After chapter 11 positive assessment of Rechavam, the ling and people abandon God, and God abandons them.

Today we talk about many features of Divrei Hayamim - the democratic nature of the connection between king and nation; and the theology of action and its consequent reward and punishment as reflected in Divrei Hayamim.

If last chapter, Rechavam makes quite a blunder losing the 10 northern tribes and splitting the kingdom, chapter 11 offers many of Rechavam's achievements.

But his success is only going to last as long as he follows God! In ch.12 he abandons God and it all falls apart!

After Solomon, the kingdom splits into two states - Ephraim and Yehudah.

Today we address the friction between these two factions, going back to Rachel and Leah, and forward to the days of the Messiah.

This chapter discusses the state visits of foreign kings and queens, but more than anything we find it replete with gold (16 mentions) and silver (4 mentions).

Is this good news or bad news?

Today we discuss the contradictions between Sefer MEalkhim and Chronicles. And we discuss the music that has been the soundtrack of our podcast:

Lyrics of the song

Hebrew

English

Versions of the song

Traditional version - Elana Rubina

Jazz version - Avishai Cohen

A little more about the poem/song - here

Solomon has prayed. Will God respond?

He does. Fire descends from heaven.

This is followed by much celebration.

But after it is all over, God appears yet again to Solomon and, on the one hand, asserts that he has accepted Solomon's prayer. On the other hand he warns that any promises are conditional. If the Torah and it slaws are not observed, then all the promises will be reneged.

As we show, this is fundamentally the covenant of Sefer Devarim - of Deuteronomy.

Is God in the Temple? Or in the Heavens?

What was inside the Holy of Holies?

Did Solomon make adjustments to the Ark of the Covenant?

What was inside the Ark of the Covenant?

Today we speak about a whole groups of new additions to the Temple: Bronze pillars, a huge water receptacle called the "Yam", a new altar far larger than Moses' original, 10 tables, 10 basins, ten Menorahs.

Why do we need all this furniture?

What was the permissibility of these new additions to the Sanctuary?

Today we discuss 4 topics.

1. The identification of the Temple altar as a historic site of sacrifice.

2. The image of the palm tree as a Judean royal symbol

3. Interesting Hebrew words in ch.2 and 3

4. The "outward facing" cherubs.