הָל֞וֹךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֗הוּ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵי֙ דָּוִ֣ד אָבִ֔יךָ שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֶת־תְּפִלָּתֶ֔ךָ רָאִ֖יתִי אֶת־דִּמְעָתֶ֑ךָ הִנְנִי֙ יוֹסִ֣ף עַל־יָמֶ֔יךָ חֲמֵ֥שׁ עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה שָׁנָֽה׃
Ve, y di á Ezechîas: SEÑOR Dios de David tu padre dice así: Tu oración he oído, y visto tus lágrimas: he aquí que yo añado á tus días quince años.
Devarim Rabbah
“The Lord, God of your fathers [shall add to you one thousand times as you are…]” (Deuteronomy 1:11) – Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov said: In considering Moses’s blessings, they contain [unlimited blessing] from one end of the world to the other. What is written? “One thousand times [pe’amim]” – “one thousand times [paam]” is not written here, but rather, “one thousand times [pe’amim].”32The plural term pe’amim is employed, rather than the singular paam. This is expounded to mean one thousand times one thousand.
Another matter, “shall add to you…as you are” – Rabbi Aḥa said: Israel could have said to him: ‘Our master Moses, are we responsible for any of the matters regarding which you are rebuking us?’33They could have responded to him that he was rebuking them for the sins of their parents, for which they were not responsible (Etz Yosef). Nevertheless, they accepted his rebukes and were silent.34Translation based on the textual emendation suggested in Etz Yosef. That is why it says: “As you are” – righteous like you, who receive rebukes and are silent.
Another matter, why did he bless them with an expression of addition? It is because the addition of the Holy One, blessed be He, is larger than the principal. The way of the world is that a person takes from another a litra of meat, and says to him: ‘Add more for me.’ How much does he add for him? One ounce. But the Holy One blessed be He, His addition is larger than the principal. How so? Isaac was the principal son for Abraham. But what He added for [Abraham] was more numerous than the principal, as it is stated: “Abraham took an additional wife” (Genesis 25:1).35Abraham’s additional wife, Keturah, bore him six sons (see Genesis 25:2); many more than the one son, Isaac, who was his principal son.
Joseph was the principal son for Rachel, Benjamin was an addition. From where is this derived? As it is written: “May the Lord add another son for me” (Genesis 30:24). What is written? “And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Bekher, and Ashbel…” (Genesis 46:21) – they are more than Joseph.36Benjamin had ten sons, many more than Joseph, who had only two sons.
Hezekiah’s principal reign was fourteen years. What the Holy One blessed be He added for him was more numerous than the principal. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “I will add fifteen years to your days” (Isaiah 38:5) – the addition of the Holy One blessed be He was more numerous than the principal. That is why [Moses] blessed them with an expression of addition.
“And He will bless you” (Deuteronomy 1:11) – Rabbi Levi said: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who told the commander of his army to distribute to each of his soldiers a litra of gold.37There are one hundred gold pieces in a litra. He went and gave some of them five gold pieces and some of them ten gold pieces. They said to him: ‘The king told you to give each of us a litra of gold, and you gave each of us five gold pieces?’ He said to them: ‘These are from what is mine; when the king comes, he will give you from what is his.’ So Israel said to Moses: ‘The Holy One blessed be He did not set a limit for our blessings, and you said one thousand times?’ He said to them: ‘What I blessed you, I blessed you from my own; the Holy One blessed be He will bless you “as He spoke to you”’ (Deuteronomy 1:11).
Another matter, “shall add to you…as you are” – Rabbi Aḥa said: Israel could have said to him: ‘Our master Moses, are we responsible for any of the matters regarding which you are rebuking us?’33They could have responded to him that he was rebuking them for the sins of their parents, for which they were not responsible (Etz Yosef). Nevertheless, they accepted his rebukes and were silent.34Translation based on the textual emendation suggested in Etz Yosef. That is why it says: “As you are” – righteous like you, who receive rebukes and are silent.
