Difference between revisions of "Yerovam's Rebellion/2"
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<h2>Overview</h2> | <h2>Overview</h2> | ||
− | <p>Commentators offer several possible motives for Yerovam's rebellion and the people's displeasure with Shelomo. The vast majority of medieval sources suggest that Shelomo's building of the Milo and closing of the city's breaches caused inconveniences for the nation and cut them off from both their king and the Mikdash.  Moreover, the projects demonstrated that Shelomo was not as interested in the people's welfare as he was with the pleasure of the daughter of Paroh.  Others suggests that economic issues lay at the core of the revolt. Shelomo's extreme taxation policies took a toll on the people, and when he decided to build the Milo, they were no longer willing to quietly bear the burden. A | + | <p>Commentators offer several possible motives for Yerovam's rebellion and the people's displeasure with Shelomo. The vast majority of medieval sources suggest that Shelomo's building of the Milo and closing of the city's breaches caused inconveniences for the nation and cut them off from both their king and the Mikdash.  Moreover, the projects demonstrated that Shelomo was not as interested in the people's welfare as he was with the pleasure of the daughter of Paroh. </p> |
− | <p>As the above issues are not mutually exclusive, it is possible that each factor might have contributed to Yerovam's desire for change, and that it was a combination of | + | <p>Others suggests that economic, security, and/or tribal  issues lay at the core of the revolt. Thus, according to some scholars, Shelomo's extreme taxation policies took a toll on the people, and when he decided to build the Milo, they were no longer willing to quietly bear the burden. Hoil Moshe, instead, suggests that Yerovam complained about security issues caused by the expansion of the city. A final approach looks to the longstanding tribal rivalry between Yosef and Yehuda, suggesting that Yerovam, hailing from Ephraim, was mainly interested in bringing the nation's leadership back to Yosef.</p> |
+ | <p>As the above issues are not mutually exclusive, it is possible that each factor might have contributed to Yerovam's desire for change, and that it was a combination of all the above issues that led to the uprising.</p></div> | ||
<approaches> | <approaches> | ||
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Religious and Social Rebellion | Religious and Social Rebellion | ||
<p>Yerovam's opposition to Shelomo came in reaction to several of the king's building projects which demonstrated that Shelomo cared more for the daughter of Paroh than for the people's religious and social welfare.</p> | <p>Yerovam's opposition to Shelomo came in reaction to several of the king's building projects which demonstrated that Shelomo cared more for the daughter of Paroh than for the people's religious and social welfare.</p> | ||
− | <mekorot>R. Yochanan in <multilink><a href="BavliSanhedrin101b" data-aht="source">Bavli Sanhedrin</a><a href="BavliSanhedrin101b" data-aht="source">Sanhedrin 101b</a><a href="Talmud Bavli" data-aht="parshan">About the Bavli</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RashiMelakhimI11-26-28" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="RashiMelakhimI11-26-28" data-aht="source">Melakhim I 11:26-28</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RYosefKaraMelakhimI11-26-28" data-aht="source">R. Yosef Kara</a><a href="RYosefKaraMelakhimI11-26-28" data-aht="source">Melakhim I 11:26-28</a><a href="R. Yosef Kara" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Kara</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RadakMelakhimI11-26-27" data-aht="source">Radak</a><a href="RadakMelakhimI11-26-27" data-aht="source">Melakhim I 11:26-27</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RalbagMelakhimI11-26-28" data-aht="source">Ralbag</a><a href="RalbagMelakhimI11-26-28" data-aht="source">Melakhim I 11:26-28</a><a href="R. Levi b. Gershom (Ralbag, Gersonides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Levi b. Gershom</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="AbarbanelMelakhimI11" data-aht="source">Abarbanel</a><a href="AbarbanelMelakhimI11" data-aht="source">Melakhim I 