Daily Tanach Tuesday Sefer Melachim 1 Chapter 10: The Kings wealth and fame

1.      The Kings wealth and fame:

• The Kings drinking vessels: All of the drinking vessels of king Shlomo were made of gold, and likewise all of the vessels of the house that was in the forest of Lebanon were made of pure gold and once every three years the ships would arrive.
• Silver: Nothing was made of silver, as silver was not of any value in his days.
• The shipments of gold and other treasures and animals: The king had ships at the sea of Tarshish, together with the ships of Tarshish, and once every three years the ships would arrive from Tarshish carrying gold and silver and ivory [i.e. the teeth of elephants^[1]] and monkeys and peacocks.
• The greatest king: King Shlomo became the greatest king on earth in both wealth and wisdom.
• His fame: People from all lands would come to meet with Shlomo to hear of the wisdom that G-d had given his heart. The visitors would bring with them gifts of silver and gold and garments and horses and mules at the time of the year that they were appointed to arrive.
• The Kings horsemen and chariots: Shlomo collected both chariots and horsemen, and he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen. They were led to the city of the chariots while the king remained in Jerusalem.
• The abundance of silver and wood: There was so much silver, that the king made it available in Jerusalem like it was stone. Likewise, there was so much cedarwood available similar to the brush that is found in the valley.
• The horses: The horses of King Shlomo came from Egypt, and were purchased by special agents of the king, who purchased from the Egyptians the sale rights of the horses. A chariot in Egypt was sold for 600 silver coins, while a horse was sold 150 silver coins. They were sold to the kings of the Hittites and Aram.

[1] Rashi 10:22