Chapter 20

Melachim ב (Kings II (A Teachers' Guide

 

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Chapter 20

Verse 1:

בימים ההם חלה חזקיהו למות ויבוא אליו ישעיהו בן אמוץ הנביא ויאמר אליו כה אמר ה' צו לביתך כי מת אתה ולא תחיה

בימים ההם

This incident occurred three days before the downfall of Sanheriv. (Rashi)

 

See below, verse 6, where part of the promise of salvation is the salvation from Assyria and the protection of Jerusalem, indicating that all this happened during the crisis of the siege.

כי מת אתה

Yeshayahu prophesied to Hizkiyahu that he was going to die. (Rashi)

ולא תחיה

Not only was Hizkiyahu going to die, to leave this world, but also he was going to lose his share ("not live") in the next world. The reason for this punishment was that he had not married, and didn't have any children. (Rashi)

 

Rashi's commentary raises two questions:

a) Why didn't Hizkiyahu want to have children?

b) Why was he to be punished for this?

 

a)    Hizkiyahu did not want to have children, since he foresaw, through divine inspiration, that these children would be wicked.

 

            1)         Yeshayahu taught Hizkiyahu that we shouldn't involve ourselves in trying to influence the secret plans of Hashem. Each of us must do his duty, and leave the rest to Hashem. (Ma'am Lo'ez)

 

            2)         Hizkiyahu agreed to get married, on condition that the bride would be Yeshayahu's daughter. He hoped that the merit of both of the parents would influence the children. (Me'am Lo'ez)

b)    By not having children, Hizkiyahu would be ending David Hamelech's divinely-promised dynasty and that is the reason Hashem wanted to punish Hizkiyahu severely. (Me'am Lo'ez)

Verse 2:

ויסב את פניו אל הקיר ויתפלל אל ה' לאמור

ויסב פניו אל הקיר

Hizkiyahu turned to the wall, so that he could concentrate on his prayers. (Radak)

 

We learn from here the halacha that: צריך אדם להסב פניו לכותל להתפלל. (Yerushalmi Berachot 4:4) - A person must turn his face to the wall in order to daven.

Verse 3:

אנה ה' זכור נא את אשר התהלכתי לפניך באמת ובלבב שלם והטוב בעיניך עשיתי ויבך חזקיהו בכי גדול

והטוב בעיניך עשיתי

The "good thing in the eyes of Hashem" that Hizkiyahu is talking about here is his suppressing of the "Book of Medicines" - ספר הרפואות - which had been written by Shlomo Hamelech, and which contained the cures to all ailments. (Radak)

 

Chazal praise Hizkiyahu for doing this, since people were relying on this book, and not praying to Hashem for salvation. (Radak, and Pesachim 4:9)

Verse 4:

ויהי ישעיהו לא יצא חצר (קרי)/העיר (כתיב) התיכונה ודבר ה' היה אליו לאמור

לא יצא חצר/העיר התיכונה

Hashem wanted Yeshayahu to hurry and rescind the decree, before word would get out that Hizkiyahu was going to die. Therefore, He spoke to him as soon as possible, before he had even left the court (or, according to the ktiv - the city). (Rashi)

Verses 5-6:

שוב ואמרת אל חזקיהו נגיד עמי כה אמר ה' אלוקי דוד אביך שמעתי את תפילתך ראיתי את דמעתך הנני רופא לך ביום השלישי תעלה בית ה'

והוספתי על ימיך חמש עשרה שנה ומכף מלך אשור אצילך... וגנותי על העיר הזאת...

שמעתי את תפילתך ראיתי את דמעתך

Hizkiyahu was saved on two merits: the merit of his own deeds, as he himself mentioned in his prayers, and the merit of his tears, which invoked the measure of mercy (midat harahamim).

 

Chazal teach us: שערי דמעה לא ננעלו - the gates of tears are never closed. (Me'am Lo'ez)

Verse 7:

ויאמר ישעיהו קחו דבלת תאנים ויקחו וישימו על השחין ויחי

קחו דבלת תאנים... וישימו על השחין ויחי

1.    This was a miracle within a miracle. Usually dry figs harm human tissue, but here they had the opposite effect. (Rashi)

 

The students should be able to refer to chapter 2, verse 21, for another example of a miracle within a miracle.

 

2.    Man is sometimes supposed to use something from the  physical world to help perform a miracle. (Ralbag)

 

The students should be able to give other examples of this phenomenon - Melachim II 4:2, 6:6, 4:41.

Verse 8:

ויאמר חזקיהו אל ישעיהו מה אות כי ירפא ה' לי ועליתי ביום השלישי בית ה'

מה אות כי ירפא ה' לי

Since the punishment that Yeshayahu had announced to Hizkiyahu was so severe, Hizkiyahu thought that perhaps this healing of the shehin was temporary  - just to comfort him. He wanted an assurance that the recovery would be permanent. (Radak)

Verse 9:

ויאמר ישעיהו זה לך האות מאת ה' כי יעשה ה' את הדבר אשר דיבר הלך הצל עשר מעלות אם ישוב עשר מעלות

הלך הצל עשר מעלות אם ישוב עשר מעלות

Hizkiyahu was given a chance to choose which sign he wanted: The shadow of the sundial could either advance 10 notches, or regress 10 notches (each notch representing an hour). (Metzudat David)

Verse 10:

