Debating With the Temple’s Gates: The Dramatic Story of Solomon’s Temple Dedication, based on 1 Kings 8 and Psalms 24:7-10 (Shabbat 30a)

Appendix – The Weekly Cycle of the Daily Psalm Recited by the Levites in the Temple (Mishnah Tamid 7:4)

In honor of the upcoming holiday of Simchat Torah.¹

David asked God to forgive his sin (with Bathsheba) and to demonstrate it publicly. God promised to show this in Solomon’s time.

At the dedication of the Temple, Solomon’s prayer was answered only after invoking David’s merit, proving his forgiveness.

The Verses

(Translation JPS 1985, from Sefaria, with adjustments.)

1 Kings 8, verses 1-12, 21-23, 65-66

I_Kings.8.1-12:

אז יקהל שלמה את־זקני ישראל

את־כל־ראשי המטות נשיאי האבות לבני ישראל

אל־המלך שלמה ירושל͏ם

להעלות את־ארון ברית־יהוה מעיר דוד היא ציון

Then Solomon convoked the elders of Israel—

all the heads of the tribes and the ancestral chieftains of the Israelites—

before King Solomon in Jerusalem,

to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH from the City of David, that is, Zion.

ויקהלו אל־המלך שלמה כל־איש ישראל

1. בירח האתנים

   1. בחג

2. הוא החדש השביעי

The entire body of Israel gathered before King Solomon

1. in the month of Ethanim [=Tishrei]

   1. at the Feast (חג, i.e. Sukkot)

2. that is, the 7th month.

ויבאו כל זקני ישראל

וישאו הכהנים את־הארון

ויעלו

1. את־ארון יהוה

2. ואת־אהל מועד

3. ואת־כל־כלי הקדש אשר באהל

ויעלו אתם הכהנים והלוים

When all the elders of Israel had come,

the priests lifted the Ark

They carried up

1. the Ark of YHWH

2. and the Tent of Meeting

3. and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent.

the priests and the Levites carried them up

והמלך שלמה וכל־עדת ישראל

הנועדים עליו אתו לפני הארון

מזבחים צאן ובקר אשר לא־יספרו ולא ימנו מרב

[Meanwhile,] King Solomon and the whole community of Israel,

who were assembled with him before the Ark,

were sacrificing sheep and oxen in such abundance that they could not be numbered or counted.

ויבאו הכהנים את־ארון ברית־יהוה אל־מקומו

1. אל־דביר הבית

2. אל־קדש הקדשים

3. אל־תחת כנפי הכרובים

כי הכרובים פרשים כנפים אל־מקום הארון

ויסכו הכרבים על־הארון ועל־בדיו מלמעלה

ויארכו הבדים ויראו ראשי הבדים מן־הקדש על־פני הדביר ולא יראו החוצה

ויהיו שם עד היום הזה

The priests brought the Ark of YHWH’s Covenant to its place:

1. in the Shrine of the House,

2. in the Holy of Holies

3. underneath the wings of the cherubim,

for the cherubim had their wings spread out over the place of the Ark,

so that the cherubim shielded the Ark and its poles from above.

The poles projected so that the ends of the poles were visible in the sanctuary in front of the Shrine, [but] they could not be seen outside;

and there they remain to this day.

אין בארון רק שני לחות האבנים אשר הנח שם משה בחרב

אשר כרת יהוה עם־בני ישראל בצאתם מארץ מצרים

There was nothing inside the Ark but the two tablets of stone that Moses placed there at Horeb,

when YHWH made [a covenant] with the Israelites after their departure from the land of Egypt.

ויהי בצאת הכהנים מן־הקדש —

והענן מלא את־בית יהוה

ולא־יכלו הכהנים לעמד לשרת מפני הענן

כי־מלא כבוד־יהוה את־בית יהוה —

אז אמר שלמה:

[…]

When the priests came out of the sanctuary —

for the cloud had filled the House of YHWH

and the priests were not able to remain and perform the service because of the cloud,

for the Presence of YHWH filled the House of YHWH —

then Solomon declared:

[…]

Ibid., verses 21-23:

[…]

ואשם שם מקום לארון

אשר־שם ברית יהוה אשר כרת עם־אבתינו בהוציאו אתם מארץ מצרים

[…]

“and I [=Solomon] have set a place there for the Ark,

containing the covenant that YHWH made with our ancestors upon bringing them out from the land of Egypt.”

