{"id":61493,"date":"2019-08-20T11:18:22","date_gmt":"2019-08-20T08:18:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=61493"},"modified":"2023-03-22T21:52:48","modified_gmt":"2023-03-22T19:52:48","slug":"the-apex-of-the-solomonic-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-apex-of-the-solomonic-era\/","title":{"rendered":"The Apex Of The Solomonic Era"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[437,838,627,778],"acf":{"old_id":"61493","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":33692,"related_cahpter":"295","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"All Israel turn their hearts to one place","content":"

Solomon\u2019s prayer stresses the centrality of Jerusalem and the Temple as the conduit for all prayer, from near or far. This is further expressed in the halakhic directive regarding the orientation of prayer:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If one is standing outside Eretz Yisrael, he should focus his mind (<\/span>yekhaven libo<\/span><\/i>) toward Eretz Yisrael. As it says, “and they pray unto You toward their land” (I Kings 8:48).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If he is standing in Eretz Yisrael, he should focus his mind toward Jerusalem. As it says, “and they pray unto the Lord, toward the city that You have chosen” (8:44)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If he is standing in Jerusalem, he should focus his mind toward the Temple. As it says, “and they pray toward this place” (II Chron. 6:26).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If he is standing in the Temple, he should focus his mind toward the Holy of Holies. As it says, “and they pray toward this place” (I Kings 8:35).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Consequently, if he is in the east, he should turn his face to the west; if in the west, he should turn his face to the east; if in the south, he should turn his face to the north; if in the north, he should turn his face to the south. In this way, all Israel will be turning its hearts toward one place. (Berakhot 30a)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All the biblical proof texts in this passage originate in the inauguration of the Temple, and Solomon’s prayer in particular. The result is a beautiful expression of global unity: “all Israel turning their hearts to one place.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Included in Solomon’s prayer is the statement that prayer in the Temple is accessible to and oriented toward the non-Jewish world as well: Solomon envisions that gentiles will hear about God and come to discover more, enthused to pay homage to the Almighty (8:41, 60).<\/span><\/p>\n

Solomon is certainly not alone in this vision of the house of God, but he appears to be the first figure in the Bible to so explicitly extend an invitation toward gentiles, welcoming them to join Israel in the service of God.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here, we have reached the apex of the Solomonic era. The Torah mandated the building of a Temple some five hundred years previously; only now, in a state of national stability, is this central institution established. God affirms His sanctification and approval of the Temple. And yet, as we shall see, the book of Kings now adjusts its focus to more troubling dimensions of Solomon’s reign.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alex Israel, 1 Kings: Torn in Two<\/em>, Maggid Books, 2013, The Dedication of the Temple\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":61437,"id":61437,"title":"alex israel - kings 1","filename":"alex-israel-kings-1.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/adonijahs-scheme-to-ascend-the-throne\/alex-israel-kings-1\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"alex-israel-kings-1","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":61414,"date":"2019-08-19 12:13:44","modified":"2019-08-19 12:13:53","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1020,"height":1304,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-235x300.jpg","medium-width":235,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-768x982.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":982,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-801x1024.jpg","large-width":801,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1.jpg","1536x1536-width":1020,"1536x1536-height":1304,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1.jpg","2048x2048-width":1020,"2048x2048-height":1304,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-939x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":939,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-329x420.jpg","home_baner-width":329,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"Excerpts from: 1 Kings - 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