ויאמר יחזקיהו נקל לצל לנטות עשר מעלות לא כי ישוב הצל אחורנית עשר מעלות

לא כי ישוב הצל אחורנית עשר מעלות

Hizkiyahu thought that it would be a greater miracle if the shadow went back 10 notches - because this way everyone would see the miracle - instead of evening, it would be morning. (Rashi)

Verse 11:

ויקרא ישעיהו הנביא אל ה' וישב את הצל במעלות אשר ירדה במעלות אחז אחורנית עשר מעלות

במעלות אחז

This miracle happened on the sundial that Ahaz had made. (Metzudat David)

Verse 12:

בעת ההיא שלח בראדך בלאדן בן בלאדן מלך בבל ספרים ומנחה אל חזקיהו כי שמע כי חלה חזקיהו

כי שמע כי חלה חזקיהו

1.    Brodach heard that Hizkiyahu had been ill, so he sent messengers to see how he was feeling. (Metzudat David)

 

2.    According to Divrei Hayamim II 32:31, Brodach sent the messengers to find out more about the miracle that had occurred to Hizkiyahu. (Metzudat David)

Verse 13:

וישמע עליהם חזקיהו ויראם את כל בית נכותו (קרי)/נכתה (כתיב) את הכסף ואת הזהב ואת הבשמים ואת שמן הטוב ואת בית כליו ואת כל אשר נמצא באוצרותיו לא היה דבר אשר לא הראם חזקיהו בביתו ובכל ממשלתו

וישמע עליהם

1.    Hizkiyahu acquiesced to their request to see the treasures of his kingdom and of the Temple. (Metzudat David)

 

2.*  The messengers were a test for Hizkiyahu, to see what was really in his heart. They had come to inquire about a miracle - their trip was about the honor of Hashem. But Hizkiyahu saw it as a tribute to him, and exhibited personal pride by showing off his wealth. (Radak)

בית נכותו

The treasury - the storehouse of all the precious artifacts. (Metzudat Zion)

לא היה דבר אשר לא הראם חזקיהו

Hizkiyahu even showed them the Holy Ark and the Tablets of the Law, and this was considered to be a sin. (Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer 52)

 

* Perhaps Hizkiyahu thought he was allowed to do this, because this could bring peace between the nations. (Mussar Hanevi'im)

Verses 14-15:

ויבוא ישעיהו הנביא אל המלך חזקיהו ויאמר אליו מה אמרו האנשים האלה ומאין יבואו אליך ויאמר חזקיהו  מארץ רחוקה באו מבבל

ויאמר מה ראו בביתך ויאמר חזקיהו את כל אשר בביתי...

ויבוא ישעיהו הנביא אל המלך חזקיהו ויאמר אליו מה אמרו האנשים האלה

Hizkiyahu is one of three people that Hashem tested by asking them a rhetorical question, and that failed this test. In each instance (the other two being Kayin and Bilam), the purpose of the question was to make them repent, but all three of them answered it as if Hashem was not omniscient, and really didn't know the answer. (Rashi)

 

The students should look up each of these cases before the verse is learned in class. On Bilaam: Bemidbar 22:9, on Kayin: Bereishit 4:8. They should try to see a connection between all three cases.

They should also look up Yehezkel 37:3, and explain how Yehezkel's conversation with Hashem differs from these three.

* For extra credit, they can try and think of a fourth case that fits this pattern - Bereishit 3:11, 12.

Verses 16-18:

ויאמר ישעיהו אל חזקיהו שמעו דבר ה'

הנה ימים באים ונישא כל אשר בביתך ואשר אצרו אבותיך עד היום הזה בבלה לא ייוותר דבר אמר ה'

ומבניך אשר יצאו ממך אשר תוליד יקחו והיו סריסים בהיכל מלך בבל

ונישא כל אשר בביתך ואשר אצרו אבותיך

Everything will be taken and carried away, including all the precious things that were hidden away. (Metzudat David)

לא ייוותר דבר

This is measure for measure: because he showed them everything, everything will be taken away. (Rashi)

Verse 19:

ויאמר חזקיהו אל ישעיהו טוב דבר ה' אשר דיברת ויאמר הלוא אם שלום ואמת יהיה בימי

טוב דבר ה' אשר דיברת

1.    Hizkiyahu was satisfied with this prophecy, so long as Hashem would keep his promise that during Hizkiyahu's lifetime there would be peace. He was not concerned with what would happen after he died. (Metzudat David)

 

2.    Hizkiyahu did not pray that this edict should be changed. He thought that if his sons would be bad they would be spurred on by this prophecy to repent. (Me'am Loez)

Verse 20:

ויתר דברי חזקיהו וכל גבורתו ואשר עשה את הברכה ואת התעלה ויבא את המים העירה הלוא הם כתובים על ספר דברי הימים למלכי יהודה

ויבא את המים העירה

Hizkiyahu brought the waters of the Gihon spring into the city. (Metzudat David)

 

This is the famous water tunnel of Hizkiyahu, which still exists today - נקבת השילוח. The tunnel was dug from opposite sides of the mountain, and the diggers met in the middle. The story was then engraved in rock at the meeting point. The engraved rock, written in ancient Hebrew writing, was removed and taken to Istanbul, where it still remains to this day.

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Project of 613.org - Largest Archive to Date of Jewish Sound and Video on the Internet!