ויעמד שלמה לפני מזבח יהוה נגד כל־קהל ישראל

ויפרש כפיו השמים

ויאמר:

[…]

Then Solomon stood before the altar of YHWH in the presence of the whole community of Israel;

he spread the palms of his hands toward heaven

and said:

[…]

Ibid., verses 65-66:

ויעש שלמה בעת־ההיא  את־החג

וכל־ישראל עמו קהל גדול מלבוא חמת  עד־נחל מצרים

לפני יהוה אלהינו

שבעת ימים ושבעת ימים ארבעה עשר יום

So Solomon observed the Feast at that time

and all Israel with him—a great assemblage, [coming] from Lebo-hamath to the Wadi of Egypt—

before YHWH our God,

7 days and [again] 7 days, 14 days [total].

ביום השמיני שלח את־העם

ויברכו את־המלך וילכו לאהליהם

שמחים וטובי לב על כל־הטובה אשר עשה יהוה לדוד עבדו ולישראל עמו

On the 8th day he let the people go.

They bade the king good-bye and went to their homes,

joyful and glad of heart over all the goodness that YHWH had shown to His servant David and to His people Israel

2 Chronicles 6:41-7:11

II_Chronicles.6.41-7.11:

[…]

ועתה קומה יהוה אלהים לנוחך

אתה וארון עזך

כהניך יהוה אלהים ילבשו תשועה

וחסידיך ישמחו בטוב

[…]

“Advance, O YHWH God, to your resting-place,
You and Your mighty Ark.
Your priests, O YHWH God, are clothed in triumph;
Your loyal ones will rejoice in [Your] goodness.

יהוה אלהים

אל־תשב פני משיחך

זכרה לחסדי דויד עבדך

O YHWH God,
do not reject Your anointed one;
remember the loyalty of Your servant David.”

וככלות שלמה להתפלל

והאש ירדה מהשמים ותאכל העלה והזבחים

וכבוד יהוה מלא את־הבית

ולא יכלו הכהנים לבוא אל־בית יהוה

כי־מלא כבוד־יהוה את־בית יהוה

When Solomon finished praying,

fire descended from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices,

and the glory of YHWH filled the House.

The priests could not enter the House of YHWH,

for the glory of YHWH filled the House of YHWH

וכל  בני ישראל ראים ברדת האש וכבוד יהוה על־הבית

ויכרעו אפים ארצה על־הרצפה וישתחוו

והדות ליהוה כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו

All the Israelites witnessed the descent of the fire and the glory of YHWH on the House;

they knelt with their faces to the ground and prostrated themselves,

praising YHWH for He is good, for His steadfast love is eternal.

והמלך וכל־העם זבחים זבח לפני יהוה

ויזבח המלך שלמה:

1. את־זבח הבקר —

   1. עשרים ושנים אלף

2. וצאן —

   1. מאה ועשרים אלף

ויחנכו את־בית האלהים המלך וכל־העם

Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before YHWH.

King Solomon offered as sacrifices:

1. oxen —

   1. 22,000

2. and sheep —

   1. 120,000

[thus] the king and all the people dedicated the House of God.

והכהנים על־משמרותם עמדים

והלוים בכלי־שיר יהוה אשר עשה דויד המלך להדות ליהוה כי־לעולם חסדו

בהלל דויד בידם

והכהנים (מחצצרים) [מחצרים] נגדם

וכל־ישראל עמדים

The priests stood at their watches;

the Levites with the instruments for YHWH’s music that King David had made to praise YHWH, for His steadfast love is eternal,

by means of the psalms (הלל) of David that they knew (בידם - literally: “in their hands”)

The priests opposite them blew trumpets

[while] all Israel were standing.

ויקדש שלמה את־תוך החצר אשר לפני בית־יהוה

כי־עשה שם

1. העלות

2. ואת חלבי השלמים

כי־מזבח הנחשת אשר עשה שלמה לא יכול להכיל

1. את־העלה

2. ואת־המנחה

3. ואת־החלבים

Solomon consecrated the center of the court in front of the House of YHWH,

because he presented there

1. the burnt offerings (עלות)

2. and the fat parts of the offerings of well-being (שלמים)

since the bronze altar that Solomon had made was not able to hold

1. the burnt offerings,

2. the meal offerings,

3. and the fat parts.

