Summary of Haftarah Terumah
1 Kings 5:26-6:13
In Haftarat Terumah, King Solomon makes a covenant of peace with Hiram of Tyre and secures a trade agreement. Hiram supplies Solomon with timber and craftsmen for the construction of the Temple in exchange for agricultural produce. Solomon an Israelite labor force to prepare the materials for the Temple. Construction of the Temple begins 480 years after the exodus from Egypt.
The haftarah goes on to provide the dimensions for the Sanctuary, its porch, and the side chambers of the Temple. Solomon had all the stone dressing done at the quarries so that the sound of the iron tools would not be heard on the Temple’s construction site. When he had finished erecting the Temple’s buildings, he paneled the interiors with cedar. At the end of the haftarah portion, the word of the LORD comes to Solomon, promising Him that so long as He is faithful to the Torah, the LORD’s presence will dwell within the Temple.
The narrative describing Solomon’s construction of the Temple is an obvious choice for the haftarah of Parashat Terumah. Terumah contains the LORD’s instructions for the building of the Tabernacle and its furnishings.
From FFOZ Voice of the Prophets
ffoz.org