וַיֵּלֶךְ רְחַבְעָם שְׁכֶם כִּי שְׁכֶם בָּא כָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַמְלִיךְ אֹתוֹ

Rehavam went to Shekhem, for all Israel had come to Shekhem to crown him. Although the Temple was in Jerusalem, the people did not yet consider Jerusalem their capital city. Perhaps Shekhem was deemed a more appropriate location for the new king’s coronation over the entire nation, due to its central location. Alternatively, the people deliberately arranged for the coronation to take place in Shekhem in order to strengthen Yorovam and undermine Rehavam’s authority.

וַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ יָרָבְעָם בֶּן־נְבָט וְהוּא עוֹדֶנּוּ בְמִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר בָּרַח מִפְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה וַיֵּשֶׁב יָרָבְעָם בְּמִצְרָיִם

It was when Yorovam son of Nevat heard about Solomon’s death and the coronation of Rehavam, and he was still in Egypt, where he had fled due to King Solomon, and Yorovam had settled in Egypt, in a kind of political exile,

וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ וַיִּקְרְאוּ־לוֹ וַיָּבֹא יָרָבְעָם וְכָל־קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֶל־רְחַבְעָם לֵאמֹר

that they sent and summoned him following King Solomon’s death. The tribes of Israel were familiar with Yorovam, and apparently thought that as he had been bold enough to criticize Solomon during the king’s own lifetime, he was the right person to present their demands to his son, Rehavam. Yorovam and representatives of the entire congregation of Israel came, and they spoke to Rehavam, seeking a serious conversation about the political system, saying:

אָבִיךָ הִקְשָׁה אֶת־עֻלֵּנוּ וְאַתָּה עַתָּה הָקֵל מֵעֲבֹדַת אָבִיךָ הַקָּשָׁה וּמֵעֻלּוֹ הַכָּבֵד אֲשֶׁר־נָתַן עָלֵינוּ וְנַעַבְדֶךָּ

Your father made our yoke difficult through his extensive taxation. Although Solomon received large amounts of gold and silver from external sources, he also levied hefty taxes in order to fund the high costs of his government and his palaces. As for you, lighten now the difficult labor of your father, and his heavy yoke that he placed upon us, and we will serve you. We agree to accept your rule, but we ask you to lighten our tax burden.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם לְכוּ־עֹד שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים וְשׁוּבוּ אֵלָי וַיֵּלְכוּ הָעָם

He said to them: Go for three more days, to give me time to consider the matter, and return to me. The people went.

וַיִּוָּעַץ הַמֶּלֶךְ רְחַבְעָם אֶת־הַזְּקֵנִים אֲשֶׁר־הָיוּ עֹמְדִים אֶת־פְּנֵי שְׁלֹמֹה אָבִיו בִּהְיֹתוֹ חַי לֵאמֹר אֵיךְ אַתֶּם נוֹעָצִים לְהָשִׁיב אֶת־הָעָם־הַזֶּה דָּבָר

King Rehavam consulted with the elders, who had stood and served as government advisors before Solomon his father while he was alive, saying: How do you counsel to respond to this people?

וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר אִם־הַיּוֹם תִּהְיֶה־עֶבֶד לָעָם הַזֶּה וַעֲבַדְתָּם וַעֲנִיתָם וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם דְּבָרִים טוֹבִים וְהָיוּ לְךָ עֲבָדִים כָּל־הַיָּמִים

They spoke to him, saying: If today you are a servant to this people, serve them by accepting their request, respond to them, and speak kind words to them, they will be your servants always. Rehavam would have fewer expenses than Solomon, as he was not engaged in any grand building projects. Therefore, the experienced advisors counseled him to agree to the people’s request. Perhaps they recognized the people’s bitterness and realized that the new king had not yet firmly established his authority. They therefore advised him to accept the people’s appeal at this time.

וַיַּעֲזֹב אֶת־עֲצַת הַזְּקֵנִים אֲשֶׁר יְעָצֻהוּ וַיִּוָּעַץ אֶת־הַיְלָדִים אֲשֶׁר גָּדְלוּ אִתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר הָעֹמְדִים לְפָנָיו

He, Rehavam, abandoned the counsel of the elders who counseled him. These elders did not have their own independent ministries, but were secretaries to the king and dependent upon him, and therefore he could simply ignore their advice. And instead, he, Rehavam, consulted the youths who had grown up with him, who were standing now before him, and around whom he intended to construct his government.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם מָה אַתֶּם נוֹעָצִים וְנָשִׁיב דָּבָר אֶת־הָעָם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר דִּבְּרוּ אֵלַי לֵאמֹר הָקֵל מִן־הָעֹל אֲשֶׁר־נָתַן אָבִיךָ עָלֵינוּ

He said to them: What do you counsel that we may respond to this people, who spoke to me, saying: Ease the yoke that your father placed upon us?

וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֵלָיו הַיְלָדִים אֲשֶׁר גָּדְלוּ אִתּוֹ לֵאמֹר כֹּה־תֹאמַר לָעָם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר דִּבְּרוּ אֵלֶיךָ לֵאמֹר אָבִיךָ הִכְבִּיד אֶת־עֻלֵּנוּ וְאַתָּה הָקֵל מֵעָלֵינוּ כֹּה תְּדַבֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם קָטָנִּי עָבָה מִמָּתְנֵי אָבִי

The youths who grew up with him spoke to him, saying: So you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying: Your father made our yoke heavy; you, ease it for us; so shall you speak to them: My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. Do you think that I will be a minor king, the son of a great king? On the contrary, if my father was great, I will be even more powerful.

וְעַתָּה אָבִי הֶעְמִיס עֲלֵיכֶם עֹל כָּבֵד וַאֲנִי אֹסִיף עַל־עֻלְּכֶם אָבִי יִסַּר אֶתְכֶם בַּשּׁוֹטִים וַאֲנִי אֲיַסֵּר אֶתְכֶם בָּעַקְרַבִּים

Now, my father burdened you with a heavy yoke; I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with barbed lashes, whips with spikes at the end, that cause tremendous pain. Rehavam had grown up as a prince, fully confident in his entitled status. His young advisors also assumed that the monarchy would not be taken from their friend and patron under any circumstances. Consequently, they counseled him not to give a gentle response and not to accept the people’s request even partially, but rather to confront Yorovam and the entire nation with the full authority of the new king.

וַיָּבוֹ יָרָבְעָם וְכָל־הָעָם אֶל־רְחַבְעָם בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר הַמֶּלֶךְ לֵאמֹר שׁוּבוּ אֵלַי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי

Yorovam and all the people came to Rehavam on the third day, as the king had spoken, saying: Return to me on the third day.

וַיַּעַן הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־הָעָם קָשָׁה וַיַּעֲזֹב אֶת־עֲצַת הַזְּקֵנִים אֲשֶׁר יְעָצֻהוּ

The king answered the people harshly, and he abandoned the counsel of the elders who had counseled him.

וַיְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם כַּעֲצַת הַיְלָדִים לֵאמֹר אָבִי הִכְבִּיד אֶת־עֻלְּכֶם וַאֲנִי אֹסִיף עַל־עֻלְּכֶם אָבִי יִסַּר אֶתְכֶם בַּשּׁוֹטִים וַאֲנִי אֲיַסֵּר אֶתְכֶם בָּעַקְרַבִּים

He spoke to them in accordance with the counsel of the youths, saying: My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, and I will chastise you with barbed lashes.

וְלֹא־שָׁמַע הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־הָעָם כִּי־הָיְתָה סִבָּה מֵעִם ה' לְמַעַן הָקִים אֶת־דְּבָרוֹ אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' בְּיַד אֲחִיָּה הַשִּׁילֹנִי אֶל־יָרָבְעָם בֶּן־נְבָט

The king did not heed the people. Perhaps Rehavam acted in this manner due to personal psychological factors; as the son of the king, he considered himself above all the rest. Alternatively, he was simply not wise enough to come to a more sensible decision. However, the verse itself states a very different kind of reason, more characteristic of a book of Prophets: As it was a plan from the Lord, in order to fulfill His word that the Lord had spoken by means of Ahiya the Shilonite to Yorovam son of Nevat. These events unfolded in this manner in order to fulfill the decree pronounced by the prophet Ahiya (11:31–37).

וַיַּרְא כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי לֹא־שָׁמַע הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲלֵהֶם וַיָּשִׁבוּ הָעָם אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּבָר לֵאמֹר מַה־לָּנוּ חֵלֶק בְּדָוִד וְלֹא־נַחֲלָה בְּבֶן־יִשַׁי לְאֹהָלֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַתָּה רְאֵה בֵיתְךָ דָּוִד וַיֵּלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאֹהָלָיו

All Israel saw that the king did not heed them, and the people responded to the king, saying: What share is there in David for us? There is no inheritance for us in the son of Yishai. We have no essential ties to the Davidic dynasty. Disperse to your tents, Israel, a slogan that had previously been used by those who opposed King David. Now, see to your own house, David; rule over your own family alone. If you will not take our requests into account, we will separate from you and consider ourselves no longer bound to your regime. Israel went to their tents.

וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַיֹּשְׁבִים בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וַיִּמְלֹךְ עֲלֵיהֶם רְחַבְעָם

But as for the children of Israel who resided in the cities of Judah, Rehavam reigned over them, as they accepted his authority.

וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ רְחַבְעָם אֶת־אֲדֹרָם אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַמַּס וַיִּרְגְּמוּ כָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בּוֹ אֶבֶן וַיָּמֹת וְהַמֶּלֶךְ רְחַבְעָם הִתְאַמֵּץ לַעֲלוֹת בַּמֶּרְכָּבָה לָנוּס יְרוּשָׁלִָם

King Rehavam sent Adoram, who was appointed over the levy back in the days of David, and therefore he must have been an elderly and distinguished man. And despite this, all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Presumably, the officer of the levy was not a popular figure, and therefore the decision to send him to enforce order was unwise. King Rehavam, seeing the mass rioting, hastened to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. It is possible that the stones were aimed only at the individual whose demands directly provoked the people at that moment, rather than at Rehavam himself, as they might have retained some respect for the king or his father.

וַיִּפְשְׁעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּבֵית דָּוִד עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

Thus, Israel rebelled against the house of David, to this day. The stoning of Adoram was a kind of uprising and a declaration of war on the part of Israel against the house of David. Since they had lived under a monarchy for decades, they realized that they could not return to the anarchy of the times of the judges. Rather, they wished to establish an alternative kingdom.

וַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי־שָׁב יָרָבְעָם וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ וַיִּקְרְאוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל־הָעֵדָה וַיַּמְלִיכוּ אֹתוֹ עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא הָיָה אַחֲרֵי בֵית־דָּוִד זוּלָתִי שֵׁבֶט־יְהוּדָה לְבַדּוֹ

It was when all Israel heard that Yorovam had returned, and they sent and summoned him to the congregation; they crowned him king over all Israel, as he had been the head of the opposition to the Davidic dynasty even during Solomon’s lifetime. There were none who followed the house of David, except the tribe of Judah alone, and possibly the tribe of Benjamin as well.

וַיָּבֹא רְחַבְעָם יְרוּשָׁלִַם וַיַּקְהֵל אֶת־כָּל־בֵּית יְהוּדָה וְאֶת־שֵׁבֶט בִּנְיָמִן מֵאָה וּשְׁמֹנִים אֶלֶף בָּחוּר עֹשֵׂה מִלְחָמָה לְהִלָּחֵם עִם־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהָשִׁיב אֶת־הַמְּלוּכָה לִרְחַבְעָם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹה

Rehavam, who considered the secession solely in terms of a rebellion against his reign, came to Jerusalem, and he assembled the entire house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, which was located nearby and was friendly with Judah. One hundred and eighty thousand choice warriors gathered to wage war against the house of Israel, to forcefully restore the kingdom to Rehavam son of Solomon, and impose his rule over the entire nation. Rehavam had an entire army at his behest, whereas the rest of Israel had not yet had a chance to organize themselves.

וַיְהִי דְּבַר הָאֱלֹהִים אֶל־שְׁמַעְיָה אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים לֵאמֹר׃

The word of God was with Shemaya, the man of God, saying. Shemaya was a new prophet who revealed himself at this stage, when there arose a need for his message:

אֱמֹר אֶל־רְחַבְעָם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וְאֶל־כָּל־בֵּית יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִין וְיֶתֶר הָעָם לֵאמֹר׃

Say to Rehavam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to the entire house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying:

כֹּה אָמַר ה' לֹא־תַעֲלוּ וְלֹא־תִלָּחֲמוּן עִם־אֲחֵיכֶם בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל שׁוּבוּ אִישׁ לְבֵיתוֹ כִּי מֵאִתִּי נִהְיָה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶת־דְּבַר ה' וַיָּשֻׁבוּ לָלֶכֶת כִּדְבַר ה'

So said the Lord: You shall not go up, and you shall not wage war against your brethren the children of Israel; each man return to his house, as this matter is from Me. A prophet had the right to veto any governmental decision, including the decision to wage war. They heeded the word of the Lord, and they refrained from going, in accordance with the word of the Lord. Little is known of Rehavam’s nature, but even if he was not as righteous as his grandfather David, he had no doubt that he must obey the prophet in this regard.

וַיִּבֶן יָרָבְעָם אֶת־שְׁכֶם בְּהַר אֶפְרַיִם וַיֵּשֶׁב בָּהּ וַיֵּצֵא מִשָּׁם וַיִּבֶן אֶת־פְּנוּאֵל

Yorovam built up Shekhem, the prominent city where his coronation had been held, in the highlands of Ephraim, and he dwelled in it. He later left there, and built Penuel, in the territory of Gad on the eastern side of the Jordan River. Perhaps Yorovam left Shekhem due to the complex associations it aroused in the minds of the people, or maybe he was disturbed by the ancient history of the city involving the Canaanites who lived there in the time of Jacob. Alternatively, he left Shekhem precisely because it was located in the territory of his native tribe, Ephraim, as he wanted to be perceived as reaching out to the rest of the nation.

