מלכים א, פרק ה׳, פסוק כ״ח

Organizing the massive workforce required to build the Temple was a complex logistical operation. To balance a heavy national burden with the personal lives of the laborers, King Solomon instituted a precise, rotating shift system for the men sent to the forests of Lebanon. These workers were dispatched to assist Hiram's men in selecting and transporting timber ([שטיינזלץ]).

The workforce operated in monthly shifts of ten thousand men. In any given month, only ten thousand laborers were actively working in Lebanon, while the remaining twenty thousand stayed home. Under this schedule, each laborer spent one month working followed by two months of rest. As [רש״י] and [מצודת דוד] explain, the first group departed in the month of Tishrei. The second group went in Cheshvan to replace them, and the third group traveled in Kislev. By Tevet, the first group returned to Lebanon, repeating the cycle.

The specific numbers and timeframes carried both spiritual and practical meaning. Sending exactly ten thousand men was intentional; according to the sages, this number represents the highest threshold for drawing down the Divine Presence, which Solomon wanted to rest among the workers. From a practical standpoint, the extended two-month leave was necessary due to the difficult journey. Traveling from the far edges of the land to Lebanon could take many days, and sometimes even dozens of days. The double vacation period provided the workers with sufficient time to properly rest their bodies and minds ([אהבת יהונתן]).

To manage this vast system and ensure every worker departed during his assigned month, Adoniram was placed in charge of the labor draft. As one of Solomon's ministers already responsible for general tax collection across the kingdom, Adoniram was given the task of organizing the schedules and compelling the laborers to fulfill their required service ([רש״י], [מצודת דוד], [רלב״ג], [שטיינזלץ]).