Another matter, why did he bless them with an expression of addition? It is because the addition of the Holy One, blessed be He, is larger than the principal. The way of the world is that a person takes from another a litra of meat, and says to him: ‘Add more for me.’ How much does he add for him? One ounce. But the Holy One blessed be He, His addition is larger than the principal. How so? Isaac was the principal son for Abraham. But what He added for [Abraham] was more numerous than the principal, as it is stated: “Abraham took an additional wife” (Genesis 25:1).35Abraham’s additional wife, Keturah, bore him six sons (see Genesis 25:2); many more than the one son, Isaac, who was his principal son.
Joseph was the principal son for Rachel, Benjamin was an addition. From where is this derived? As it is written: “May the Lord add another son for me” (Genesis 30:24). What is written? “And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Bekher, and Ashbel…” (Genesis 46:21) – they are more than Joseph.36Benjamin had ten sons, many more than Joseph, who had only two sons.
Hezekiah’s principal reign was fourteen years. What the Holy One blessed be He added for him was more numerous than the principal. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “I will add fifteen years to your days” (Isaiah 38:5) – the addition of the Holy One blessed be He was more numerous than the principal. That is why [Moses] blessed them with an expression of addition.
“And He will bless you” (Deuteronomy 1:11) – Rabbi Levi said: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who told the commander of his army to distribute to each of his soldiers a litra of gold.37There are one hundred gold pieces in a litra. He went and gave some of them five gold pieces and some of them ten gold pieces. They said to him: ‘The king told you to give each of us a litra of gold, and you gave each of us five gold pieces?’ He said to them: ‘These are from what is mine; when the king comes, he will give you from what is his.’ So Israel said to Moses: ‘The Holy One blessed be He did not set a limit for our blessings, and you said one thousand times?’ He said to them: ‘What I blessed you, I blessed you from my own; the Holy One blessed be He will bless you “as He spoke to you”’ (Deuteronomy 1:11).
Kohelet Rabbah
Another matter, “a time to be born” – from the time to be born, it is the time to die. From the moment that a person is born, it is decreed upon him how many years he will live. If he merits, he will complete his years. If not, his life will be shortened, as it is written: “The fear of the Lord will increase days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened” (Proverbs 10:27). This is the opinion of Rabbi Akiva. The Rabbis say: If he merits, his life will be extended; if not, his life will be shortened. If he merits, his life will be extended, as it is stated: “Behold, I will add fifteen years to your days” (Isaiah 38:5). He said to them: From his own it is added to him.8If one had his original life expectancy shortened, it will be restored. Thus, regarding the verse cited from Isaiah, the fifteen years restored Hezekiah to his original life expectancy. Know [that this is so,] as it is written: “Behold, a son is born to the house of David, Josiah is his name…” (I Kings 13:2), and Menashe9The order of the succession of the monarchy was Hezekiah, Menashe, Amon, Josiah. had not yet entered the world.10The prophecy about Josiah had been delivered hundreds of years earlier. When Hezekiah was granted the additional fifteen years, Menashe, his son, had not yet been born. Clearly, from the outset, Hezekiah was always supposed to have lived long enough to beget Menashe, Josiah’s grandfather. They said to him: Is it written: A son will be born to the house of David from Hezekiah? That is not stated, but rather “to the house of David,” [and it could have been] a son from a different [branch] of the royal house of David.
