Kommentar zu Divrej Hajamim II 24:31

all the days of Jehoiada And in II Kings (12:3) it is written: “all his days, [he did] that which Jehoiada the priest instructed him,” but after he died, the officers of the king came to prostrate themselves to him and to deify him (below verse 17). In the midrash (Exod. Rabbah 8:2, Tan. Buber, Va’era) it is explained that, because he hid in the Holy of Holies and was not harmed, they said, “You are fit to be a god.”

and he begot sons and daughters Because it says below (verse 25) that Joash slew the sons of Jehoiada, it was necessary to note that he had sons.

and gather money from all Israel i.e., Gather the money that the Israelites were accustomed to giving yearly, as it is written (Exod. 30:14): “Each one included in the census,” and in II Kings (12: 5): “All money of the hallowed things that is brought to the House of the Lord, in current money, etc.” There were three types of money: (1) the money of all those counted in the census, viz. the shekels for every year, as it is said (Exod. 30:14): “Each one included in the census,” lit., “[the money of anyone] who passes,” reminiscent of “each one who passes.” (2) Personal donations - money donated by individuals to reflect the value of their souls, like one who says, “My value shall be incumbent upon me to donate.” (3) All donations inspired by a person’s heart for the repairs of the Temple.

and hasten to the matter,” but the Levites did not hasten It is explained in II Kings (12:6f.) that the king said, “Let the priests take [the money] for themselves, each one from his acquaintance,” but they neglected to impose upon their acquaintances, and when the king saw this, he said to them, (ibid. verse 8): “Do not take money from your acquaintances [any longer], but deliver it for the repairs of the House.” This is what is written here: “’and hasten to the matter,’ but the Levites did not hasten.”

the tax of Moses the servant of the Lord i.e., the shekels which he mandated upon them in the desert.

the tax of - Heb. מַשְׂאַת, reminiscent of (Exod. 30:12): “When you take (כִּי תִשָּׂא) [the sum].”

For the wicked Athaliah—her sons had breached He had to say this because Solomon had built it as a new sturdy edifice. Only 125 years elapsed from the time that Solomon built it until the days of Joash and it was already breached. Had Athaliah and her sons not breached it, it would have continued to endure, for more than 200 years elapsed from Joash to Josiah and they did not have to repair it until Josiah, although Joash did not make it new as it was originally. One hundred and twenty-five years elapsed from the completion of the Temple until Joash. How so? Solomon reigned 40 years, and in the fourth year of his reign he commenced to build it. It took 7 years to build, totaling 10 years, leaving him 30. Rehoboam reigned 17, totaling 47; Abijah 3, totaling 50; Asa 41, totaling 91; Jehoshaphat 25, totaling 116; Jehoram 8, totaling 124, and Ahaziah one, totaling 125. And from Joash until Josiah were 200 years. How so? Amaziah reigned 29 years, Uzziah 52, Jotham 16, Ahaz 16, Hezekiah 29, Manasseh 55, Amon 2, totaling 200 less 1, in addition to those years that Joash lived after he had repaired the Temple. We find that they would not have had to repair the damage of the Temple had not the wicked Athaliah and her sons breached it.

For Athaliah, etc. It is therefore no wonder that it needed repairs so soon, and also no wonder that there was no hallowed silver and gold in the treasuries of the House of the Lord, so that they had to make an announcement in Judah and Jerusalem to bring the tax, for they had also used all the hallowed things of the House of the Lord for the baalim.

and they made one chest and in II Kings (12:10), it is written: “and he bored a hole in its door,” and through that hole they would cast the hallowed things, but they did not open the door lest a thief come and steal from it.

and they placed it in the gate of the House of the Lord, to the outside so that all the generous people would be able to come and deposit the donation to the Lord therein.

and when they saw that there was much money then the king’s scribe came.

and the appointee of the head priest The servant appointed under the head priest, who was the assistant to the high priest, together with the king’s scribe. In II Kings (12:11), it is written: “the king’s scribe and the high priest went up.” The meaning is that the king’s scribe went up, and the high priest also sent his appointee, who was the scribe who wrote what the high priest commanded him, because it was unfitting and degrading for the high priest to go with the king’s servants.

empty the chest - Heb. וִיעָרוּ. A similar instance is (Gen. 24:20): “and emptied (וַתְּעַר) her pitcher.”

carry it Every day, when they saw that there was much money in it, they would bring it to the king’s appointee within the forecourt, empty it, carry it, and return it to its place outside the gate of the Lord.

and the work was improved A similar instance is (Neh. 3:34): “Will they revive the stones” of Ezra. Also, above (I Chron. 11:8): “and Joab sustained.’

on its base - Heb. עַל מַתְכֻּנְתּוֹ, on its base.

service vessels and pestles (Stessel in German.) This is [the implement] with which they crush spices in the mortar. A similar instance is (Prov. 27:22): “If you crush a fool in a mortar [among grain with a pestle (בַּעֱלִי)”]. Rabbi Isaac the son of Samuel of Narbonne told me this. Others say that וְהַעֲלוֹת refers to boards upon which meat is cut, and an example of this appears in Bezah (1:5): We may not move a board (עלי) to cut meat upon it.

and spoons and gold and silver vessels But in II Kings (12:14) it is written: “But there would not be made for the House of the Lord silver pitchers.” How is this possible? It is explained in Kethuboth, chapter 13 (106): Rav Huna inquired of Rav: May vessels of ministry be made of material hallowed for the repair of the Temple, etc.

above the people Higher than the people, in order to make his voice heard. In Lamentations Rabbah (Proem 23), it is interpreted as meaning that he relied on himself; he was a prince higher than all the people, a prophet and a priest, and it was Yom Kippur, and he was the king’s son-in-law, and he was not afraid to say the prophecy. Concerning this incident, it was stated (Lam. 2:20): “shall priest and prophet be slain in the Sanctuary of the Lord?”

and upon his death, he said, “May the Lord see and requite.” For they have slain me only because I spoke as the Omnipresent’s medium, and since I have been slain for His sake, it is proper and fitting that He requite my blood. And so it was: his blood was immediately requited, for “it came to pass at the turn of the year, etc.”

And it came to pass at the turn of the year Because the sons of Judah sinned more than the other tribes, as it is written above (verse 18): “And they forsook the House of the Lord, the God of their fathers.”

and they destroyed all the princes of the people This refers back to the above (verse 17): “And after the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came and prostrated themselves to the king,” and caused Joash to sin after them. Because of that, they were paid in kind: the army of Aram came and destroyed all the princes of the people.

from among the people from being a people.

for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest Because of the blood of Zechariah, who was the son of Jehoiada, for he should have remembered the favors and the loving-kindness that Jehoiada had bestowed upon him, and because of that iniquity, his servants conspired against him and slew him in his bed. They meted out to him a measure corresponding to a measure. Because Zechariah was slain, tranquil and secure, with nothing to worry about, for he was the son of Jehoiada, and out of respect for him [Jehoiada], they respected him [Zechariah], and spilled his blood onto the ground, therefore, he [Jehoash] too was slain in tranquility and security in his bed.

the Moabitess What difference does it make who they were and from whom they were descended? However, [Scripture means that] those ingrates who did not show their gratitude for the favor of Abraham our father to Lot their father, who fought with the kings when he heard that Lot was captured, and they hired Balaam to curse his sons; [they were chosen] to punish Joash, who [similarly] did not show gratitude to Jehoiada and slew his son Zechariah. It is explained this way in Mechilta (Exod. 17:8).