Chapter 6 of Divrei HaYamim II opens with King Solomon's great prayer at the dedication of the Temple. In truth, the prayer is almost an exact duplicate of what we have already learned in the Book of Melachim (Kings); therefore, the Malbim comments very sparingly here, as his consistent approach is never to repeat himself where the text repeats itself. The Malbim himself writes: All of this chapter was copied from Melachim, and there I explained everything at length and there is no need to repeat the words; only on verse 5 did he add an explanation to what he had abridged there, regarding "I chose no city" and "and I chose David." Therefore, throughout this chapter - forty-two verses - we will proceed with the other commentators, while highlighting the specific points that the Malbim does address.
אָז אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה: יְהֹוָה אָמַר לִשְׁכּוֹן בָּעֲרָפֶל׃ - Then Shlomo said: "Hashem said that He would dwell in the thick cloud."
The commentary attributed to Rashi explains: since the House was filled with smoke at the time of the dedication, as we saw in the previous chapter, Shlomo said, "Now I know that the Shechinah rests within it." For it is the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, to cause His Shechinah to dwell from within a thick cloud, as it is stated, "And Moshe approached the thick cloud where God was," and as it is stated, "For in the cloud I appear upon the Kaporet." If I see a cloud and thick darkness here, it is a sign that the Shechinah rests in the House I have built for His Name.
From this we previously learned a wonderful moral insight in the name of the Baal HaTanya. When the nation saw the thick cloud, it is said: "And the people saw, and they trembled and stood from afar," and the only one who approached the thick cloud was Moshe. When a person sees darkness and retreats, standing from afar, let him know that a great opportunity to attain spiritual heights was present and he missed it. Moshe was willing to approach specifically into the thick cloud, and therefore he attained what he attained.
This serves as a metaphor for our own reality. When difficulties and trials arise, there are always those who retreat - it is hard for someone, so he takes a step back. But there are those who say: precisely because it is difficult, this is a sign that Hashem's will is here; it is a sign that this is where one must exert more effort and invest more. "Where God was" - where is the Holy One, blessed be He, to be found? Precisely in the place that is difficult, precisely where visibility is obscured. When everything is wonderful and open kindness is visible, it takes no wisdom to be a believer; true wisdom is to believe when you see a thick cloud. This is also hinted at here: "Hashem said He would dwell in the thick cloud" - the realms in which Godliness is truly attained are those where a person knows there is darkness and obscurity, yet enters nonetheless.
וַאֲנִי בָּנִיתִי בֵית־זְבֻל לָךְ וּמָכוֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ עוֹלָמִים׃ - And I have built a house of habitation for You, and a settled place for Your dwelling forever.
"A house of habitation [beit zevul]" - a dwelling place for You, Master of the Universe. "And a settled place for Your dwelling forever" - Shiloh, Nov, and Giv'on were not "forever," because they were not the chosen place, in the language of Scripture, "to the place that Hashem shall choose." Only this place is the chosen place. Here Avraham Avinu bound Yitzchak, and here he called the place "Hashem Yireh" - that on this mountain Hashem will be seen for all generations. And when David saw the angel above this place and fire descended from heaven, he knew that this was the place designated for the House of Hashem, and said: This is the House of Hashem God, and this is the altar of burnt-offering for Israel. This is "a settled place for Your dwelling forever."
וַיַּסֵּב הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־פָּנָיו וַיְבָרֶךְ אֵת כׇּל־קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכׇל־קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹמֵד׃ - And the king turned his face and blessed the entire congregation of Israel, and the entire congregation of Israel was standing.
He blesses the entire congregation of Israel, and the blessing will be detailed further on. "And the entire congregation of Israel was standing" - for sitting is not permitted in the Temple Courtyard (Azarah) except for kings of the Davidic dynasty alone, and therefore everyone remained standing.
וַיֹּאמֶר: בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּפִיו אֵת דָּוִיד אָבִי וּבְיָדָיו מִלֵּא לֵאמֹר׃ - And he said: "Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, Who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and has fulfilled it with His hands, saying:
"Who spoke with His mouth" - that He promised him that He would grant him a son who would build Him a House. "And has fulfilled it with His hands" - and behold, we now see that He has fulfilled His good word, and through His power accomplished what He had spoken.