ויעש שלמה את־החג בעת ההיא שבעת ימים וכל־ישראל עמו

קהל גדול מאד מלבוא חמת עד־נחל מצרים

At that time Solomon kept the Feast for 7 days—all Israel with him—

a great assemblage from Lebo-hamath to the Wadi of Egypt.

ויעשו ביום השמיני עצרת

כי  חנכת המזבח עשו שבעת ימים

והחג שבעת ימים

On the 8th day they held a solemn gathering (עצרת)

they observed the dedication of the altar 7 days,

and the Feast 7 days.

וביום עשרים ושלשה לחדש השביעי שלח את־העם לאהליהם

שמחים וטובי לב על־הטובה אשר עשה יהוה לדויד ולשלמה ולישראל עמו

On the 23rd day of the 7th month [=Tishrei] he dismissed the people to their homes,

rejoicing and in good spirits over the goodness that YHWH had shown to David and Solomon and His people Israel.

ויכל שלמה את־בית יהוה ואת־בית המלך

ואת כל־הבא על־לב שלמה לעשות בבית־יהוה ובביתו הצליח

[Thus] Solomon finished building the House of YHWH and the royal palace;

Solomon succeeded in everything he had set his heart on accomplishing with regard to the House of YHWH and his palace.

Psalms 24:7-10

Psalms.24.7-10:

שאו שערים  ראשיכם

והנשאו פתחי עולם

ויבוא מלך הכבוד

O gates, lift up your heads!
Up high, you everlasting doors,
so the King of glory may come in!

מי זה מלך הכבוד

יהוה עזוז וגבור

יהוה גבור מלחמה

Who is the King of glory?—
YHWH, mighty and valiant,
YHWH, valiant in battle.

שאו שערים  ראשיכם

ושאו פתחי עולם

ויבא מלך הכבוד

O gates, lift up your heads!
Lift them up, you everlasting doors,
so the King of glory may come in!

מי־הוא זה מלך הכבוד

יהוה צבאות

הוא מלך הכבוד

סלה

Who is the King of glory?—
YHWH of hosts,
He is the King of glory!

Selah.

Outline

Intro

The Verses

1. 1 Kings 8, verses 1-12, 21-23, 65-66

2. 2 Chronicles 6:41-7:11

3. Psalms 24:7-10

The Passage - Debating With the Temple’s Gates: The Dramatic Story of Solomon’s First Temple Dedication (Shabbat 30a; 1 Kings 8; Psalms 24:7-10)

1. Rav Yehuda citing Rav - David’s Request for Forgiveness (for his sin with Bathsheba); Sign of Forgiveness Deferred Until Solomon’s Time - Psalms 86:17

2. Solomon’s Attempt to Bring the Ark into the Holy of Holies (1 Kings 8:1–21) and Twenty-Four Songs of Praise (ibid., 22–61)

3. Invocation of Psalms 24:7, the Gates’ Reaction

4. Clarification of the King of Glory (Psalms 24:9–10)

5. Invocation of David’s Merit (II Chronicles 6:42, 7:1) and Immediate Response from Heaven

6. Israel’s Recognition of David’s Forgiveness and Reflection on Solomon and David

7. Celebration After the Temple Dedication: Five Subsequent spiritual and physical blessings experienced by the people (ibid., verse 66)

Appendix – The Weekly Cycle of the Daily Psalm Recited by the Levites in the Temple (Mishnah Tamid 7:4)

The Passage

Shabbat.30a.6-8²

Rav Yehuda citing Rav - David’s Request for Forgiveness (for his sin with Bathsheba); Sign of Forgiveness Deferred Until Solomon’s Time - Psalms 86:17

This Talmud explains the verse “And I praised the dead that are already dead” as aligning with Rav Yehuda’s interpretation in the name of Rav.

Rav Yehuda cites Psalms 86:17, homiletically interpreting it as David asking God for a sign (אות) that his sin with Bathsheba has been forgiven. God assures David of forgiveness but declines to reveal it during David’s lifetime. Instead, God promises to make it known during the reign of David’s son, Solomon.

