II Chronicles (דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים ב)

1

In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, King Baasha of Israel marched against Judah and built up Ramah to block all movement of King Asa of Judah.

א׳

בִּשְׁנַת שְׁלֹשִׁים וָשֵׁשׁ לְמַלְכוּת אָסָא עָלָה בַּעְשָׁא מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל־יְהוּדָה וַיִּבֶן אֶת־הָרָמָה לְבִלְתִּי תֵּת יוֹצֵא וָבָא לְאָסָא מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה׃

2

Asa took all the silver and gold from the treasuries of the House of the LORD and the royal palace, and sent them to King Ben-hadad of Aram, who resided in Damascus, with this message:

Rashi’s Commentary

• in Damascus And in I Kings (15:18) it is written, “Damesek,” and in another verse (II Kings 16: 10) it is written, “Dumesek.” It is all the same, an example being שׁוֹט, שֵׁבֶט, שַׁרְבִיט, whip, rod, scepter.

ב׳

וַיֹּצֵא אָסָא כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב מֵאֹצְרוֹת בֵּית יְהֹוָה וּבֵית הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּשְׁלַח אֶל־בֶּן־הֲדַד מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם הַיּוֹשֵׁב בְּדַרְמֶשֶׂק לֵאמֹר׃

רש"י

• בדרמשק. ובמלכים (ב' טז) כתיב דמשק ובפסוק אחר דומשק וכולן א' היה ודוגמא שוט שבט שרביט:

3

“There is a pact between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. I herewith send you silver and gold; go and break your pact with King Baasha of Israel so that he may withdraw from me.”

ג׳

בְּרִית בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ וּבֵין אָבִי וּבֵין אָבִיךָ הִנֵּה שָׁלַחְתִּי לְךָ כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב לֵךְ הָפֵר בְּרִיתְךָ אֶת־בַּעְשָׁא מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיַעֲלֶה מֵעָלָי׃

4

Ben-hadad acceded to King Asa’s request; he sent his army commanders against the towns of Israel and ravaged Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the garrison towns of Naphtali.

ד׳

וַיִּשְׁמַע בֶּן־הֲדַד אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אָסָא וַיִּשְׁלַח אֶת־שָׂרֵי הַחֲיָלִים אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ אֶל־עָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּכּוּ אֶת־עִיּוֹן וְאֶת־דָּן וְאֵת אָבֵל מָיִם וְאֵת כׇּל־מִסְכְּנוֹת עָרֵי נַפְתָּלִי׃

5

When Baasha heard about it, he stopped building up Ramah and put an end to the work on it.

ה׳

וַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ בַּעְשָׁא וַיֶּחְדַּל מִבְּנוֹת אֶת־הָרָמָה וַיַּשְׁבֵּת אֶת־מְלַאכְתּוֹ׃ {ס}        

6

Then King Asa mustered all Judah, and they carried away the stones and timber with which Baasha had built up Ramah; with these King Asa built up Geba and Mizpah.

ו׳

וְאָסָא הַמֶּלֶךְ לָקַח אֶת־כׇּל־יְהוּדָה וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֶת־אַבְנֵי הָרָמָה וְאֶת־עֵצֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה בַּעְשָׁא וַיִּבֶן בָּהֶם אֶת־גֶּבַע וְאֶת־הַמִּצְפָּה׃ {ס}        

7

At that time, Hanani the seer came to King Asa of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Aram and did not rely on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has slipped out of your hands.

Rashi’s Commentary

• therefore...escaped You did not prevail against them. Why not? Because you did not trust in the Holy One, blessed be He. For had you trusted in the Holy One, blessed be He, when the king of Israel and the king of Aram made a treaty against you, as you trusted in Him when the Cushites attacked you, they would not have escaped from your hand, and you would have defeated them all, and you would not have lost your money, which you gave him in order that he abrogate his treaty with Baasha. Now that you did not trust in the Holy One, blessed be He, you lost your money, and the king of Aram escaped from your hand.

ז׳

וּבָעֵת הַהִיא בָּא חֲנָנִי הָרֹאֶה אֶל־אָסָא מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו בְּהִשָּׁעֶנְךָ עַל־מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם וְלֹא נִשְׁעַנְתָּ עַל־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ עַל־כֵּן נִמְלַט חֵיל מֶלֶךְ־אֲרָם מִיָּדֶךָ׃

רש"י

• על כן נמלט. שלא יכולת לו למה שלא בטחת בהקב"ה כי אם בטחת בהקב"ה כשנשבעו וכרתו ברית יחד מלך ישראל ומלך ארם עליך כאשר בטחת בו כשבאו עליך הכושים לא נמלטו מידך והיית נוצח לכולם אף לא היית מאבד ממונך שנתת לו כדי להפר בריתו עם בעשא ועתה שלא בטחת בהקב"ה אבדת ממונך וגם מלך ארם נמלט מידך:

8

The Cushites and Lybians were a mighty army with chariots and horsemen in very great numbers, yet because you relied on the LORD He delivered them into your hands.