מִן־הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֶת־עַמִּי מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֹא־בָחַרְתִּי בְעִיר מִכֹּל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִבְנוֹת בַּיִת לִהְיוֹת שְׁמִי שָׁם, וְלֹא־בָחַרְתִּי בְאִישׁ לִהְיוֹת נָגִיד עַל־עַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - 'Since the day I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I did not choose a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a House for My Name to be there, nor did I choose a man to be a ruler over My people Israel.
The Holy One, blessed be He, also said these words to David: From the day I brought Israel out of Egypt, a permanent location was not chosen for the Temple. The Mishkan wandered - Shiloh, Nov, Givon - but a permanent place was not chosen. And now, only now, has the Holy One, blessed be He, chosen this place in Jerusalem.
וָאֶבְחַר בִּירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם לִהְיוֹת שְׁמִי שָׁם, וָאֶבְחַר בְּדָוִיד לִהְיוֹת עַל־עַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - And I chose Jerusalem for My Name to be there, and I chose David to be over My people Israel.'
After having not chosen a city until now - now I have chosen Jerusalem; and after having not chosen a man until now - now I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.
וַיְהִי עִם־לְבַב דָּוִיד אָבִי לִבְנוֹת בַּיִת לְשֵׁם יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - And it was in the heart of my father David to build a House for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־דָּוִיד אָבִי: יַעַן אֲשֶׁר הָיָה עִם־לְבָבְךָ לִבְנוֹת בַּיִת לִשְׁמִי, הֱטִיבוֹתָ כִּי הָיָה עִם־לְבָבֶךָ׃ - And the Lord said to my father David: 'Since it was in your heart to build a House for My Name, you did well that it was in your heart.
Lest one think: If the Holy One, blessed be He, chose David, why was he lax about building the House? Regarding this, the verse comes and teaches that David had already aspired on his own to build a House for the Name of Hashem, and was not lax at all - rather, Hashem held him back. And the Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: Your aspiration and desire are holy and good in My eyes, "you did well that it was in your heart." I too desire this House and choose it, and this will is a proper will, and you shall have merit if you prepare everything necessary for the construction.
רַק אַתָּה לֹא תִבְנֶה הַבָּיִת, כִּי בִנְךָ הַיּוֹצֵא מֵחֲלָצֶיךָ הוּא־יִבְנֶה הַבַּיִת לִשְׁמִי׃ - Nevertheless, you shall not build the House, but your son who will come forth from your loins, he shall build the House for My Name.'
You will make all the preparations, but the actual building you will not build. We have already explained the reason for this in the past according to the Malbim in Artzot HaChaim: the Temple had to be built "for My Name" - purely for the sake of Heaven. King David was surrounded by wars, faced difficult financial circumstances for a significant part of his life, and suffered troubles from enemies. Since the moment the Temple stood there would be peace from enemies and economic abundance, there was a concern that the subtlest trace of self-interest might creep in: that we might have quiet and abundance. Therefore, the phrase "for My Name" recurs many times: you will not build a house for My Name; your son will build a house for My Name. So too, "And they shall make Me a sanctuary" - for Me, for My Name; "And they shall take for Me an offering" - for Me, for My Name; everything must be lishmah, purely for its own sake. Precisely the one who issues from your loins, who will be a man of peace and in whose days there will be quiet, will be able to build a house for My Name without any concern of self-interest.
וַיָּקֶם יְהֹוָה אֶת־דְּבָרוֹ אֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר, וָאָקוּם תַּחַת דָּוִיד אָבִי וָאֵשֵׁב עַל־כִּסֵּא יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה, וָאֶבְנֶה הַבַּיִת לְשֵׁם יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - And the Lord has fulfilled His word that He spoke, and I have risen up in the place of David my father and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord spoke, and I have built the house for the Name of the Lord, God of Israel.
Hashem fulfilled His word: just as He promised, "Your son who will arise after you" - here He has fulfilled it, and I sit in place of David my father upon his throne. And what He said, that I would build the House - this too He fulfilled and assisted me in building the House for the Name of Hashem, the God of Israel.