דבר אחר:

״ושבח אני וגו׳״,

כדרב יהודה, אמר רב.

דאמר רב יהודה, אמר רב:

מאי דכתיב:

״עשה עמי אות לטובה

ויראו שונאי ויבושו״

Alternatively, another explanation is given for the verse:

“And I praised the dead that are already dead,”

is in accordance with that which Rav Yehuda said that Rav said.

As Rav Yehuda said that Rav said:

What is the meaning of the verse that was written:

“Work on my behalf a sign for good;

that they that hate me may see it, and be put to shame” (Psalms 86:17)?

אמר דוד לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא:

רבונו של עולם!

מחול לי על אותו עון.

אמר לו: מחול לך.

אמר לו: “עשה עמי אות” בחיי.

אמר לו:

• בחייך --

  • איני מודיע,

• בחיי שלמה בנך --

  • אני מודיע.

David said before God:

God!

forgive me for that sin in the matter of Bathsheba.

He said to him: It is forgiven you.

David said to Him: “Show me a sign” in my lifetime so that all will know that You have forgiven me.

God said to him:

• In your lifetime --

  • I will not make it known that you were forgiven;

• however, in the lifetime of your son Solomon --

  • I will make it known.

Solomon’s Attempt to Bring the Ark into the Holy of Holies (1 Kings 8:1–21) and Twenty-Four Songs of Praise (ibid., 22–61)

When Solomon tried to bring the Ark into the Holy of Holies,³ the gates clung together and could not be opened.

Solomon uttered 24 songs of praise,⁴ but his prayer was not answered.

כשבנה שלמה את בית המקדש,

ביקש להכניס ארון לבית קדשי הקדשים.

דבקו שערים זה בזה.

אמר שלמה עשרים וארבעה רננות, ולא נענה.

When Solomon built the Temple

and sought to bring the Ark into the Holy of Holies,

the gates clung together and could not be opened.

Solomon uttered 24 songs of praise, as in his prayer there are 24 expressions of prayer, song, etc. (I Kings 8), and his prayer was not answered.

Invocation of Psalms 24:7, the Gates’ Reaction

Solomon recited: “Lift up your heads, O you gates, and be you lifted up, you everlasting doors; that the King of glory may come in” (Psalms 24:7).

The gates ran after Solomon to swallow him, thinking he referred to himself as the “King of glory.”

פתח ואמר:

״שאו שערים ראשיכם

והנשאו פתחי עולם

ויבא מלך הכבוד״.

רהטו בתריה למיבלעיה,

אמרו: ״מי הוא זה מלך הכבוד?!״

He began and said:

“Lift up your heads, O you gates,

and be you lifted up, you everlasting doors;

that the King of glory may come in” (Psalms 24:7).

Immediately, the gates ran after him to swallow him, as they thought that in the words: “King of glory” he was referring to himself,

and they said to him: “Who is the King of glory?!” (Psalms 24:8).

Clarification of the King of Glory (Psalms 24:9–10)

Solomon replied: “YHWH strong and mighty, YHWH mighty in battle” (Psalms 24:8) and repeated his request with further clarification (Psalms 24:9–10), but he still wasn’t answered.⁵

אמר להו: ״ה׳ עזוז וגבור״.

חזר ואמר:

״שאו שערים ראשיכם

ושאו פתחי עולם

ויבא מלך הכבוד

מי הוא זה מלך הכבוד?

ה׳ צבאות הוא מלך הכבוד

סלה״,

ולא נענה.

He said to them: “YHWH strong and mighty, YHWH mighty in battle” (Psalms 24:8).

And he said again:

“Lift up your heads, O you gates,

yea, lift them up, you everlasting doors;

that the King of glory may come in.

Who then is the King of glory?

YHWH of hosts; He is the King of glory.

Selah” (Psalms 24:9–10),

and he was not answered.

Invocation of David’s Merit (II Chronicles 6:42, 7:1) and Immediate Response from Heaven

Solomon finally said: “O YHWH God, turn not away the face of Your anointed; remember the good deeds of David Your servant” (II Chronicles 6:42).

Upon invoking David’s merit, Solomon’s prayer was answered, and fire descended from Heaven (II Chronicles 7:1).

כיון שאמר:

״ה׳ אלהים!

