ציטירנדיקער פּירוש אויף מלכים א 8:57

אני הנה בריתי אתך, “As for Me, this is My covenant with you.” Nachmanides writes that the mystical meaning of these words is the same as Kings I 5,58 יהי ה' אלוקינו עמנו, “may the Lord our G’d be with us;” or, it is similar to Genesis 28,15 והנה אנכי עמך “and here I am with you.” We also find a similar expression in Exodus 3, 12 where G’d assures Moses כי אהיה עמך, ”for I am going to be with you.” What G’d meant by His words was that this very covenant would be with Avraham and would enable him to become fruitful and to multiply. Subsequently G’d commanded Avraham to observe this covenant by performing the visible sign of it, the rite of circumcision. The constantly recurring sign of the circumcision is the Sabbath. There the Torah (Exodus 31,13) also writes that the Israelites would observe the Sabbath as a sign of the eternal covenant between G’d and the children of Israel. The similarity of the language of the Torah in both instances makes it clear that both ”signs” (the circumcision and Sabbath observance) refer to the same covenant although the Torah delayed mentioning this until Exodus 31,13.

An homiletical approach views these words as a reference to the ענני הכבוד, “the clouds of G-d’s glory” which were gathering strength and rising. According to the Midrash, the words מן הארץ which are mentioned in our verse first and the strengthening of the clouds of glory are an allusion to the great honour these clouds receive from G-d Himself. This is what our sages in Chulin 60 referred to when they said concerning the herbs, that at that time the angel in charge of the world opened his praise of the Lord with the words: יהי כבוד ה' לעולם ישמח ה' במעשיו “May the glory of G-d last forever and may He derive joy from His works” (Psalms 104,31). The angel said these words as a form of prayer, just as a similar expression in Kings I 8,57 when Solomon said יהי ה' אלוקינו עמנו, “let the Lord our G-d be with us.” The meaning of the words ישמח ה' is “so that He will have reason to rejoice.”

And I will dwell in their midst (literally “in them”). In other words, the Shechinah was not to settle upon the inanimate materials of the Tabernacle but upon the B’nai Yisrael themselves, provided that they conducted themselves appropriately. This is reflected in the blessing Moshe gave them when the work of the Tabernacle was completed, “May the pleasantness of our Hashem be upon us” (Tehillim 90:17; see Rashi on 39:43).

And to Solomon, my son, give a perfect heart to prepare his heart to be perfect with his God, to keep His commandments, etc., and so did Solomon request (I Kings 8:57-61): “May the Lord our God be with us... Let your heart, [therefore] be perfect.”

And to Solomon, my son, give a perfect heart to prepare his heart to be perfect with his God, to keep His commandments, etc., and so did Solomon request (I Kings 8:57-61): “May the Lord our God be with us... Let your heart, [therefore] be perfect.”