Chapter 12

Melachim ב (Kings II (A Teachers' Guide

 

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Chapter 12

Verses 1-3:

בן שבע שנים יהואש במלכו

בשנת שבע ליהוא מלך יהואש וארבעים שנה מלך...

ויעש יהואש הישר בעיני ה' כל ימיו אשר הורהו יהוידע הכהן

כל ימיו

All of Yehoyada's life. (Radak)

 אשר הורהו יהוידע הכהן

1.    As long as Yehoyada the Priest was alive, Yehoash kept the mitzvot. But when Yehoyada died, Yehoash began to worship idols. The background and the results of this change is brought in Divrei Hayamim 25:17-22.

 

2.*  After Yehoyada's death, the elders of Yehudah came to Yehoash and bowed down to him (see Divrei Hayamim 25:17), saying that since Yehoash had lived in the Holy of Holies for six years (when he was being hidden from Atalyah), he must be like a god, worthy of being worshipped. (Rashi)

 

3.*  "All his days, as Yehoyada instructed him". As long as Yehoyada was there to instruct (lehorot le-) Yehoash daily, Yehoash observed the mitzvot. But he did not actually learn (lamad) and understand the mitzvot properly, and so, once Yehoyada was  no longer there, he sinned. (Malbim)

 

The students can discuss the difference between observing commandments because one is being told to do so, and observing them out of a thorough understanding of them, based on in-depth study.

Verse 4:

רק הבמות לא סרו עוד העם מזבחים ומקטרים בבמות

עוד העם מזבחים ומקטרים בבמות

As with other kings of Yehudah, with the exception of Hizkiyahu and Yoshiyahu (see later), the people continued to bring offerings on local altars, instead of bringing them up to the Temple in Jerusalem. (Da'at Mikra)

Verse 5:

ויאמר יהואש אל הכהנים כל כסף הקדשים אשר יובא בית ה' כסף עובר איש כסף נפשות ערכו כל כסף אשר יעלה על לב איש להביא בית ה'

 

The repairs made in the Temple (described in verses 5-17) took place before Yehoyada's death, as is clear from Divrei Hayamim, chapter 24. The students should read this chapter before proceeding. Some differences between the version here and the version in Divrei Hayamim will be noted.

כל כסף הקדשים אשר יובא בית ה'...

There were three types of donations to the Temple:

 

1)    The half-shekel which was supposed to be paid annually by each male; this is called here כסף עובר איש, as in the verse in the Torah (Shemot 30:13): כל העובר על הפקודים;

2)    Monies which were donated by stating the value (ערך) of a person or object - כסף נפשות ערכו;

3)    All other donations which people obligated themselves to by oath, free donations etc. (כל כסף אשר יעלה על לב איש).

 

All of these monies were now to be devoted to repairing the Temple - bedek habayit. (Abarbanel)

 

* The Abarbanel goes on to explain the differences between the stories in Melachim and Divrei Hayamim - saying that in addition to repairs (bedek habayit), Yehoash wanted to conduct major renovations, and for this he needed even more money than the above regular donations. In Divrei Hayamim we have the description of how he tried to raise funds for this bigger project.

Verse 6:

יקחו להם הכהנים איש מאת מכרו והם יחזקו את בדק הבית

 לכל אשר יימצא שם בדק

יקחו  להם הכהנים

The priests will take the monies for themselves, but will use them for the repairs. (Rashi)

איש מאת מכרו

The priests had people they were familiar with, who donated to them regularly. (Radak)

לכל אשר יימצא שם בדק

Wherever a crack or a break in the wall is found. (Rashi)

 

A crack or a break is called a bedek, because in order to find it one has to look the wall over carefully (livdok). (Metzudat Zion)

 

* The Abarbanel goes on to ask: If the half-shekels, that were ordinarily used to  purchase the daily sacrifices (korban tamid), were used for repairs, how was there enough money left for the daily sacrifices? He answers that the people knew that their regular donations were being used for repairs, and therefore donated extra sheep for the korban tamid.

