דברי הימים א, פרק כ״ט, פסוק י״ט

A father's final hopes for his son often blend the spiritual with the practical. In his concluding prayer for Solomon, David brings together two complementary goals: complete spiritual dedication to God and the successful construction of the Temple.

The core of David's plea is for Solomon to be granted a whole heart. This means a heart entirely free from negative tendencies or external distractions, allowing for absolute devotion to serving God [מלבי״ם]. This deep desire for spiritual wholeness is reflected later in Solomon's own prayers, where he asks for God's presence and for the people to share this same complete dedication [רש״י].

Alongside a pure heart, David prays for Solomon's commitment to the Torah, asking that he both keep and do everything required. This dual phrasing is viewed by some as a strong emphasis on the need to fulfill every single aspect of the Torah [מצודת דוד]. Others draw a distinction between the two actions: keeping refers to holding back and avoiding the violation of negative commandments, while doing points to the active, physical fulfillment of positive commandments [מלבי״ם].

Beyond spiritual perfection, David prays for the practical task ahead—the building of the Temple and its surrounding palace complex [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Although David has already gathered and prepared all the necessary materials [מצודת דוד], making the actual labor seemingly easy for his son, he knows that human preparation is never enough. He recognizes that true success is not guaranteed by readiness alone; it depends entirely on God helping Solomon bring the construction to its final completion [רש״י, רלב״ג].