11</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Abarbanel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel</a></multilink> | + | <mekorot>R. Yochanan in <multilink><a href="BavliSanhedrin101b" data-aht="source">Bavli Sanhedrin</a><a href="BavliSanhedrin101b" data-aht="source">Sanhedrin 101b</a><a href="Talmud Bavli" data-aht="parshan">About the Bavli</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RashiMelakhimI11-26-28" data-aht="source">Rashi</a><a href="RashiMelakhimI11-26-28" data-aht="source">Melakhim I 11:26-28</a><a href="R. Shelomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RYosefKaraMelakhimI11-26-28" data-aht="source">R. Yosef Kara</a><a href="RYosefKaraMelakhimI11-26-28" data-aht="source">Melakhim I 11:26-28</a><a href="R. Yosef Kara" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Kara</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RadakMelakhimI11-26-27" data-aht="source">Radak</a><a href="RadakMelakhimI11-26-27" data-aht="source">Melakhim I 11:26-27</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RalbagMelakhimI11-26-28" data-aht="source">Ralbag</a><a href="RalbagMelakhimI11-26-28" data-aht="source">Melakhim I 11:26-28</a><a href="R. Levi b. Gershom (Ralbag, Gersonides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Levi b. Gershom</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="AbarbanelMelakhimI11" data-aht="source">Abarbanel</a><a href="AbarbanelMelakhimI11" data-aht="source">Melakhim I 11:27</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Abarbanel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel</a></multilink></mekorot> |
<point><b>"וְזֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הֵרִים יָד בַּמֶּלֶךְ"</b><ul> | <point><b>"וְזֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הֵרִים יָד בַּמֶּלֶךְ"</b><ul> | ||
<li>According to Rashi and R"Y Kara, the verse does not mean to introduce how Yerovam rebelled but rather the reason behind the attempted coup.  In English the verse would read, "this is the matter <i>about which</i> Yerovam rebelled: Shelomo had built the Milo...."<fn>See <a href="Yehoshua5-4-8" data-aht="source">Yehoshua 5:4</a> for a similar usage of the phrase "וְזֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר".  There, too, it serves to provide the background and reasons for an action rather than introducing the action itself. [The verse states, "וְזֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר מָל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ" and then describes why the circumcision was necessary, but not how Yehoshua circumcised the nation.]</fn></li> | <li>According to Rashi and R"Y Kara, the verse does not mean to introduce how Yerovam rebelled but rather the reason behind the attempted coup.  In English the verse would read, "this is the matter <i>about which</i> Yerovam rebelled: Shelomo had built the Milo...."<fn>See <a href="Yehoshua5-4-8" data-aht="source">Yehoshua 5:4</a> for a similar usage of the phrase "וְזֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר".  There, too, it serves to provide the background and reasons for an action rather than introducing the action itself. [The verse states, "וְזֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר מָל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ" and then describes why the circumcision was necessary, but not how Yehoshua circumcised the nation.]</fn></li> | ||
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<point><b>Marriage to Bat Paroh</b> – When the verses speak of Shelomo's many wives, they single out the daughter of Paroh, suggesting that she more than the others might have swayed his beliefs.<fn>Their marriage is mentioned repeatedly in the chapters covering Shelomo's reign  (see Melakhim I 3:1, 7:8, 9:16, 9:24 and 11:1), further suggesting that it was more significant than the others.</fn> This position builds off this negative evaluation of the marriage, suggesting that it impacted not only Shelomo's personal beliefs but also policy decisions regarding entry to the Mikdash and palace.  Moreover, while one might have opined that the marriages were a source of dissatisfaction only to Hashem, and that on the earthly plane there were other factors that led to the revolt, this position suggests that, in fact, both God and man found them problematic.