אל תשב פני משיחך

זכרה לחסדי דוד עבדך״,

מיד נענה.

When he said:

“YHWH God,

turn not away the face of Your anointed;

remember the good deeds of David Your servant” (II Chronicles 6:42),

he was immediately answered, and a fire descended from Heaven (II Chronicles 7:1).

Israel’s Recognition of David’s Forgiveness and Reflection on Solomon and David

Everyone realized that God had forgiven David, even David’s enemies.⁶

The incident highlights Solomon’s statement: “And I praised the dead that are already dead” (Ecclesiastes 4:2), referring to David as more praiseworthy than Solomon himself, as God responded to David’s merit but initially not to Solomon’s request.

באותה שעה --

נהפכו פני כל שונאי דוד כשולי קדירה,

וידעו כל העם, וכל ישראל, שמחל לו הקדוש ברוך הוא על אותו עון.

ולא יפה אמר שלמה:

״ושבח אני את המתים שכבר מתו״?!

At that moment --

the faces of all of David’s enemies turned dark like the charred bottom of a pot.

And all of Israel knew that God forgave him for that sin.

And if so, is it not appropriate what Solomon said:

“And I praised the dead that are already dead,”

David, more than the living, Solomon, to whose request to open the gates of the Temple God did not respond?

Celebration After the Temple Dedication: Five Subsequent spiritual and physical blessings experienced by the people (ibid., verse 66)

The Talmud homiletically interprets the verse from I Kings 8:66⁷ as referring to both spiritual and physical blessings experienced by the people:

1. “Went unto their tents”: This is interpreted as finding their wives ritually pure (from nida-status) upon returning home.⁸

2. “Joyful”: Refers to the people’s experience of the aura⁹ of the Shekhina (Divine Presence) during the dedication.

3. “Glad of heart”: Interpreted as saying that their wives conceived and gave birth to male children.

4. “For all the goodness”: Indicates that God forgave David for his sin

5. “And to Israel His people”: God also forgave the people for not fasting on Yom Kippur that year.¹⁰

והיינו דכתיב:

״ביום השמיני שלח את העם

ויברכו את המלך

וילכו לאהליהם שמחים וטובי לב

על כל הטובה אשר עשה ה׳ לדוד עבדו, ולישראל עמו״.

And that is what is written:

“On the 8th day he sent the people away,

and they blessed the king,

and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart

for all the goodness that YHWH had shown unto David His servant and to Israel His people” (I Kings 8:66).

1. ״וילכו לאהליהם״ —

   1. שמצאו נשותיהן בטהרה.

2. ״שמחים״ —

   1. שנהנו מזיו השכינה.

3. ״וטובי לב״ —

   1. שנתעברו נשותיהן של כל אחד ואחד, וילדה זכר.

4. ״על כל הטובה אשר עשה ה׳ לדוד עבדו (ולישראל עמו״. ״לדוד עבדו)״ —

   1. שמחל לו על אותו עון.

5. ״ולישראל עמו״ —

   1. דאחיל להו עון דיום הכפורים.

The Talmud explains:

1. “And went unto their tents” --

   1. in accordance with the common expression: One’s house is his wife. It is explained that when they returned home they found their wives ritually pure from the ritual impurity of menstruation.

2. “Joyful” --

   1. means that they enjoyed the aura (זיו) of the Shekhina at the dedication of the Temple.

3. “And glad of heart” --

   1. means that the wife of each and every one of them was impregnated and gave birth to a male.

4. “For all the goodness that YHWH had shown unto David His servant and to Israel His people” --

   1. “Unto David His servant” means that at that opportunity they all saw that God forgave him for that sin.

5. “And to Israel His people” --

   1. means that He forgave them for the sin of Yom Kippur, as they did not fast that year (see I Kings 8:65).

