What is "Sheitzi Baysah Denah"?
Rashi: The completion of this building. It finished in his sixth year - it took four years to build it 1 .
Shlomo took seven years to build Bayis Rishon - why was he praised for his alacrity (Sanhedrin 104b)? He had far more workers! Only 43,000 returned with Ezra. Shlomo had 150,000 converts to quarry and carry rocks (Melachim I, 5:29, Rashi), and native Yisraelim, and Chiram gave workers to supply all the wood needed! Even if Ezra was able to use most of the fallen rocks of Bayis Rishon, Bayis Sheni was twice as tall, and three times as wide! Perhaps (a) most of the work was building a flat plateau on which to build the Bayis. (b) Bayis Sheni's walls were thinner, so it would be easier to destroy (refer to 6:4:3:1*)! (c) They built Bayis Sheni too hastily, lest Tzarei Yehudah persuade the king to cease building - later, cracks were found in it (Bava Basra 3b). This requires investigation. Hordus was able to destroy and rebuild Bayis Sheni within three years (ibid. 4a). Perhaps he did not need new rocks, or he destroyed only the parts that had cracks. (PF)
Why is it called "this Bayis"?
Malbim: Early Chachamim said, had they merited, this would have been the final Ge'ulah. Bayis Sheni finished on Adar 3, and they inaugurated it for 21 days, until the 23rd. After building it, the Beis ha'Mikdash that Yechezkel saw would have descended immediately from Shamayim. They would have inaugurated it like it says in Yechezkel, beginning Adar 23.
