Summary of The Haftorah:
Haftorah Terumah
Kings I - 5 & 6
This week's Haftorah from Kings I- 5 and 6, describes the construction of the
first Bais Hamikdash. Shlomo Hamelech - King Solomon, assembled the necessary
materials and laborers to accomplish this monumental task - the building of
Hashem's home! 30,000 men were conscripted into the labor force, along with
70,000 transporters and 80,000 stonecutters.
In 2928, four hundred and eighty years after leaving Egypt, the
construction began. The connection to this weeks Parsha is obvious. The Bais
Hamikdash replaced the Mishkan as the one place upon earth where G-d's
presence was overtly manifest. It was during the 1st Temple when actual
"miracles" occurred in the normal functioning of the Bais Hamikdash.
The whereabouts of the Mishkan is a matter of great historical
controversy. Some claim that it was destroyed. Others claim that it was hidden
within the Temple Mount in a great cavern directly beneath the Bais Hamikdash,
and that it was placed there fully assembled. At present, a major
archeological dig is underway to uncover the hidden Mishkan.
