TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
II - Chapter 3
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1Then Shlomo began to build the House of Hashem in Yerushalayim on Mount Moriah, where [Hashem] had appeared to his father David, at the place which David had designated, at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
אוַיָּחֶל שְׁלֹמֹה לִבְנוֹת אֶת־בֵּית־יְהֹוָה בִּירוּשָׁלַ ִם בְּהַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה אֲשֶׁר נִרְאָה לְדָוִיד אָבִיהוּ אֲשֶׁר הֵכִין בִּמְקוֹם דָּוִיד בְּגֹרֶן אָרְנָן הַיְבוּסִי׃
2He began to build on the second day of the second month of the fourth year of his reign.
בוַיָּחֶל לִבְנוֹת בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בַּשֵּׁנִי בִּשְׁנַת אַרְבַּע לְמַלְכוּתוֹ׃
3These were the dimensions Shlomo established for building the House of Hashem: its length in amot, by the former measure, was 60, and its breadth was 20.
גוְאֵלֶּה הוּסַד שְׁלֹמֹה לִבְנוֹת אֶת־בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים הָאֹרֶךְ אַמּוֹת בַּמִּדָּה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה אַמּוֹת שִׁשִּׁים וְרֹחַב אַמּוֹת עֶשְׂרִים׃
4The length of the porch in front [was equal] to the breadth of the House—20 amot, and its height was 120. Inside he overlaid it with pure gold.
דוְהָאוּלָם אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֹרֶךְ עַל־פְּנֵי רֹחַב־הַבַּיִת אַמּוֹת עֶשְׂרִים וְהַגֹּבַהּ מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים וַיְצַפֵּהוּ מִפְּנִימָה זָהָב טָהוֹר׃
5The House itself he paneled with cypress wood. He overlaid it with fine gold and embossed on it palms and chains.
הוְאֵת הַבַּיִת הַגָּדוֹל חִפָּה עֵץ בְּרוֹשִׁים וַיְחַפֵּהוּ זָהָב טוֹב וַיַּעַל עָלָיו תִּמֹרִים וְשַׁרְשְׁרוֹת׃
6He studded the House with precious stones for decoration; the gold was from Parvaim.
ווַיְצַף אֶת־הַבַּיִת אֶבֶן יְקָרָה לְתִפְאָרֶת וְהַזָּהָב זְהַב פַּרְוָיִם׃
7He overlaid the House with gold—the beams, the thresholds, its walls and doors; he carved cherubim on the walls.
זוַיְחַף אֶת־הַבַּיִת הַקֹּרוֹת הַסִּפִּים וְקִירוֹתָיו וְדַלְתוֹתָיו זָהָב וּפִתַּח כְּרוּבִים עַל־הַקִּירוֹת׃
8He made the Holy of Holies: its length was [equal to] the breadth of the house—20 amot, and its breadth was 20 amot. He overlaid it with 600 kikarim of fine gold.
חוַיַּעַשׂ אֶת־בֵּית־קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים אָרְכּוֹ עַל־פְּנֵי רֹחַב־הַבַּיִת אַמּוֹת עֶשְׂרִים וְרָחְבּוֹ אַמּוֹת עֶשְׂרִים וַיְחַפֵּהוּ זָהָב טוֹב לְכִכָּרִים שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת׃
9The weight of the nails was 50 shekalim of gold; the upper chambers he overlaid with gold.
טוּמִשְׁקָל לְמִסְמְרוֹת לִשְׁקָלִים חֲמִשִּׁים זָהָב וְהָעֲלִיּוֹת חִפָּה זָהָב׃
10He made two sculptured cherubim in the Holy of Holies, and they were overlaid with gold.
va-YA-as b'-VAYT KO-desh ha-ko-da-SHEEM k'-ru-VEEM sh'-NA-yim ma-a-SAY tza-a-tzu-EEM vai-tza-PU o-TAM za-HAV
יוַיַּעַשׂ בְּבֵית־קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים כְּרוּבִים שְׁנַיִם מַעֲשֵׂה צַעֲצֻעִים וַיְצַפּוּ אֹתָם זָהָב׃
3:10 He made two sculptured cherubim
Shlomo builds two great cherubim in the Holy of Holies, paralleling the cherubim which God placed in front of the Garden of Eden “to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24). Shlomo’s cherubim symbolize these guardians, showing that what lies behind them, the Aron HaBrit, holds the roots to the tree of life. The Torah, which is contained in the Ark, and the commandments therein are the pathway to life. As King Shlomo writes about the wisdom of the Torah “For they will bestow on you length of days, years of life and well-being,” and, “she is a tree of life to those who grasp her” (Proverbs 3:2,18).
11The outspread wings of the cherubim were 20 amot across: one wing 5 amot long touching one wall of the House, and the other wing 5 amot long touching the wing of the other cherub;
יאוְכַנְפֵי הַכְּרוּבִים אָרְכָּם אַמּוֹת עֶשְׂרִים כְּנַף הָאֶחָד לְאַמּוֹת חָמֵשׁ מַגַּעַת לְקִיר הַבַּיִת וְהַכָּנָף הָאַחֶרֶת אַמּוֹת חָמֵשׁ מַגִּיעַ לִכְנַף הַכְּרוּב הָאַחֵר׃
12one wing of the other [cherub] 5 amot long extending to the other wall of the House, and its other wing 5 amot long touching the wing of the first cherub.
יבוּכְנַף הַכְּרוּב הָאֶחָד אַמּוֹת חָמֵשׁ מַגִּיעַ לְקִיר הַבָּיִת וְהַכָּנָף הָאַחֶרֶת אַמּוֹת חָמֵשׁ דְּבֵקָה לִכְנַף הַכְּרוּב הָאַחֵר׃
13The wingspread of these cherubim was thus 20 amot across, and they were standing up facing the House.
יגכַּנְפֵי הַכְּרוּבִים הָאֵלֶּה פֹּרְשִׂים אַמּוֹת עֶשְׂרִים וְהֵם עֹמְדִים עַל־רַגְלֵיהֶם וּפְנֵיהֶם לַבָּיִת׃
14He made the curtain of blue, purple, and crimson yarn and fine linen, and he worked cherubim into it.
ידוַיַּעַשׂ אֶת־הַפָּרֹכֶת תְּכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן וְכַרְמִיל וּבוּץ וַיַּעַל עָלָיו כְּרוּבִים׃
15At the front of the House he made two columns 35 amot high; the capitals on top of them were 5 amot high.
טווַיַּעַשׂ לִפְנֵי הַבַּיִת עַמּוּדִים שְׁנַיִם אַמּוֹת שְׁלֹשִׁים וְחָמֵשׁ אֹרֶךְ וְהַצֶּפֶת אֲשֶׁר־עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ אַמּוֹת חָמֵשׁ׃
16He made chainwork in the inner Sanctuary and set it on the top of the columns; he made a hundred pomegranates and set them into the chainwork.
טזוַיַּעַשׂ שַׁרְשְׁרוֹת בַּדְּבִיר וַיִּתֵּן עַל־רֹאשׁ הָעַמֻּדִים וַיַּעַשׂ רִמּוֹנִים מֵאָה וַיִּתֵּן בַּשַּׁרְשְׁרוֹת׃
17He erected the columns in front of the Great Hall, one to its right and one to its left; the one to the right was called Jachin, and the one to the left, Boaz.
יזוַיָּקֶם אֶת־הָעַמּוּדִים עַל־פְּנֵי הַהֵיכָל אֶחָד מִיָּמִין וְאֶחָד מֵהַשְּׂמֹאול וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם־הימיני [הַיְמָנִי] יָכִין וְשֵׁם הַשְּׂמָאלִי בֹּעַז׃