Appendix – The Weekly Cycle of the Daily Psalm Recited by the Levites in the Temple (Mishnah Tamid 7:4)

Mishnah_Tamid.7.4

The final Mishnah in tractate Tamid states that the Levites recited (אומרים) a specific psalm (שיר) each day in the Temple:¹¹

1. Sunday: Psalm 24 – “The earth is YHWH’s and all it contains.”

2. Monday: Psalm 48 – “Great is YHWH and highly to be praised.”

3. Tuesday: Psalm 82 – “God stands in the divine assembly.”

4. Wednesday: Psalm 94 – “O YHWH, God of vengeance, shine forth.”

5. Thursday: Psalm 81 – “Sing for joy to God, our strength.”

6. Friday: Psalm 93 – “YHWH reigns, robed in majesty.”

7. Shabbat: Psalm 92 – “A psalm, a song for Shabbat,” interpreted as referring to the (messianic) future¹² eternal Shabbat: “the day that will be entirely (כלו) Shabbat and rest (מנוחה) for everlasting life (חיי העולמים)”.

השיר שהיו הלוים אומרים במקדש:

1. ביום הראשון היו אומרים (תהילים כ״ד):

   1. “לה’ הארץ ומלואה, תבל וישבי בה”

2. בשני היו אומרים (שם מח):

   1. “גדול ה’ ומהלל מאד, בעיר אלהינו הר קדשו”

3. בשלישי היו אומרים (שם פב):

   1. “אלהים נצב בעדת אל, בקרב אלהים ישפט”

4. ברביעי היו אומרים (שם צד):

   1. “אל נקמות ה’, אל נקמות הופיע וגו’.

5. בחמישי היו אומרים (שם פא):

   1. “הרנינו לאלהים עוזנו, הריעו לאלהי יעקב”

6. בששי היו אומרים (שם צג):

   1. “ה’ מלך גאות לבש וגו’”

7. בשבת היו אומרים (שם צב):

   1. “מזמור שיר ליום השבת”

   2. מזמור שיר לעתיד לבא, ליום שכלו שבת, מנוחה לחיי העולמים

The following is a list of each daily psalm that the Levites would recite in the Temple:

1. On Sunday¹³ they would recite

   1. the psalm beginning: “A psalm of David. The earth is YHWH’s and all it contains, the world and all who live in it” (Psalms, chapter 24).

2. On Monday they would recite

   1. the psalm beginning: “A song; a psalm of the sons of Korah. Great is YHWH and highly to be praised in the city of God, on His sacred mountain” (Psalms, chapter 48).

3. On Tuesday they would recite

   1. the psalm beginning: “A psalm of Asaph. God stands in the divine assembly; among the judges He delivers judgment” (Psalms, chapter 82).

4. On Wednesday they would recite

   1. the psalm beginning: “O YHWH God, to Whom vengeance belongs, God to Whom vengeance belongs, shine forth” (Psalms, chapter 94).

5. On Thursday they would recite

   1. the psalm beginning: “For the leader; upon the Gittith, a psalm of Asaph. Sing for joy to God, our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob” (Psalms, chapter 81).

6. On Friday they would recite

   1. the psalm beginning: “YHWH reigns: He is robed in majesty; YHWH is robed, girded with strength” (Psalms, chapter 93).

7. On Shabbat [=Saturday] they would recite

   1. the psalm beginning: “A psalm, a song for Shabbat day” (Psalms, chapter 92).

   2. This is interpreted as a psalm, a song for the future, for the day that will be entirely Shabbat and rest (מנוחה) for everlasting life.

1. This sugya is framed around the elaborate narrative of the dedication of Solomon’s Temple in 1 Kings 8. That occurred on the festival of Sukkot, see Wikipedia, “1 Kings 8“, section “The dedication of the Temple (8:1–21)“, sub-section “Verse 2“:

And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.

• “Feast in the...seventh month”: This was the “Feast of Tabernacles” or “Sukkot”, see Leviticus 23:34.

• “The month of Ethanim”: or Tishrei/Tishri, which is September or October in Gregorian calendar.

In addition, another connection of our sugya to Simchat Torah is that on Simchat Torah, the following verse from Psalms 24:7 is traditionally sung: “Lift up your heads, O you gates, and be you lifted up, you everlasting doors; that the King of glory may come in”.

I also re-posted my “Sukkot in the Second Temple: Rituals of the Lulav, Willow, and Water Drawing Ceremony (Mishnah Sukkah 4:4-5:4)”, which was originally posted a year ago, on Oct 10, 2024.

2. Notably, the Steinsaltz sections in this sugya are unusually long, making the formatting especially unhelpful, and especially difficult to follow the translation. Ed. Steinsatz (at Sefaria) breaks down this entire sugya into only three passages. In contrast, in this piece I split the sugya into seven sections.

