Daily Tanach Tuesday Sefer Melachim 1 – Chapter 8: The king prays to G-d

1.      The king prays to G-d:

• Shlomo prays to G-d accept his prayers: Now, G-d of Israel, please guard also that which you spoke to my father, your servant David, that You shall not cut off anyone from the throne [i.e. You should allow the monarchy to continue forever] so long as your children follow Your path and follow the same path as that of David’s [in his loyalty to you]. Now, G-d of Israel, please fulfill your word that you spoke to my father, your servant David. As is it really possible that you G-d will dwell on the earth after even the heavens and heavens of heavens are not able to hold you? How much more so is this temple that I built for You not able to contain You. Please turn to the prayer of Your servant, and to the supplication, Hashem my G-d. Please listen to the song and to the prayer that your servant is praying in front of You today. Please allow Your eyes to be open day and night to this house which You said that You will dwell Your name on, and please listen to the prayer that your servant prays in this place. And please listen to the supplication that your servant and the nation of Israel pray to this place. Let You hear our prayers in heaven and forgive us.
• Shlomo requests that G-d punish those who sin to their friend: One who sins to his friend and swears falsely to him in front of the altar of this house You shall hear of this in heaven and judge and condemn the wicked, and do justification for the righteous. [Some interpret this to refer to one who committed adultery with another man’s wife, and that King Shlomo is praying that the Sotah waters be successful in judging both the adulterous wife and adulterer.[1]]
• Shlomo requests that G-d listen to the prayers of the Jewish people when they repent and ask to be successful in war: When the Jewish people are smitten by their enemies due to their sins and they repent and return to You and pray to You and praise Your name in this home, then please heed to their prayers and forgive the sins of the Jewish people and bring them back to the land of their fathers.
• A prayer for rain: King Shlomo prayed to G-d that: When there is a drought and the heavens refuse to give rain because the Jewish people have sinned to you, then when they repent and return to You and pray to You and praise Your name in this home, then please heed to their prayers and forgive the sins of the Jewish people and give rain to the land that you have given your nation as an inheritance.
• A prayer against famine and epidemics and a siege by the enemy, and to accept the prayers of the Jewish people for all matters: King Shlomo prayed to G-d that: When there is a famine in the land, or an epidemic, or locusts who will destroy the crops, or a siege by the enemies, or any illness, please listen to any prayer and supplication of any person of the nation of Israel that he will have for any issue that he may be suffering from, when he spreads his hands open in this home in prayer. You shall hear in the heavens where You dwell and forgive what he has done and provide for him that which he is asking for as You know in his heart, as You alone know the heart of man. Do this so that they may fear You throughout all the days that they live on the face of the earth which You have given to our forefathers.
• A prayer for the Gentiles: Please also listen to the prayers of the Gentiles who are not from the nation of Israel who come from a distant land for the sake of Your name, due to them hearing of Your great name and of Your strong arm, and have therefore come to pray in this home. Please listen in heaven where You dwell to their prayers and do all that they ask of You in order so all of the nations of the world will know of Your name and fear You as does the nation Israel, and that they should know that Your name hovers over this house which I built.
• A prayer for during war: When your nation goes out in war against its enemy and have to pray to You on the road, let their prayers travel through this house that I built for Your name. Listen in heaven to their prayer and supplication and do justice [on their behalf against their enemies[2]].
• The prayer for during exile: If the Jewish people sin against You, which is inevitable being that there is no man who does not sin, and You punish them and give them over to their enemies and have them be taken captive to a distant or nearby enemy territory, then when they repent from their ways in that foreign country and pray to You over there saying that they have sinned and return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies in which they are being held captive in, then listen to their prayers. Let their prayers pass through this land that You have chosen and the house that I have built for Your name. Hear their prayers and supplication in the heavens where You dwell and do justice [against their enemies who had no mercy on them[3]]. You shall forgive Your nation that have sinned to You and all of the iniquities that they have transgressed against You and You shall place mercy before their captors so they have mercy on them. As they are your nation and your inheritance which you took out of Egypt from the furnace of iron. Let Your eyes be open to the supplications of Your servant and supplication of all your nation Israel to listen to them in all that they call to You. As You have separated them as an inheritance from all the nations of the world as You have spoken to Moses your servant when You took our forefathers from Egypt.

[1] Rashi 8:31

[2] Rashi 8:45

[3] Metzudos Dovid 8:49