To dwell in the ‘arafel. This means: [God] said that He would dwell among the Israelites in the ‘arafel—that is, the cloud (‘anan)—as the text says, “I will dwell among the Israelites” (Exod 29:45). That is, His Presence would descend in the cloud on the site of the Sanctuary, to be worshiped. Our Sages, of blessed memory (b. Yoma 53a), say that when [God] said “because I appear in the ‘anan over the Ark-cover” (Lev 16:2), He in fact hinted to them that He would appear in the ‘anan in the eternal Temple. Even though they also explain “in the ‘anan” to mean in the smoke of the incense offering (ibid.), the plain sense of the verse is that it refers to the cloud of the Divine Presence. Indeed, in the Tabernacle, His Presence appeared in the cloud constantly, as the text says, “The Presence of the Lord appeared in a cloud” (cf. Deut 31:15), and: “and there, in a cloud, appeared the Presence of the Lord” (Exod 16:10). And [God] did as He said; for He caused His Presence to dwell in the stately Temple that I built for Him, descending in the cloud.

Forever. After all, Shiloh, Nob, and Gibeon were not forever: none of them were the chosen site, about which the text says, “to the site that the Lord will choose” (Deut 12:26). Instead, it was this site, Mount Moriah, on which Abraham bound his son Isaac (Gen 22:9), which he called “the Lord will see” (Gen 22:14), and [concerning which] he said, “the mountain upon which the Lord shall appear” (ibid.)—meaning that He will appear on that mountain for all generations. When David saw the response he received there—the fire that descended there from the heavens upon his burnt offerings—he knew that it was the chosen site, and he said: “This is the abode of … God, the altar of burnt offerings for Israel” (1 Chr 22:1).

For Solomon had made a copper laver. The word “for” signals an explanation of the phrase, “opposite the entire congregation of Israel” (v. 12). [That is]: How could [Solomon] have been opposite all of them, so that all of them could see him? For he had built a copper laver and stood upon it.

After all, ha-umnam (=is it really true that). The hei has a pataḥ because it singals a rhetorical question. That is, is it really true that God dwells with man on earth? That is impossible to believe—for You are blessed and raised up over everything! You cannot have a place that contains You, because the world is contained in You, not You in the world. It is only in a metaphorical sense, then, that I built the Temple for You: it is so that Your glory should be in this Temple, along with Your readinessto heed the prayers that shall be offered to You in this place. Even though [God] readily heeds the prayers of those who cry out to Him with a sincere heart anywhere, Solomon requested of God that this chosen place help along the prayers of those who offer them, as though the Temple were a mediating angel: May You heed the prayers of all those who offer them in this Temple more quickly than those offered elsewhere.

And nasha upon him an imprecation. [This means]: if the law obligates him to swear—in the sense of: “When tasheh (=you make a loan) to your countryman, masha’at me’umah (=any kind of loan)” (Deut 24:10), which has the sense of obligation.

The imprecation shall come. This means: The one who must swear shall come to receive the imprecation before Your Altar in this Temple.

And judge. This means: Although You withhold Your anger even from one who swears falsely—and do not exact punishment from him at the time of his transgression—if he swears in this Temple do not withhold [Your anger] from him, so that people will recognize that this chosen place contributed to the quickness of the punishment and will be in awe of this Temple and in fear of it. All this is for Your honor. God too commanded so: “You shall be in awe of My Sanctuary” (Lev 19:30).

Requiting him who is in the wrong by bringing down the punishment of his conduct on his head, and vindicating him who is in the right. [“Him who is in the wrong” refers to] whichever one it might be: the one who swears—falsely; or the one who compels him to swear—needlessly, in which case the oath is taken truthfully and the punishment falls on the one who compels it.

By showing them the proper way. This means: May You advise them regarding which transgression the heavens have been stopped up, show them the proper way, and provide rain.

In any malady and in any disease. This means: Even though I have made specific mention of certain needs of Your nation Israel concerning which they might offer prayers before You, I am similarly referring to any malady or disease they might have. Any prayer or any supplication they offer before You, **pertaining to the concerns of any person or of Your nation Israel—**that is, for individuals or for the masses—may You heed, each and every man according to his malady or disease.

So that they may revere You. Seeing that You forgive them when they return to You and pray to You in this Temple, they will know that they contracted the malady or disease in punishment for a transgression, not by chance, and as a result they will revere You. This is also the meaning of: “Yours is the power to forgive, so that You may be held in awe” (Ps 130:4).

Advance, O Lord God, to Your resting-place. This means that this shall be the abode in which You and the Ark of Your strength rest forever. And may Your priests … be clothed in salvation; that is, may You accept their offerings willingly and save them. And similarly, may Your loyal ones who stay in Your Temple to pray and to learn Your ways [rejoice in the good]. Alternatively, “and Your loyal ones” refers to the Levites who would perform music in the Sanctuary.

Do not reject Your anointed one. [This means]: May all the prayers that I have offered before You be accepted by You.