</point> | <point><b>Marriage to Bat Paroh</b> – When the verses speak of Shelomo's many wives, they single out the daughter of Paroh, suggesting that she more than the others might have swayed his beliefs.<fn>Their marriage is mentioned repeatedly in the chapters covering Shelomo's reign  (see Melakhim I 3:1, 7:8, 9:16, 9:24 and 11:1), further suggesting that it was more significant than the others.</fn> This position builds off this negative evaluation of the marriage, suggesting that it impacted not only Shelomo's personal beliefs but also policy decisions regarding entry to the Mikdash and palace.  Moreover, while one might have opined that the marriages were a source of dissatisfaction only to Hashem, and that on the earthly plane there were other factors that led to the revolt, this position suggests that, in fact, both God and man found them problematic.</point> | ||
<point><b>Appointment of Yerovam</b> – These sources posit that the verses are achronological and that Yerovam was appointed by Shelomo before the revolt.<fn>Ralbag suggests that the unit actually opens by introducing Yerovam as "עֶבֶד לִשְׁלֹמֹה", referring to his role as labor tax supervisor.  They then backtrack to explain how he had been appointed.</fn>  It is possible that the new position is what gave him the confidence (and credibility) to publicly oppose Shelomo.<fn>The commentators do not address why the Torah did not write the story according to the proper order of events. They could suggest that since the chapter is sets up as a list of Shelomo's foes, it chose to open this unit with the fact that Yerovam, too, was a rebel and only then give the backdrop to how this came to be.</fn> Alternatively, it was his role as supervisor of the labor tax that alerted him to the problematic aspects of Shelomo's building policies.</point> | <point><b>Appointment of Yerovam</b> – These sources posit that the verses are achronological and that Yerovam was appointed by Shelomo before the revolt.<fn>Ralbag suggests that the unit actually opens by introducing Yerovam as "עֶבֶד לִשְׁלֹמֹה", referring to his role as labor tax supervisor.  They then backtrack to explain how he had been appointed.</fn>  It is possible that the new position is what gave him the confidence (and credibility) to publicly oppose Shelomo.<fn>The commentators do not address why the Torah did not write the story according to the proper order of events. They could suggest that since the chapter is sets up as a list of Shelomo's foes, it chose to open this unit with the fact that Yerovam, too, was a rebel and only then give the backdrop to how this came to be.</fn> Alternatively, it was his role as supervisor of the labor tax that alerted him to the problematic aspects of Shelomo's building policies.</point> | ||
− | <point><b>Achiyah's prophecy</b> – These sources assume that this took place before Yerovam's decision to rebel and is part of what prompted it. | + | <point><b>Achiyah's prophecy</b> – These sources assume that this took place before Yerovam's decision to rebel and is part of what prompted it.</point> |
</category> | </category> | ||
<category>Economic Issues | <category>Economic Issues | ||
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<category>Security Concerns | <category>Security Concerns | ||
<p>Shelomo's building projects raised concerns about the security of the city, provoking Yerovam to speak against the king.</p> | <p>Shelomo's building projects raised concerns about the security of the city, provoking Yerovam to speak against the king.</p> | ||
+ | <mekorot><multilink><a href="HoilMosheMelakhimI11" data-aht="source">Hoil Moshe</a><a href="HoilMosheMelakhimI11" data-aht="source">Melakhim I 11:27</a><a href="R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi (Hoil Moshe)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi</a></multilink></mekorot> | ||
<point><b>What is the מלוא?</b> According to Hoil Moshe the Milo was a paved earthen wall, meant to protect the city. <fn>see Melakhim I 3:1.</fn></point> | <point><b>What is the מלוא?</b> According to Hoil Moshe the Milo was a paved earthen wall, meant to protect the city. <fn>see Melakhim I 3:1.</fn></point> | ||
<point><b>Building projects</b><ul> | <point><b>Building projects</b><ul> | ||