Verses 7-8:

ויהי בשנת עשרים ושלוש שנה למלך יהואש לא חיזקו הכהנים את בדק הבית

ויקרא המלך יהואש ליהוידע הכהן ולכהנים ויאמר אליהם מדוע אינכם מחזקים את בדק הבית ועתה אל תקחו כסף מאת מכריכם כי לבדק הבית תתנוהו

אל תקחו כסף... כי לבדק הבית תתנוהו

Don't take the monies for yourselves, but put it directly into the Temple treasury and save it up until the repairs can be made. (Metzudat David)

Verse 9:

ויאותו הכהנים לבלתי קחת כסף מאת העם ולבלתי חזק את בדק הבית

ויאותו הכהנים לבלתי קחת כסף

1.    The priests preferred not to take the money for themselves, and not to pay for the repairs from these funds given to them. (Metzudat David)

 

2.    The priests did not want to make repairs at all, and therefore preferred not to take money for them either. (Ralbag)

 

The students can try to distinguish between the two commentaries, in regard to the light they cast on the priests - not being interested in the Temple being repaired, or merely not wanting the monies to go through them, preferring that the money go straight to the Temple treasury.

Verse 10:

ויקח יהוידע הכהן ארון אחד וייקוב חור בדלתו ויתן אותו אצל המזבח בימין בבוא איש בית ה' ונתנו שמה הכוהנים שומרי הסף את כל הכסף המובא בית ה'

ויתן אותו אצל המזבח

In Divrei Hayamim it says that the cabinet was placed outside of the gate of the Temple, not inside. The cabinet referred to in Divrei Hayamim was intended for the shekalim that were still due from the previous year; the one here was meant for the current shekalim due. (Malbim)

בימין בבוא איש בית ה'

The cabinet was placed to the right of whoever entered the Temple. (Metzudat David)

הכהנים שומרי הסף

The guards in charge of the gates of the Temple, holders of the keys, were also put in charge of depositing the money in this closed cabinet. (Rashi)

Verse 11:

ויהי כראותם כי רב הכסף בארון ויעל סופר המלך והכהן הגדול ויצורו וימנו את הכסף הנמצא בית ה'

הכהן הגדול

In Divrei Hayamim it says that it was the פקיד כהן הראש - not the High Priest, but the High Priest's second in command - a clerk in charge of all of the affairs of the High Priest. (Da'at Mikra)

ויהי כראותם כי רב הכסף... ויצורו וימנו

Every day (see Divrei Hayamim II 24:11), when the cabinet would fill up, they would empty it out, return it to its place. Then they would separate it out into bags, and count it. (Da'at Mikra)

 

* The verb ויצורו also has the meaning of changing something's shape (צורה). Part of the work involved melting down the coins and reshaping them into ingots of a certain weight, so that they could be used as currency. (Da'at Mikra)

Verse 12:

 ונתנו את הכסף המתוכן על  ידי עושי המלאכה המופקדים בית ה' ויוציאוהו לחרשי העץ ולבונים העושים בית ה'

הכסף המתוכן

The money that had been coined as mentioned above. (Radak)

על ידי עושי המלאכה

These were the chief craftsmen who worked in the Temple. (Metzudat David)

ויוציאוהו לחרשי העץ ולבונים העושים בית ה'

The craftsmen in turn parceled out the money to the carpenters and builders. (Metzudat David)

Verse 13:

ולגודרים ולחוצבי האבן ולקנות עצים ואבני מחצב לחזק את בדק בית ה' ולכל אשר יצא על הבית לחזקה

ולגודרים ולחוצבי האבן ולקנות עצים ואבני מחצב

The money was given to the various workers, and also used to buy ready-made lumber and cut stone. (Metzudat David)

ולכל אשר יצא על הבית לחזקה

The money was spent on whatever was necessary for the repairing of the Temple. (Metzudat David)

Verses 14-15:

אך לא ייעשה בית ה' סיפות כסף מזמרות מזרקות חצוצרות כל כלי זהב וכלי כסף מן הכסף המובא בית ה'

כי לעושי המלאכה יתנוהו וחיזקו בו את בית ה'

אך לא ייעשה... סיפות כסף מזמרות מזרקות חצוצרות

The money collected in this way was used only for the repairing of the Temple, not for the making of various vessels and musical instruments (mezamrot, hatzotzrot) used in the Temple worship.  (Ralbag)

 

* In Divrei Hayamim it says that such vessels were fashioned from these monies - but that was after the repairs had been completed, and there was still money left over. (Ralbag, Radak)

Verse 16:

ולא יחשבו את האנשים אשר יתנו את הכסף על ידם לתת לעושי המלאכה כי באמונה הם עושים

ולא יחשבו את האנשים... כי באמונה הם עושים

1.    The monies and the materials were given over to the workmen, without keeping account of what was given. The workers were chosen for their honesty and integrity, and therefore there was no need to audit their work. (Rashi)

 

2.    It was known that people treated materials dedicated to the Temple with a great deal of respect, and wouldn't dare take them for themselves. (Ralbag)

 

This might be an appropriate point at which to discuss honesty and integrity as central values in Jewish life. The materials given over to the workmen were obviously very valuable, and yet the workers were trusted unquestionably.

