who was survived by a meritorious son who took his place, [an expression of] sleeping is mentioned, but concerning Yoav who was not survived by a meritorious son who took his place, [an expression of] sleeping is not mentioned, rather, [an expression of] dying [is mentioned].⁷Maseches Bava Basra 116a.

And God raised up a rival against him [Shlomo]. Against Shlomo. And this is what Noson the prophet said to Dovid, “so that when he goes astray, I will chasten him with the rod of men.”⁸II Shmuel 7:14. God sent adversaries against Shlomo for the purpose of inducing him to repent.—Radak

In conjunction with the evil of Hadad. Together with the evil that was perpetrated by Hadad, was also this evil of Rezon.⁹For without Hadad, Rezon alone would be unable to antagonize Shlomo.—Metzudas Dovid

And he raised his hand against the king. He rebuked him in public.¹⁰He was correct in rebuking him about building up the Millo, but he was wrong for doing it in public. See Maseches Sanhedrin 101b and Rashi there.

It was about this matter. Concerning which he rebuked him.

Shlomo had built up the Millo. And with this building, he closed up the breach of the City of Dovid which was behind the Millo.¹¹See above 9:24. He said to him, “Your father made breaches in the wall for the festival pilgrims to enter, and you closed it up, to create a labor force for Pharaoh’s daughter, to station there her menservants and maidservants.”¹²Maseches Sanhedrin 101b and Rashi there.

and closed up – that is to say, from the beginning the wall of the city of David was breached in order that people could go in and out in order to bring their complaints to the king. And now see, Shlomo closed up the breach as if he has no concern for administering justice to the people.

And Shlomo had seen that this young man. Prior to this.

Did his work with diligence. Quick in his work and diligent.

Over all the [tax] burdens of the House of Yosef. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “over all the taxpayers of the House of Yosef,” [i.e.,] Menashe and Ephrayim, because he was from the tribe of Ephrayim.

A lamp. A kingdom. ניר is an expression of a yoke.¹³The king’s subjects must obey their king, just as the ox must obey the person controlling his yoke. Alternatively, ניר means “a candle [=נר],” just as a candle illuminates its surroundings, so does a king influence his subjects.—Metzudas Dovid

But not for all the days. For in the days of the Mashiach, the kingdom will be restored to him. In Seder Olam I found: “I shall afflict Dovid’s descendants because of this,” corresponding to the thirty-six years that Shlomo was married to Pharaoh’s daughter. For he married her during the fourth year of his reign, and corresponding to this, the decree was promulgated on the kingdom of the House of Dovid to be divided. The kingdom should have been restored, in Asa’s time, in the sixteenth year of his reign. However, he sinned by sending a bribe to the king of Aram, and did not depend on the Holy One Blessed Is He. This is [the meaning] of what is stated in Divrei Hayomim, “In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, etc., Baasha built the high place.”¹⁴II Divrei Hayomim 16:1. This is impossible, because Asa buried Baasha in the twenty-seventh year of his reign. Rather, the sixteenth year of his reign, Scripture calls “the thirty-sixth,” for they are the end of thirty-six years since the division of the kingdom, and Scripture tells us that in that year Asa sinned, “but not for all the days,” only for thirty-six years.