וָאָשִׂים שָׁם אֶת־הָאָרוֹן אֲשֶׁר־שָׁם בְּרִית יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת עִם־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - And I have placed there the Ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord which He made with the Children of Israel.
In this place I set the Ark, inside of which is the covenant of Hashem - the Tablets. A "covenant" is the contract between us and the Holy One, blessed be He, Who brought us into the covenant; and the Tablets, which constitute this agreement, are placed inside the Ark.
וַיַּעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי מִזְבַּח יְהֹוָה נֶגֶד כׇּל־קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּפְרֹשׂ כַּפָּיו׃ - And he stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands.
כִּי־עָשָׂה שְׁלֹמֹה כִּיּוֹר נְחֹשֶׁת וַיִּתְּנֵהוּ בְּתוֹךְ הָעֲזָרָה, חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת אׇרְכּוֹ וְחָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת רׇחְבּוֹ וְאַמּוֹת שָׁלוֹשׁ קוֹמָתוֹ, וַיַּעֲמֹד עָלָיו וַיִּבְרַךְ עַל־בִּרְכָּיו נֶגֶד כׇּל־קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּפְרֹשׂ כַּפָּיו הַשָּׁמָיְמָה׃ - For Solomon had made a bronze platform and had placed it in the midst of the courtyard, five cubits long and five cubits wide and three cubits high; and he stood upon it, and knelt down upon his knees in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven.
At first glance, the verse about the bronze platform seems inserted in the middle of the prayer, so what is its purpose here? Rather, Scripture comes to describe the place where Solomon stood. Solomon needed to stand on an elevated place so that everyone could see and hear him; therefore, Scripture describes that he made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, upon which he could stand, and thereby all of Israel could see and hear him. This relates back to what was said earlier, "in the presence of all the congregation of Israel" - how was he elevated above everyone? Because he climbed onto the platform. And because Scripture interrupted with the matter of the platform, it repeats, "in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands," even though it had already stated this in the preceding verse.
Notice, too: Solomon's entire prayer was offered while kneeling - "and knelt down upon his knees," kneeling on his knees and lifting his hands toward heaven. This demonstrates his greatness, for once a king begins to kneel, he does not stand upright again until the end of his prayer. And why? Because the greater a person's authority, the greater humility he requires. Otherwise, we know what happens when power goes to a person's head - history is steeped in blood. Therefore, a king is required to have far greater humility than any other person, and King Solomon, during his prayer, knelt upon his knees as a sign of submission and lowliness before Hashem, may He be blessed.
וַיֹּאמַר: יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין־כָּמוֹךָ אֱלֹהִים בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ, שֹׁמֵר הַבְּרִית וְהַחֶסֶד לַעֲבָדֶיךָ הַהֹלְכִים לְפָנֶיךָ בְּכׇל־לִבָּם׃ - And he said: Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and lovingkindness with Your servants who walk before You with all their heart.
There is none like You among the heavenly beings - for You keep the covenant and the loving-kindness, which You decree from the heavens to grant to those who love You, and You conceal and store away the covenant and the kindness in order to fulfill the promise on earth. This is how the commentary attributed to Rashi explains the word shomer ("keeps"): it is hidden and preserved with You to grant to the one to whom it was promised. To whom? "To Your servants who walk before You with all their heart" - like David my father who walked before You with all his heart, and You kept the promise to him and fulfilled it now, by giving him a son, and that son was privileged to build the Beis HaMikdash as You promised.
אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַרְתָּ לְעַבְדְּךָ דָּוִיד אָבִי אֵת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּרְתָּ לוֹ, וַתְּדַבֵּר בְּפִיךָ וּבְיָדְךָ מִלֵּאתָ כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃ - Who has kept for Your servant David my father that which You spoke to him; You spoke with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.
You kept the promise to David that I would build the House; and just as You spoke, so too You fulfilled by the power of Your hand as we see today - You brought the matter to fruition.
וְעַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁמֹר לְעַבְדְּךָ דָוִיד אָבִי אֵת אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ לּוֹ לֵאמֹר: לֹא־יִכָּרֵת לְךָ אִישׁ מִלְּפָנַי יוֹשֵׁב עַל־כִּסֵּא יִשְׂרָאֵל, רַק אִם־יִשְׁמְרוּ בָנֶיךָ אֶת־דַּרְכָּם לָלֶכֶת בְּתוֹרָתִי כַּאֲשֶׁר הָלַכְתָּ לְפָנָי׃ - And now, Hashem, God of Israel, keep for Your servant David my father that which You spoke to him, saying: There shall not fail you a man before Me sitting on the throne of Israel, provided that your sons guard their way to walk in My Torah as you have walked before Me.
Shlomo asks that the other promise made to David also be kept: that if his descendants are righteous, the kingship will not depart from them. As the Malbim explained earlier, the promise to David was that his son would reign after him no matter what - even if he caused problems, "I will chastise him with the rod of men," yet ultimately he would remain king. But for the subsequent kings after him, there was no such promise: if they were worthy, they would remain in their kingdom; if not, they would lose it. Indeed, the kingdom did not divide during Shlomo's lifetime, even though the Holy One, blessed be He, raised adversaries against him such as Rezon the son of Eliada, because there was a promise that the kingdom would endure in the hands of David's son no matter what - he might take blows, but the kingship would not be taken from him. Rechavam the son of Shlomo, however, no longer had such a guarantee, and therefore most of the kingdom was stripped from him, leaving him with only two tribes, while the ten tribes went to Yeravam.
וְעַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵאָמֵן דְּבָרְךָ אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ לְעַבְדְּךָ לְדָוִיד׃ - And now, Hashem, God of Israel, let Your word be verified, which You spoke to Your servant David.
"Let Your word be verified (ye'amen)" - that the matter be realized, that the House I have built will be called the House of Hashem. Ye'amen relates to confirmation and fulfillment; amen comes from emet (truth) - to verify (le'amet) a thing is to confirm (le'amen) a thing, so that it stands true and established. Just as we answer amen to a blessing, meaning "truth": I affirm what I have heard - "that all came to be by His word" - amen, true. So too here: let Your words that You spoke to Your servant David come true.
כִּי הַאֻמְנָם יֵשֵׁב אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם עַל־הָאָרֶץ? הִנֵּה שָׁמַיִם וּשְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם לֹא יְכַלְכְּלוּךָ, אַף כִּי־הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר בָּנִיתִי׃ - For will God indeed dwell with man on earth? Behold, the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain You, how much less this House that I have built!
The verse is phrased as an expression of wonder: is it possible that a person could believe that God dwells with him on earth? "Et ha'adam" means with man, as in "et Ya'akov ish uveito ba'u" (with Jacob, each man and his household came). After all, heaven and the highest heavens cannot contain You! Rather, as the commentary attributed to Rashi explains, out of the loving-kindness You bestowed upon David my father, You contracted Your Shechinah here between the staves of the Ark. And why did I build the House? In order to pray before God, so that Hashem will turn to our prayers within it.
Radak also explains that the heh with a patach is the interrogative heh: is it true that God would dwell with man on earth? This cannot be believed, for Hashem, blessed is He, transcends everything, and no place can contain Him. And Radak adds what we have already learned at length in Nefesh HaChaim: "You are the place of the world, and the world is not Your place." The Nefesh HaChaim opens with the question of why the Holy One, blessed be He, is called HaMakom ("The Place") - as in, "one should direct his heart to HaMakom Baruch Hu." The answer is: not as people mistakenly think, that Hashem exists within the world, but rather the opposite - the world exists within Hashem. The Holy One, blessed be He, is everything, and all that exists in the entire world is the Holy One, blessed be He; and when He wished to create a world, He had to contract His light so that there would be a space for the world. It follows that the world is within Hashem, and not that there is a world and Hashem is one of its residents.
