THE LEARNING OF YERUSHALMI IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF
Dora Bas Rivka Silver O'H
Dora Bas Rivka Silver O'H
II Kings - Chapter 12
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein
Yehoyada Invents the Pushka
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Yoash - also known as Yehoash - became king of Judah at the age of seven. He was a righteous king, but he did not remove the private altars.
When Yehoash saw the Temple in a state of disrepair, he decided that it was time to fix things up. He instructed the Kohanim ("priests") to solicit donations and to use them to repair the Temple. Many years passed and the work still was not done. (The Kohanim were not motivated to act as fundraisers.) Yehoash therefore hit upon a new plan. Yehoyada the Kohein Gadol (High Priest) took a chest and drilled a hole in the top, effectively inventing the pushka. The donation box was placed next to the altar. When it was full, the money would be counted out and given to the workmen, who would buy lumber and stones. In this way, the repairs of the Temple were finally carried out.
Chazael, king of Aram, conquered Gath and then set his eye on Jerusalem. Yehoash took all the treasures of the Temple and his palace and sent them to Chazael as a pay-off not to invade. Yehoash then fled Jerusalem.
His own men rebelled against him and murdered him. Yehoash reigned for forty years and was succeeded by his som, Amatzyah.
(It is not recounted here, but in Divrei HaYamim - II Chronicles chapter 24 - Yehoash's spiritual decline is discussed. Although he started out righteous, after the death of Yehoyada, he allowed himself to be worshipped and he ordered the death of the prophet Zechariah, who chastised the people. We will IY"H discuss these events in greater detail when we reach Divrei HaYamim.)
A short Insight into II Kings, Chapter 12
At the end of our chapter, we read (verses 21-22), “His servants rose up and instigated a rebellion and they killed Yoash at Beis-Milo ... Yozachar son of Shimas and Yehozavad son of Shomer, his servants, struck him and he died. They buried him with his forefathers in the City of David.”Why does the Navi mention that Yoash was buried in the City of David? Do we not already know that the burial place of Yoash's ancestors was in the City of David?
The Malbim answers that while Yoash was buried in the city of David, in the city where his ancestors were buried, he was not buried in the cave where the other kings were buried. That cave was reserved for the righteous. (see Chronicles). For this reason the verse says that Yoash was buried “with” his ancestors and not “in the burial place” of his ancestors
The Musar Hanevi'im says that since Yoash was not satisfied with what he had, but tried to add on to his riches by letting his power consume him, even that which he amassed was taken away from him.
Actually, he was punished two times. First when the people from Aram took justice into their own hands. The second time, when they left him his servants plotted to kill him and succeeded.
