Melachim 2 – Lesson 12 – Chizkiyahu HaMelech Falls Ill – The Gates of Tears are Never Locked; Vasikin; Book of Remedies

00:00 – Review of Chizkiyahu Melech Yehudah.

03:12 – Chizkiyahu falls ill and is told by Yishayahu HaNavi that he will die.

04:25 – Debate in the gemara about what sin a man is doing if he abstains from fathering children.

07:36 – Yishayahu HaNavi tells the king that it doesn’t matter if evil children are foreseen, it’s still a mistake not to marry.

08:23 – Sometimes it’s necessary to break a Torah law in order to save a life, so why doesn’t that principle apply here? The king’s prophecy about his children being evil was not far-reaching enough. It could be that these evil children will give birth to tzaddikim.

09:26 – Chizkiyahu asks to marry the daughter of Yishayahu HaNavi.

12:51 – Chizkiyahu Hamelech “turned his face to the wall”.

13:24 – The Zohar HaKodesh reveals the depth of these words: if a person wants his prayer answered, he must first remove anything that is interfering with it being accepted by Hashem.

14:57 – The word “kir” (wall) stands for the Shekhina (Divine Presence). The Shekhina is the origin of the souls of females.

15:57 – The Chida z”l explains the association between “wall” and the Shekhina. “Rochel cries for her children…” The gematria of the Name of Hashem, Alef Daled Noon Yud, plus the name Rochel equals kir (wall). 65 plus 238 plus 7 for the letters = 310. Yesh (substance) and Shai (gift) are both b’gematria kir.

*17:50 – In his prayer to beg Hashem for his life, Chizkiyahu HaMelech mentioned the good that he did. The Gemara reveals what good, specifically, he meant: 1) that he rose early every morning to pray c’vatikin (at sunrise).

*22:00 – The second aspect of Chizkiyahu’s good was that he hid the Sefer HaRefuot – a book in which Shlomo HaMelech had recorded the cure for every illness.

25:15 – Explanation of Chizkyahu‘s “good in Hashem’s eyes” by the Maharshah z”l. Because the Sefer HaRefuos was hidden, people were forced to turn to Hashem for their cure. Therefore, what Hashem considers “good” is to turn first to Hashem, before resorting to doctors (Berkahot 60a).

27:53 – Explanation of “the best of doctors will go to gehinnam”

*28:33 – Hashem’s response to the king’s prayer – he will live. The prophet tells him “Hashem has seen your tears.” ( Berakhos 10a-b). “The Gates of Tears are never locked” (Berakhot 32b).

32:27 – Tosefot asks a question on the 15 years of life granted to Chizkiyahu.

36:32 – Chizkiyahu asked for proof that this miracle of additional years will come true. In response, Hashem caused the sun to move 10 hours earlier. “The sun does revolve around the earth.” These 10 hours were made up on the day of his passing, by miracle.

39:23 – The main lesson of this story is the importance of tefilah.