Besides that, in Judaism there is a halachic principal of hezkat kashrut - a person is considered righteous unless there is some reason to think otherwise.

Verse 17:

כסף אשם וכסף חטאות לא יובא בית ה' לכהנים יהיו

כסף אשם וכסף חטאות... לכהנים יהיו

When a person set aside money for a sin offering, sometimes there was money left over after the offering had been brought. This money was not donated to the Temple, to be used for the repairs, but was given to the priests, and they used it for burnt offerings, the flesh offered up totally, and the skins used by the priests. (Rashi)

 

*   *   *

Verse 18:

אז יעלה חזאל מלך ארם ויילחם על גת וילכדה וישם חזאל פניו לעלות על ירושלים

אז יעלה חזאל מלך ארם

As mentioned above, Yehoash remained faithful to Hashem as long as Yehoyada was alive. See above, verse 3. It was after the change in Yehoash occurred, that Hazael was sent to punish Yehoash. (Radak)

ויילחם על גת וילכדה

The Philistine city of Gat had been conquered by David Hamelech, and now was conquered by Hazael. (Radak)

וישם חזאל פניו לעלות על ירושלים

As we will see in the following verses, this move of Hazael's was averted by Yehoash sending him the treasures of the Temple, in reconciliation. (Radak)

Verse 19:

ויקח יהואש מלך יהודה את כל הקדשים אשר הקדישו יהושפט ויהורם ואחזיהו אבותיו מלכי יהודה ואת קדשיו ואת כל הזהב הנמצא באוצרות בית ה' ובית המלך וישלח לחזאל מלך ארם ויעל מעל ירושלים

את כל הקדשים.. ואת כל הזהב הנמצא באוצרות בית ה'

It isn't possible that Yehoash indeed took all the riches of the Temple and of the kings' treasury, because later on it is stated (14:14) that in the days of Amatzyahu, Yehoash's son, there were still treasures left to be taken by Yehoash, the king of Israel. And so, we are forced to say that most of the treasures were given over to Aram, but not all of them. (Radak)

ויעל מעל ירושלים

In Divrei Hayamim (II 24:24-25) it is stated that Yehoash was severely wounded by Hazael, along with many of the dignitaries of the kingdom of Yehudah. This set the stage for the next event:

Verses 20-21:

ויתר דברי יואש... הלוא הם כתובים עם ספר דברי הימים

ויקומו עבדיו ויקשרו קשר ויכו את יואש בית מילוא היורד סילא

ויקומו עבדיו... ויכו את יואש

Yehoash's servants conspired against him because of his evil deeds (see Divrei Hayamim II 24:20-22), and assassinated him. (Radak)

 

Two points can be  mentioned here and discussed in class:

1)   It is indeed shocking to read the discription in Divrei Hayamim. Yehoash, who had once been righteous, ended up having the son of his greatest benefactor killed for protesting against his new ways. When one begins to slip morally, one can end up committing murder - עבירה גוררת עבירה.

2)   It seems from here and from a later chapter dealing with Amatzyah, that the people in general did not approve of idol worship of the kind that the kings indulged in. In both cases, the rebellion againt the king's behavior reached the point of assassinating him - so strong was the objection to his acts.

בית מילוא היורד סילא

In a place called Beit Milo, on the way to a place called Sila. This is mentioned in order to differentiate this Beit Milo from a different one, which was near Shechem. (Malbim) 

Verse 22:

ויוזכר בן שמעת ויהוזבד בן שומר עבדיו הכוהו וימות ויקברו אותו עם אבותיו בעיר דוד וימלוך אמציה בנו תחתיו

ויוזכר בן שמעת ויהוזבד בן שומר

In Divrei Hayamim II (24:26) their names are slightly different, and it is stressed that they were the son of Amonite and Moabite women. Amon and Moav were known for their ungratefulness: Avraham saved their forefather Lot when he was taken prisoner, and yet they hired Bilam to curse Israel. So, too, Yehoash showed extreme ungratefulness to Yehoyada, who had saved his life, and killed Yehoyada's son. It is fitting that the one should kill the other. (Radak)

ויקברו אותו עם אבותיו

In Divrei Hayamim II (24:25) it says that Yehoash was not buried in the royal tombs. Perhaps this was so because the feelings were so strong against him, for having murdered Yehoyada's son, who was a priest as well. (Abarbanel)

 

* Abarbanel brings a long discussion of this issue, showing the measure for measure involved in these events.

 

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