Daily Tanach Tuesday Sefer Melachim 1 Chapter 12: Yeravam builds golden calves for worship

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  1. Yeravam builds golden calves for worship:
  • Building up the city of Shechem: Yeravam built Shechem in the mountain of Ephraim [into a fortified city[1]] and lived there, and he went from there and built the city of Penuel.
  • Yeravam builds two golden calves as an alternative place of worship to Jerusalem: Yeravam said to himself, “If I allow the people to go up and bring sacrifices to the house of G-d in Jerusalem then they may return to becoming loyal to Rechavam the king of Judah and return the kingdom to the House of David. They will then kill me and return to Rechavam, the king of Judah.” So, the king took counsel [with his advisers to see what to do to prevent this situation] and he decided to make two golden calves, and he proclaimed to the Jewish people, saying, “There is no need for you anymore to go all the way up to Jerusalem; here are your G-ds, O Israel, that have brought you up from the land of Egypt.”
  • The location of the calves: He placed one in Beth El and the other he placed in Dan.
  • The Jewish people sin and worshiping the idol: This matter became a sin for the people and they went all the way until [the end of the land by] Dan to serve the idol.
  • The priests that were appointed to serve by his altars: Yeravam made altars on high mountains, and he appointed priests from amongst the people who were not from the tribe of Levi.
  • The initiation of a new Festival: Yeravam made a festival in the eighth month [i.e. Cheshvan] on the fifteenth day of the month like the festival [of Sukkos] which was in Judah, and he brought offerings on the altar. He also offered sacrifices in Beth El to the calves that he made. The priests of the altars were positioned in Beth El. On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, Yeravam would bring offerings and burn incense on the altar which he made in Beth El, for the festival that he had fabricated from his heart.

 

[1] Metzudos Dovid 12:25

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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