− | <li>שְׁלֹמֹה בָּנָה אֶת הַמִּלּוֹא – This phrase does not mean that Shelomo built the original wall, but rather that he built on top of it. | + | <li><b>שְׁלֹמֹה בָּנָה אֶת הַמִּלּוֹא</b> – This phrase does not mean that Shelomo built the original wall, but rather that he built on top of it. Since he thought that the Milo did not provide sufficient protection regardless, he decided to expand the city and build houses on top of the earthen mound, planning to build a stronger stone wall around the whole city at some later point.<fn>see Melakhim I 3:1.</fn></li> |
− | <li>סָגַר אֶת פֶּרֶץ עִיר דָּוִד – This refers to the stone wall which was to be built later to close the "open" City of David.</li> | + | <li><b>סָגַר אֶת פֶּרֶץ עִיר דָּוִד</b> – This refers to the stone wall which was to be built later to close the "open" City of David.</li> |
</ul></point> | </ul></point> | ||
− | <point><b>Yerovam's rebellion</b> – Yerovam used the removal of the original security wall as an excuse to speak against the king (criticizing Shelomo before the new wall was built). Hoil Moshe points out that it is likely that there were other factors involved as well, because this alone should not have been enough reason to cause a rebellion. Nonetheless, | + | <point><b>Yerovam's rebellion</b> – Yerovam used the removal of the original security wall as an excuse to speak against the king (criticizing Shelomo before the new wall was built). Hoil Moshe points out that it is likely that there were other factors involved as well, because this alone should not have been enough reason to cause a rebellion. Nonetheless, it gave Yerovam sufficient cause to begin to rally people against the king.</point> |
− | <point><b>Appointment of Yerovam</b> – <b></b>The Hoil Moshe uniquely claims that Shelomo's appointment of Yerovam was a reaction to his rebellion.  Recognizing that acting against Yerovam would raise the ire of Yerovam's tribal mates in Ephraim, Shelomo decided to instead give Yerovam a promotion, hoping that it might serve to curb his appetite for power. The tactic was, in fact, successful and served to quiet Yerovam for a | + | <point><b>Appointment of Yerovam</b> – <b></b>The Hoil Moshe uniquely claims that Shelomo's appointment of Yerovam was a reaction to his rebellion.  Recognizing that acting against Yerovam would raise the ire of Yerovam's tribal mates in Ephraim, Shelomo decided to instead give Yerovam a promotion, hoping that it might serve to curb his appetite for power. The tactic was, in fact, successful and served to quiet Yerovam for a period of time (until after Achiyah's prophecy.)</point> |
<point><b>Achiyah's prophecy</b> – The Hoil Moshe suggests that the prophecy was given some time after Yerovam's initial protests and spurred a second round of rebellion. It was only after this stage that Shelomo felt the need to eliminate Yerovam totally.</point> | <point><b>Achiyah's prophecy</b> – The Hoil Moshe suggests that the prophecy was given some time after Yerovam's initial protests and spurred a second round of rebellion. It was only after this stage that Shelomo felt the need to eliminate Yerovam totally.</point> | ||
</category> | </category> |
Latest revision as of 13:02, 13 September 2018
Yerovam's Rebellion
Exegetical Approaches
Overview
Commentators offer several possible motives for Yerovam's rebellion and the people's displeasure with Shelomo. The vast majority of medieval sources suggest that Shelomo's building of the Milo and closing of the city's breaches caused inconveniences for the nation and cut them off from both their king and the Mikdash. Moreover, the projects demonstrated that Shelomo was not as interested in the people's welfare as he was with the pleasure of the daughter of Paroh.
Others suggests that economic, security, and/or tribal issues lay at the core of the revolt. Thus, according to some scholars, Shelomo's extreme taxation policies took a toll on the people, and when he decided to build the Milo, they were no longer willing to quietly bear the burden. Hoil Moshe, instead, suggests that Yerovam complained about security issues caused by the expansion of the city. A final approach looks to the longstanding tribal rivalry between Yosef and Yehuda, suggesting that Yerovam, hailing from Ephraim, was mainly interested in bringing the nation's leadership back to Yosef.
As the above issues are not mutually exclusive, it is possible that each factor might have contributed to Yerovam's desire for change, and that it was a combination of all the above issues that led to the uprising.
