1 When Rechovam arrived in Yerushalayim, he mustered the house of Yehuda and Binyamin, 180,000 picked fighting men, to make war with Yisrael in order to restore the kingdom to Rechovam.
א וַיָּבֹא רְחַבְעָם יְרוּשָׁלַ ִם וַיַּקְהֵל אֶת־בֵּית יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן מֵאָה וּשְׁמוֹנִים אֶלֶף בָּחוּר עֹשֵׂה מִלְחָמָה לְהִלָּחֵם עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהָשִׁיב אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָה לִרְחַבְעָם׃
2 But the word of Hashem came to Shemaya, the man of Hashem:
ב וַיְהִי דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה אֶל־שְׁמַעְיָהוּ אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים לֵאמֹר׃
ג אֱמֹר אֶל־רְחַבְעָם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וְאֶל כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּיהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן לֵאמֹר׃
4 Thus said Hashem: You shall not set out to make war on your kinsmen. Let every man return to his home, for this thing has been brought about by Me.” They heeded the words of Hashem and refrained from marching against Yerovam.
KOH a-MAR a-do-NAI lo ta-a-LU v’-lo ti-LA-kha-MU im a-khay-KHEM SHU-vu EESH l’-vay-TO KEE may-i-TEE nih-YAH ha-da-VAR ha-ZEH va-yish-m’-U et div-RAY a-do-NAI va-ya-SHU-vu mi-LE-khet el ya-rov-AM
ד כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה לֹא־תַעֲלוּ וְלֹא־תִלָּחֲמוּ עִם־אֲחֵיכֶם שׁוּבוּ אִישׁ לְבֵיתוֹ כִּי מֵאִתִּי נִהְיָה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי יְהֹוָה וַיָּשֻׁבוּ מִלֶּכֶת אֶל־יָרָבְעָם׃
5 Rechovam dwelt in Yerushalayim and built fortified towns in Yehuda.
6 He built up Beit Lechem, and Etam, and Tekoa,
ו וַיִּבֶן אֶת־בֵּית־לֶחֶם וְאֶת־עֵיטָם וְאֶת־תְּקוֹעַ׃
7 and Beth-zur, and Soco, and Adulam,
ז וְאֶת־בֵּית־צוּר וְאֶת־שׂוֹכוֹ וְאֶת־עֲדֻלָּם׃
8 and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,
ח וְאֶת־גַּת וְאֶת־מָרֵשָׁה וְאֶת־זִיף׃
9 and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azeika,
ט וְאֶת־אֲדוֹרַיִם וְאֶת־לָכִישׁ וְאֶת־עֲזֵקָה׃
י וְאֶת־צָרְעָה וְאֶת־אַיָּלוֹן וְאֶת־חֶבְרוֹן אֲשֶׁר בִּיהוּדָה וּבְבִנְיָמִן עָרֵי מְצֻרוֹת׃
11 He strengthened the fortified towns and put commanders in them, along with stores of food, oil, and wine,
יא וַיְחַזֵּק אֶת־הַמְּצֻרוֹת וַיִּתֵּן בָּהֶם נְגִידִים וְאֹצְרוֹת מַאֲכָל וְשֶׁמֶן וָיָיִן׃
12 and shields and spears in every town. He strengthened them exceedingly; thus Yehuda and Binyamin were his.
יב וּבְכָל־עִיר וָעִיר צִנּוֹת וּרְמָחִים וַיְחַזְּקֵם לְהַרְבֵּה מְאֹד וַיְהִי־לוֹ יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן׃
13 The Kohanim and the Leviim, from all their territories throughout Yisrael, presented themselves to him.
יג וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם אֲשֶׁר בְּכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל הִתְיַצְּבוּ עָלָיו מִכָּל־גְּבוּלָם׃
14 The Leviim had left their pasturelands and their holdings and had set out for Yehuda and Yerushalayim, for Yerovam and his sons had prevented them from serving Hashem,
יד כִּי־עָזְבוּ הַלְוִיִּם אֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶם וַאֲחֻזָּתָם וַיֵּלְכוּ לִיהוּדָה וְלִירוּשָׁלָ ִם כִּי־הִזְנִיחָם יָרָבְעָם וּבָנָיו מִכַּהֵן לַיהֹוָה׃
15 having appointed his own Kohanim for the shrines, goat-demons, and calves which he had made.
טו וַיַּעֲמֶד־לוֹ כֹּהֲנִים לַבָּמוֹת וְלַשְּׂעִירִים וְלָעֲגָלִים אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה׃
16 From all the tribes of Yisrael, those intent on seeking God of Yisrael followed them to Yerushalayim, to sacrifice to God of their fathers.
טז וְאַחֲרֵיהֶם מִכֹּל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנֹּתְנִים אֶת־לְבָבָם לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאוּ יְרוּשָׁלַ ִם לִזְבּוֹחַ לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם׃
19 She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
יט וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ בָּנִים אֶת־יְעוּשׁ וְאֶת־שְׁמַרְיָה וְאֶת־זָהַם׃
20 He then took Maacah daughter of Avshalom; she bore him Aviya, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
כ וְאַחֲרֶיהָ לָקַח אֶת־מַעֲכָה בַּת־אַבְשָׁלוֹם וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ אֶת־אֲבִיָּה וְאֶת־עַתַּי וְאֶת־זִיזָא וְאֶת־שְׁלֹמִית׃
21 Rechovam loved Maacah daughter of Avshalom more than his other wives and concubines—for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines; he begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
כא וַיֶּאֱהַב רְחַבְעָם אֶת־מַעֲכָה בַת־אַבְשָׁלוֹם מִכָּל־נָשָׁיו וּפִילַגְשָׁיו כִּי נָשִׁים שְׁמוֹנֶה־עֶשְׂרֵה נָשָׂא וּפִילַגְשִׁים שִׁשִּׁים וַיּוֹלֶד עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁמוֹנָה בָּנִים וְשִׁשִּׁים בָּנוֹת׃
22 Rechovam designated Aviya son of Maacah as chief and leader among his brothers, for he intended him to be his successor.
23 He prudently distributed all his sons throughout the regions of Yehuda and Binyamin and throughout the fortified towns; he provided them with abundant food, and he sought many wives for them.
כג וַיָּבֶן וַיִּפְרֹץ מִכָּל־בָּנָיו לְכָל־אַרְצוֹת יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן לְכֹל עָרֵי הַמְּצֻרוֹת וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם הַמָּזוֹן לָרֹב וַיִּשְׁאַל הֲמוֹן נָשִׁים׃
Though the kingdom has split and ten tribes have rejected Rechovam and the house of David, God does not want there to be a war between the two kingdoms. He reminds the southern tribes of Yehuda and Binyamin that despite the rift, the members of both kingdoms are brothers, and they should therefore treat each other with peace and brotherhood. The split in the kingdom is not ideal, and it pains Hashem to see different members of the Nation of Israel at odds with each other. Instead, He longs for the time when once again “one king shall be king of them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms” (Ezekiel 37:22). With the establishment of the State of Israel, the ingathering of the exiles and the return of some of the ten tribes, we are beginning to witness the miraculous fulfilment of the unity between the kingdom of Yisrael and the kingdom of Yehuda.1 comment