And compare Sefaria formatting vs. ChavrutAI formatting:

Sefaria, screenshot, on 25% zoom, https://www.sefaria.org.il/Shabbat.30a.6-7:

The same two sections in ChavrutAI, screenshot, on 25% zoom, https://chavrutai.com/tractate/shabbat/30a#section-6:

Interestingly and notably, the traditional printed layout of this Talmudic page (i.e., the tzurat hadaf) features two columns rather than the usual three, owing to the absence of any Tosafot (a necessary, though not sufficient, condition for a Talmudic page to be set in two columns instead of three):

This page in the 19th century Vilna-Romm edition:

This page in the 16th century Venice-Bomberg edition:

3. See Wikipedia, “1 Kings 8”, section “The dedication of the Temple (8:1–21)”:

The temple dedication began with a procession of the ark from the tent in the city of David (cf. 2 Samuel 6:16–17; 7:2; 1 Kings 3:15) to the temple grounds.

4. I.e. Solomon’s prayer in I Kings 8:22ff is understood to contain 24 expressions of prayer and song.

Compare Wikipedia, “1 Kings 8”, section “Solomon’s dedicational prayer at the Temple (8:22–61)”.

For an attempt to get to an exact count of the 24 expressions, see the following article:

מה הם 24 הרננות שבתפילת שלמה?

5. See Wikipedia, “Psalm 24”, section “Background”:

David may have composed this psalm after buying the Temple Mount, intending for it to be sung at the dedication of the Temple by his son, Solomon. In verses 7 and 9, he instructs the gates of the Temple to open to receive God’s glory at that time.

The Talmud notes that when Solomon came to dedicate the Temple and bring in the Ark of the Covenant, the gates refused to open. They acceded only after Solomon prayed for them to open in the merit of his father, David.

Another possible Sitz im Leben of Psalm 24 is the situation described in 1 Chronicles 15 and 2 Samuel 6 where David brings the Ark of the Covenant from Obed-Edom’s house up to the Tabernacle in Jerusalem [...]

Psalm 24 is designated as the Psalm of the Day for the first day of the week (Sunday) [...]

On the final sentence, see my appendix at the end of this piece: “Appendix – The Weekly Cycle of the Daily Psalm Recited by the Levites in the Temple (Mishnah Tamid 7:4)“.

On Obed-Edom and the ark in the Talmud, see my previous piece.

6. “David’s enemies’ faces turned [dark] like the charred bottom of a pot” (נהפכו פני כל שונאי דוד כשולי קדירה).

“Faces turned [dark] like the charred bottom of a pot” is a common Talmudic idiom for public embarrassment. For another example of the usage of this idiom, see my piece here, section “Alternative Explanations of Ahasuerus’ Name: Shmuel - Jews suffered greatly under Ahasuerus, turning their faces black like a pot’s bottom; R’ Yoḥanan - cries of woe, R’ Ḥanina - he impoverished everyone through heavy taxation (Esther 10:1)“:

ושמואל אמר:

שהושחרו פניהם של ישראל בימיו

כשולי קדרה.

And Shmuel said:

The name Ahasuerus should be understood in the sense of black [shaḥor], as

the face of the Jewish people was blackened (הושחרו) in his days

like the bottom of a pot.

7. Describing the people’s joy upon returning home after the dedication of the Temple; see Wikipedia, “1 Kings 8”, section “The Feast of the Temple Dedication (8:62–66)”

8. And were therefore permitted to have marital sex. See further, that this marital sex led to their wives conceiving and giving birth to male children.

9. זיו -“ziv” - see my note on this word in my previous piece.

10. See my previous piece, on the talmudic passage about a bat kol that proclaimed that they wouldn’t be punished for this.

11. Compare Wikipedia, “Shir shel yom”.

Each psalm is referred to in this Mishnah by its incipet, meaning the first unique words (as opposed to the words “mizmor”, which is how many psalms begin); the chapter numberings were a later innovation.

12. לעתיד לבא - i.e. in the future messianic era. This is the conventional term in Talmudic literature used to denote the future messianic era.

13. ביום הראשון - literally: “the first day”, i.e. the first day of the week. This is the standard way to refer to the day of the week in Hebrew, including in contemporary modern Hebrew.