And according to this, Radak explains, Shlomo came to say that this House is merely symbolic: that Your will and Your glory should be present in this House to listen to the prayer offered in this place. Even though the Holy One, blessed be He, desires everywhere to hear whoever cries out to Him with a whole heart, Shlomo requests that this place, by virtue of its unique merit and stature, serve as an advocating angel on behalf of the one praying. And who is the advocate? The place itself - the sanctity of the place, which possesses the power to help ensure that your prayer and petition are fulfilled, and that You listen to whoever prays in this House more than to one who prays elsewhere.
The Malbim notes the difference between the wording in Divrei HaYamim, "will God dwell with man on earth," and the phrasing in Melachim, "will God dwell on earth." He explains that Ezra refined the expression here: "et ha'adam" - with man, that He should dwell among human beings. Beyond this, the Malbim remarks that regarding the rest of the text from here until the end of verse 40, there are only minor stylistic adjustments: "And I have already explained this entire prayer sufficiently in the commentary on the Book of Melachim, and the reader should seek its explanation there." Our approach here is to study the Malbim in his place, focusing on the specific textual variations he addresses; whoever wishes to see the comprehensive commentary can return and study it in the Book of Melachim.
וּפָנִיתָ אֶל־תְּפִלַּת עַבְדְּךָ וְאֶל־תְּחִנָּתוֹ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהָי, לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶל־הָרִנָּה וְאֶל־הַתְּפִלָּה אֲשֶׁר עַבְדְּךָ מִתְפַּלֵּל לְפָנֶיךָ׃ - Yet turn to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, Hashem my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer that Your servant prays before You.
Shlomo pleads: Master of the Universe, turn to my prayer - for I am praying concerning the primary purpose of this House, in what way it will truly be called the House of Hashem, and in what regard one who comes to pray here possesses an advantage over one who prays anywhere else.
לִהְיוֹת עֵינֶיךָ פְתֻחוֹת אֶל־הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה, אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתָּ לָשׂוּם שִׁמְךָ שָׁם, לִשְׁמוֹעַ אֶל־הַתְּפִלָּה אֲשֶׁר יִתְפַּלֵּל עַבְדְּךָ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה׃ - That Your eyes may be open toward this House day and night, toward the place of which You said You would put Your Name there, to listen to the prayer that Your servant will pray toward this place.
His request is that whenever prayers are offered here, Your eyes will be open toward this House. "Toward this place" - the site of the Mikdash, where the Shechinah rests, so that whoever prays here, You will listen to his prayer.
וְשָׁמַעְתָּ אֶל־תַּחֲנוּנֵי עַבְדְּךָ וְעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יִתְפַּלְלוּ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה, וְאַתָּה תִּשְׁמַע מִמְּקוֹם שִׁבְתְּךָ מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְשָׁמַעְתָּ וְסָלָחְתָּ׃ - And listen to the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place, and hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven, and when You hear, forgive.
Just as I pray that You hear my prayer, so too I request that You hear the prayer of all Your people Israel. And lest one think his intention was that You descend here to hear the prayer, he therefore says: "And hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven." This place will serve only as an intermediary between You and the prayer of Israel - Hashem hears from heaven, yet this place will be the conduit through which the prayers pass, so that they are accepted with mercy. And even if the one praying is unworthy and undeserving of having his prayer heard, forgive him as well: "and when You hear, forgive."
This chapter opens Shlomo's prayer at the dedication of the Temple, and most of it parallels the Book of Melachim, which is why the Malbim is concise here. We learned that the thick darkness and the cloud are a sign of the resting of the Shechinah - and from this comes the message that precisely in the place of difficulty and darkness, God is there. We saw that this House is "a place for Your dwelling forever," unlike Shiloh, Nov, and Giv'on, because this is the chosen site since the Binding of Yitzchak; that David desired with all his heart to build the House and was told "you did well," yet only his son would build "for My Name" - without any trace of self-interest; that Shlomo's entire prayer was uttered kneeling upon the bronze platform, teaching that one who holds authority requires extra humility; and that although no place can contain the Holy One, blessed be He, for "You are the place of the world, and the world is not Your place," Shlomo requested that the sanctity of the place serve as an advocate and that the House be a conduit through which Israel's prayers ascend - "and when You hear, forgive."