Religious and Social Rebellion
Yerovam's opposition to Shelomo came in reaction to several of the king's building projects which demonstrated that Shelomo cared more for the daughter of Paroh than for the people's religious and social welfare.
- According to Rashi and R"Y Kara, the verse does not mean to introduce how Yerovam rebelled but rather the reason behind the attempted coup. In English the verse would read, "this is the matter about which Yerovam rebelled: Shelomo had built the Milo...."1
- The others apparently understand the verses to mean "And this is the manner in which Yerovam rebelled. [He said] 'And Shelomo built....'". Alternatively, they understand the word "הַדָּבָר" to mean "הדיבור",2 so that the verse reads "This is the speech through which Yerovam rebelled...".3 Either way, the verse introduces the actual rebellion: Yerovam's public rebuke of Shelomo's actions.
- Closed breaches – According to the Bavli, Rashi, and R"Y Kara the word comes from the root "מלא" and refers to the filling in of the holes that David had left in the city walls. Thus, the two building projects mentioned in the verse are really one and the same.
- Gathering place – Radak, instead, suggests that it refers to some sort of square in which the people would gather, as in the verse "קָרְאוּ אַחֲרֶיךָ מָלֵא" in Yirmeyahu 12. [According to him, the closing of David's holes was a distinct building project.]
- Less access to the Mikdash – According to the Bavli, Rashi, and R"Y Kara, David had intentionally left entry points to ease the way of pilgrims coming to Jerusalem for the holidays and enable them to seek out God. With Shelomo's building of the Milo these entrances were no longer accessible.5
- Less access to the king – Ralbag and Abarbanel add that David had left entry points for the people to visit the king whenever they had a grievance or a matter for him to judge. By closing the openings, Shelomo sent a message of inaccessibility6 and that he was no longer interested in giving hearings to the nation.7
Economic Issues
Yerovam revolted due to Shelomo's overly harsh and inequitable taxation policies.
- R" E Samet suggests that earlier in Shelomo's reign when the people were taxed to build the Mikdash and Shelomo's palace, they felt that the work was justified. However, after years of labor, they began to tire, especially since the new projects were not glorious buildings but simply expansions of the city.14
- R"A Israel,15 following the opinion above which assumes that building the Milo was necessary for the palace of Paroh's daughter, suggests that the people were upset that public money and labor was being used to finance Shelomo's foreign wives and personal pleasures.
Security Concerns
Shelomo's building projects raised concerns about the security of the city, provoking Yerovam to speak against the king.
- שְׁלֹמֹה בָּנָה אֶת הַמִּלּוֹא – This phrase does not mean that Shelomo built the original wall, but rather that he built on top of it. Since he thought that the Milo did not provide sufficient protection regardless, he decided to expand the city and build houses on top of the earthen mound, planning to build a stronger stone wall around the whole city at some later point.19
- סָגַר אֶת פֶּרֶץ עִיר דָּוִד – This refers to the stone wall which was to be built later to close the "open" City of David.
Tribal Rivalry
Yerovam's rebellion was rooted in the age old tribal rivalry between Yehuda and Yosef.
- In Sefer Bereshit, while Yosef is the preferred son of Yaakov, Yehuda is the de facto leader among the brothers.
- Both are destined to rule over their brothers. Yosef dreams that his brothers will bow down to him (as they do), while Yehuda is later identically blessed, "יִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְךָ בְּנֵי אָבִיךָ".
- In Divrei HaYamim we are told that though Yosef was promised the birthright, Yehuda was promised kingship.
- Under the leadership of Moshe, it is Yehoshua from the tribe of Yosef, and Chur from the tribe of Yehuda who take the role of his assistants.
- In the time of the conquest, as well, the two tribes both emerge as leaders, being the only tribes to conquer their territories.22
- In the religious realm as well, each tribe is home to a Mikdash. Shiloh houses the Mishkan, while Yerushalayim is home to the Beit HaMIkdash.23
Combination
As the above approaches are not mutually exclusive it is very possible that each of them played a role in the rebellion.