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 16
Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein
The Reign of King Achaz
By Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Evil kings were the norm for Israel, but the exception for Judah. Sadly, Achaz was one of those exceptions. He was extremely idolatrous, going so far as to pass his son through fire as a form of worship to the idol Molech. Aram and Israel teamed up to make war on Judah, but they did not defeat Achaz in battle. Aram did recapture one city and they evicted the Jews who were living there. (Some things never change!)
Achaz sent messengers to Tiglas Pileser, the king of Assyria. He sent as much gold and silver as was in the Temple and the palace for Assyria to drive away the invading forces of Aram and Israel. Tiglas Pileser drove away the invading armies and killed the king of Aram, but he did not return the captured territory to Judah.
When the idolatrous Achaz went to visit Tiglas Pileser, he saw the altar of the Assyrian idol and had a replica built in the Temple courtyard. He instructed that this was to be the main altar from now on, and Uriah the Kohein Gadol (High Priest) complied. Not only did this altar not belong in the Temple, Achaz insisted on bringing sacrifices on it, even though he was not a kohein (priest). The true altar became secondary.
Achaz went further to undermine the Temple service. He had the stands under the wash lavers and the "sea" removed and he disposed of the awning that the Kohanim would use for shelter on Shabbos when they changed shifts. He also made a personal shortcut to the palace. (One may not make a shortcut through a synagogue and certainly not through the Temple!)
The reign of Achaz was sixteen years. When he died, he was replaced by his son Chizkiyahu (Hezekiah), one of the greatest of all Jewish kings.
A short Insight into II Kings, Chapter 16
In Parshas Vayeitzei (29,31, The verse states, “And Hashem saw that Leah was “snuah” (lit. hated) and He opened her womb.”Rabeinu Bachya and the Radak understand the word snuah in a relative sense. Relative to the love that Yaakov Avinu felt for Rachel it was as if Leha was snuah.
The Ramban explains that Leah had deceived Yaakov by posing as Rachel at Lavan's urging. Leah, though, trying to honor her father's wishes, should have hinted to Yakkov that she was not Rachel who Yakkov expected. Therefore, when Yaakov realized the depection in the the morning, he felt sina, hatred, towards her.
The Medresh Tanchuma (Vayeitzei 14) gives us a completely different insight into this sinah. This sibah was not a sinah that yaakov felt towards Leah. Rather it was a sinah that Hashem pronunced towards a group of Leah's descendants.
The Medresh reads, “What did Hashem see? Hashem saw that in the future Leah would have wicked descendants. Hashem therefore called her snuah. Who were they? Yehoram, Yehoash, Achaz, Menwashe, Amon, Yehoyakim, and Tzidkiyahu ... With regard to Achaz the verse (2) relates, 'He did not do what was proper in the eyes of Hashem, his G-d, as David his forefather.' Behold, there are seven resha'im (wicked men). Because of them the Navi Yirmiyahu cried out (Yirmiyahu 15,9) and said, “She who gave birth to seven [children] is distressed.”