וַיֹּאמֶר יָרָבְעָם בְּלִבּוֹ עַתָּה תָּשׁוּב הַמַּמְלָכָה לְבֵית־דָּוִד

Yorovam said in his heart: Although many people joined my protest and anointed me as their king, and I have built several cities, I am concerned that now the kingdom will return to the house of David.

אִם־יַעֲלֶה הָעָם הַזֶּה לַעֲשׂוֹת זְבָחִים בְּבֵית־ה' בִּירוּשָׁלִַם וְשָׁב לֵב הָעָם הַזֶּה אֶל־אֲדֹנֵיהֶם אֶל־רְחַבְעָם מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וַהֲרָגֻנִי וְשָׁבוּ אֶל־רְחַבְעָם מֶלֶךְ־ יְהוּדָה

If this people goes up to perform offerings in the House of the Lord in Jerusalem, the heart of this people will return to their lord, to Rehavam king of Judah, as Jerusalem remains his capital; and they will kill me and return to Rehavam king of Judah.

וַיִּוָּעַץ הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיַּעַשׂ שְׁנֵי עֶגְלֵי זָהָב וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם רַב לָכֶם מֵעֲלוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם הִנֵּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם

The king consulted, and he fashioned two golden calves. He said to them, the people of Israel: Going up to Jerusalem is superfluous for you. Behold, these are representations of your gods, Israel, which took you up from the land of Egypt.

וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־הָאֶחָד בְּבֵית־אֵל וְאֶת־הָאֶחָד נָתַן בְּדָן

He placed one in Beit El, an ancient place of worship, and placed the other in the north, in the territory of Dan. The two calves were thus located at the two ends of his kingdom.

וַיְהִי הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה לְחַטָּאת וַיֵּלְכוּ הָעָם לִפְנֵי הָאֶחָד עַד־דָּן

This matter became a sin; the people went before one of them as far as Dan, at the edge of the land. The people became attached to the worship of these calves.

וַיַּעַשׂ אֶת־בֵּית בָּמוֹת וַיַּעַשׂ כֹּהֲנִים מִקְצוֹת הָעָם אֲשֶׁר לֹא־הָיוּ מִבְּנֵי לֵוִי

He, Yorovam, made a shrine, with altars, and he appointed priests from the range of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi. In Solomon’s Temple, the service was performed by priests from the tribe of Levi, as commanded by the Torah. However, even non-priests were permitted to perform the sacrificial service in the shrines before the construction of the Temple. Consequently, Samuel and Saul, who were not priests, were permitted to offer sacrifices. Thus, Yorovam considered David and Solomon innovators, whereas he remained loyal to the older practice. In his mind, the rituals of his calves closely resembled the ancient Israelite customs. The division of the sacrificial service into two separate sites and the performance of the services by priests from all sectors of the nation were very similar to commonplace practices from a short time previously.

וַיַּעַשׂ יָרָבְעָם חָג בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁמִינִי בַּחֲמִשָּׁה־עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ כֶּחָג אֲשֶׁר בִּיהוּדָה וַיַּעַל עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כֵּן עָשָׂה בְּבֵית־אֵל לְזַבֵּחַ לָעֲגָלִים אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה וְהֶעֱמִיד בְּבֵית אֵל אֶת־כֹּהֲנֵי הַבָּמוֹת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה

In order to accentuate the difference between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, Yorovam made a festival in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival that is in Judah. The festival of Sukkot was celebrated in Judah on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, Tishrei. Yorovam delayed it until the eighth month, Heshvan. Since it is unusual for there to be strong rains in this early winter month, it was still possible to organize a public celebration. And he, Yorovam himself, went up onto the altar. So he did in Beit El, to sacrifice to the calves that he had fashioned; he installed in Beit El the priests of the shrines that he had appointed. Yorovam preferred to celebrate this new festival in Beit El, both because it had been considered a sacred place for generations and because it was more centrally located than the northern region of Dan, which meant that it was more accessible to the majority of the people. Thus, the primary calf was the one in Beit El, while the one in Dan was used by the residents of the Galilee, so that they would not have to travel too far.

וַיַּעַל עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה בְּבֵית־אֵל בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁמִינִי בַּחֹדֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־בָּדָא מִלִּבּוֹ וַיַּעַשׂ חָג לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעַל עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לְהַקְטִיר

He ascended onto the altar that he had made in Beit El on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the month that he fabricated from his own heart. The festival of Sukkot in the seventh month had been established at Mount Sinai, whereas the festival of the eighth month was fabricated by Yorovam. And he made a festival for the children of Israel, and he went up onto the altar to burn offerings. Since his priests were not from the tribe of Levi, Yorovam, who was from the tribe of Ephraim, could also perform the priestly duties.