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Yeshayahu 7: Nevu'ah of Birth of Chizkiyahu
David asks:
This is a moradike kashe. Given all the information in Sefer Melachim 2 and
Divrei Hayamim 2 perek 28 about the ages of Achaz and Chizkiyahu, how is it
possible that the nevua of Yoshayahu in 7:14 could refer to the birth of
Chizkiyahu. It is mefurash that he became king at the age of 25 and that
his father Achaz was king at the age of 20 for 16 years. Thus when Achaz
was facing the Assyrians as king Chizkiyahu was already around 9 or 10
years old!
There are no references that I could find that Achaz lived longer than 36
years, or that he made Chizkiyahu a king when he was 15 years old, 10 years
before. It is inconceivable that Chizkiyahu could have been king during the
lifetime of his father with all the impurities around for 10 years.
And such an arrangement is mentioned nowhere.
Thus, the only teyruts I could think of is that the consolation of
Yeshayahu to Achaz is not meant as a nevua for the future, but a reminder
of what happened with Chizkiyahu's original birth 10 years earlier.
Looking into this further according to the shita that the nevua was about a
son of Achaz, the Redak and Abarbanel suggest it might be another wife's
son, not Chizkiyahu. This person is never described in Chazal or Tanach, so
how could the birth of such a son be so important, especially to a person
like Achaz?!
What are your thoughts about this?
----------------------------------------------
The Kollel replies:
David, I agree that this is an excellent Kushya!
1) In fact, it is asked by Rashi. Rashi to Yeshayahu 7:14 writes that the
baby born cannot be Chizkiyahu because Chizkiyahu was born 9 years before
his father became king. Therefore, Rashi says it must be referring to a
different son of Achaz.
2) However, this son was very significant to Achaz. The point is that the
birth of this son was a great test to Achaz. The test was: did he trust in
Hashem? To our regret he failed the test. The reason we do not see a
description of this son elsewhere is because Achaz missed his tremendous
chance.
3) The "Os" that Hashem was giving to Achaz was a sign that He wanted to
help Achaz if only Achaz would believe in Hashem. Achaz was fighting
Retzin, the king of Aram, and Pekach ben Remalyahu, the king of Yisrael.
Hashem was giving a sign to Achaz that "Imanu Kel" -- "Hashem is with us."
This wonderful boy would eat butter and honey, would do only good things,
would shun all bad things. This was symbolic of what Achaz was capable of
doing if he wanted to. Rashi writes that Ru'ach ha'Kodesh would rest upon
them if only they would go in the ways of Hashem and the Torah. If Achaz
would utilize his great potential and abilities to do good things, then
Hashem would save him from his enemies.
4) This is what we are told in verse 16. The two hostile kings would leave
Eretz Yisrael if Achaz would act properly.
Kol Tuv,
Dovid Bloom
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