ח׳

הֲלֹא הַכּוּשִׁים וְהַלּוּבִים הָיוּ לְחַיִל  לָרֹב לְרֶכֶב וּלְפָרָשִׁים לְהַרְבֵּה מְאֹד וּבְהִשָּׁעֶנְךָ עַל־יְהֹוָה נְתָנָם בְּיָדֶךָ׃

9

For the eyes of the LORD range over the entire earth, to give support to those who are wholeheartedly with Him. You have acted foolishly in this matter, and henceforth you will be beset by wars.”

ט׳

כִּי יְהֹוָה עֵינָיו מְשֹׁטְטוֹת בְּכׇל־הָאָרֶץ לְהִתְחַזֵּק עִם־לְבָבָם שָׁלֵם אֵלָיו נִסְכַּלְתָּ עַל־זֹאת כִּי מֵעַתָּה יֵשׁ עִמְּךָ מִלְחָמוֹת׃

10

Asa was vexed at the seer and put him into the stocks, for he was furious with him because of that. Asa inflicted cruelties on some of the people at that time.

Rashi’s Commentary

• into the prison house - Heb. בֵּית הַמַּהְפֶּכֶת. A prison made of vaultwork, gewelb(e)t in Middle High German, vaulted (prison).

י׳

וַיִּכְעַס אָסָא אֶל־הָרֹאֶה וַיִּתְּנֵהוּ בֵּית הַמַּהְפֶּכֶת כִּי־בְזַעַף עִמּוֹ עַל־זֹאת וַיְרַצֵּץ אָסָא מִן־הָעָם בָּעֵת הַהִיא׃

רש"י

• בית המהפכת. בית הסוהר שעשוי מלאכת המהפכת גוועלב"ט בלשון אשכנז:

11

The acts of Asa, early and late, are recorded in the annals of the kings of Judah and Israel.

י״א

וְהִנֵּה דִּבְרֵי אָסָא הָרִאשׁוֹנִים וְהָאַחֲרוֹנִים הִנָּם כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר הַמְּלָכִים לִיהוּדָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל׃

12

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa suffered from an acute foot ailment; but ill as he was, he still did not turn to the LORD but to physicians.

Rashi’s Commentary

• until his ailment spread upward The swelling in his feet spread from the sole of his foot to the top of his head.

י״ב

וַיֶּחֱלֶא אָסָא בִּשְׁנַת שְׁלוֹשִׁים וָתֵשַׁע לְמַלְכוּתוֹ בְּרַגְלָיו עַד־לְמַעְלָה חׇלְיוֹ וְגַם־בְּחׇלְיוֹ לֹא־דָרַשׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָה כִּי בָּרֹפְאִים׃

רש"י

• עד למעלה חליו. נפח שברגליו עלה מכף רגלו עד קדקדו:

13

Asa slept with his fathers. He died in the forty-first year of his reign

י״ג

וַיִּשְׁכַּב אָסָא עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיָּמׇת בִּשְׁנַת אַרְבָּעִים וְאַחַת לְמׇלְכוֹ׃

14

and was buried in the grave that he had made for himself in the City of David. He was laid in his resting-place, which was filled with spices of all kinds, expertly blended; a very great fire was made in his honor.

Rashi’s Commentary

• and divers kinds These are kinds of spices, and the spices were prepared with the perfumer’s art, a mixture. The meaning is: prepared with the perfumer’s art.
• and they kindled an exceedingly great fire They burned good spices for him into ashes, and they scattered those ashes on him. Others explain this like (Abodah Zarah 11a): “We may burn for the kings.” Now what did they burn? Their biers and the utensils they used.

י״ד

וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ בְקִבְרֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר כָּרָה־לוֹ בְּעִיר דָּוִיד וַיַּשְׁכִּיבֻהוּ בַּמִּשְׁכָּב אֲשֶׁר מִלֵּא בְּשָׂמִים וּזְנִים מְרֻקָּחִים בְּמִרְקַחַת מַעֲשֶׂה וַיִּשְׂרְפוּ־לוֹ שְׂרֵפָה גְּדוֹלָה עַד־לִמְאֹד׃ {פ}

רש"י

• וזנים. מיני בשמים הם והבשמים היו מרוקחים במרקחה מעשה רוקח מרקחת וזה פתרון מרוקחים במעשה רוקח:
• וישרפו לו שרפה גדולה. שרפו לו בשמים טובי' לאפר ואותו אפר יזורו עליו ויש מפרשין כמו ששורפין על המלכים ומהו שורפין וכו' ועוקרין על המלכים: