Melakhim I Chapter 6 | The Role of The Temple

This chapter begins the description of the Temple and its vessels. Often, we might skim through these descriptions without paying much attention. However, in a lecture delivered during Herzog's Yemei Iyun b'Tanakh, Rav Menashe Viner highlights some fascinating details worth noting and proposes a meaningful perspective on understanding the purpose of the Temple.

The Tanakh describes the structure of the Temple, including the Holy of Holies, referred to as the devir. During this description, an altar is mentioned:

"The interior of the Inner Sanctuary (דביר) was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high; he overlaid it and overlaid the cedar altar with solid gold" (Melakhim I 6:20). Later, it says: "He overlaid the whole House with gold, every last part of the House; and he overlaid the whole altar within the Inner Sanctuary (דביר) with gold" (Melakhim I 6:22).

There is no altar inside the Holy of Holies, and all commentators explain that this refers to the golden altar (the incense altar), located in the hall facing the Holy of Holies. Beyond the unusual term used for it, and beyond the placement of its description within the section about the Holy of Holies, its mention in Chapter 6 is surprising. All other vessels, including the golden altar again, are listed in Chapter 7. Chapter 6 focuses on the building, while Chapter 7 (after a break discussing Shlomo’s palace) addresses the vessels: "Shlomo made all the vessels for the house of the Lord: the altar was of gold, and the table for the showbread was of gold" (Melakhim I 7:48). In Divrei HaYamim, the golden altar is placed naturally alongside the other vessels in the Temple hall.

While the golden altar seems to be promoted, in Melakhim the bronze altar, used for sacrifices, is not mentioned being built. Chapter 8 notes that the bronze altar was too small to accommodate all the sacrifices, leading Shlomo to sacrifice on the ground of the Temple's courtyard: "On that day the king consecrated the center of the courtyard in front of the house of the Lord, for it was there that he prepared the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings. The bronze altar before the Lord was too small to contain the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of peace offerings" (Melakhim I 8:64). Commentators suggest that Shlomo reused the altar from the Tabernacle, which was indeed small. In Divrei HaYamim, however, a much larger bronze altar is described – 16 times the size of the Tabernacle's altar (Divrei HaYamim II 4:1), and the golden altar is mentioned in its rightful place in the Temple hall.

In his lecture, Rav Weiner identifies other discrepancies, but before delving into the answer and the central theme, let us provide some background on the Temple's purpose:

There is a significant debate among early commentators about the focus of the Tabernacle/Temple. Ramban (on Shemot Chapter 25) emphasizes the Ark in the Holy of Holies as the center of Divine Presence (Shekhina), while Rambam highlights the altar and sacrificial worship (Mishneh Torah, Positive Commandments 20). At the heart of this debate lies the question of whether the focus is on the Divine Presence coming to dwell among Israel (a downward movement) or on humanity's role in offering sacrifices (an upward movement). For further reading, see Kedushat Aviv (pp. 431-432). Rav Wiener claims this debate is reflected in the differences between Melakhim and Divrei HaYamim.

In Melakhim, the focus is on the Divine Presence (Shekhina). The incense altar plays a significant role in connecting the Shekhina with the Temple. When reading about the Tabernacle in Parashat Teruma, the Torah describes all the Tabernacle's vessels, discusses its workers, and then, as if belatedly, mentions the incense altar. This placement emphasizes that God's presence mainly appears through the Shekhina. In the Book of Melakhim, the incense altar is presented as an integral part to the Temple structure, symbolically associated with the Holy of Holies, while the sacrificial altar (Mizbe'ach HaOlah) is downplayed and barely mentioned. In Divrei HaYamim, the focus shifts. The incense altar receives less attention, while the sacrificial altar is emphasized.

From a scholarly perspective, both viewpoints are true, while each highlights a unique aspect of the Temple's dual function — serving as a dwelling place for God's presence and as a site for human worship. May God restore the Temple, reestablish His presence among us, restore the service and accept the offerings and prayers of Israel lovingly and willingly.

For further insights, consider listening to the full lecture on Herzog's Tanakh website here.