This supports what the Sages, our rabbis said: There was an incident involving one of the prominent men of Tzippori, who had occasion to circumcise [his son], and the residents of Ein Te’ena came up to honor him and Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta came up with them. When they came to the city gates, they came across the sound of lads standing and playing before one courtyard. They saw Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta, who was distinguished and handsome. They said to him: ‘You will not move from here until you dance for us a bit.’ He said to them: ‘This is inappropriate for me, as I am an elderly man.’ He reprimanded them, but they were not daunted and did not submit. He lifted his glance and saw that the courtyard [was going to be] overturned.11Due to their impudence in insisting that Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta dance for them, the courtyard would be destroyed. He said to them: ‘Repeat after me what I say: Go and say to this owner of this courtyard: “If you are sleeping, awaken, as the beginning of sin is sweet but its end is bitter.”’ From the sound of their words the owner of that courtyard awakened, and he emerged, and fell at [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta’s] feet. He said: ‘Rabbi, I beg of you, do not pay attention to their words, as they are young and foolish.’ [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘What can we do for you, the edict has already been issued.12The courtyard will be destroyed. However, I will delay it for you [so you have enough] time to take out everything that you have in the courtyard.’ When he had taken out everything that he had in the courtyard, that courtyard was lifted up and then crashed down [and was destroyed].
They went to fulfill the mitzva of circumcision, and the father of the boy was giving them aged wine to drink, and saying: ‘Drink of this fine wine, as I trust in the Master of Heaven that I will [also] give you to drink of it at his wedding.’ They answered him: ‘Just as you brought him to circumcision, so may you bring him to Torah and to the wedding canopy.’ From the sound of their words, Rabbi Shimon bar Ḥalafta emerged into the darkness,13He set out to return home even though it was night. he was accosted by the emissary of the people.14The angel of death. [The angel of death] said to him: ‘Is it because you rely on your good deeds that you are going out at a time that is not a time?’15For people to be outside. [Rabbi Shimon bar Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘You, who are you?’ He said to him: ‘I am the emissary of the people.’ He said to him: ‘Why do you look forlorn?’ He said: ‘It is from the sound of the harsh words that I hear from people every day.’ He said to him: ‘What are they?’ He said to him: ‘That baby that you circumcised today, I have the document of his [fate, which states] that I am to take him from here in thirty days. His father gave you to drink and said: “Drink this fine wine as I trust in the Master of Heaven that I will give you to drink of it at his wedding.” I heard and I was sad, because your prayer16The prayer the guests had said to the father: ‘Just as you brought him to circumcision, so may you bring him to Torah and to the wedding canopy.’ abrogates it.’ [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘By your life, show me my fate.’ He said to him: ‘I have no control over yours and not over your colleagues.’ He said to him: ‘Why?’ He said: ‘It is because each and every day you exert yourself in Torah and mitzvot and perform acts of righteousness, and the Holy One blessed be He adds years to your lifetimes.’ He said to him: ‘May it be the will of the Holy One blessed be He that just as you do not control our fates, so you will not have license to violate our words and our plea for mercy from Heaven.’ The baby lived.17This proves that, contrary to Rabbi Akiva’s statement, people can live beyond their predetermined life expectancy.
Rabbi Akiva said: What is [the significance of] this incident for us? I do not have an incident, but rather a verse: “I will fill the number of your days” (Exodus 23:26). Moses, how many mitzvot did he fulfill and how many acts of righteousness, and ultimately, it was stated to him: “Behold, your days are approaching to die” (Deuteronomy 31:14); that is: “A time to be born [and a time to die].”
Another matter, “a time to be born and a time to die” – when a man is born, the Holy One blessed be He waits up to twenty years for him to marry a woman. If he reached the age of twenty and did not marry a woman, the Holy One blessed be He says to him: It is “a time to be born” for you,18A time for you to have children. but you did not wish to do so; this is nothing other than “a time to die.” Some say: One waits only a bit before that which will burn him.19Since a man is liable to lose his life if he is not married by the age of twenty, he would do well not to wait until close to that age, and marry even before the age of twenty.
“A time to plant,” in peacetime; “and a time to uproot that which is planted,” in wartime.
This supports what the Sages, our rabbis said: There was an incident involving one of the prominent men of Tzippori, who had occasion to circumcise [his son], and the residents of Ein Te’ena came up to honor him and Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta came up with them. When they came to the city gates, they came across the sound of lads standing and playing before one courtyard. They saw Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta, who was distinguished and handsome. They said to him: ‘You will not move from here until you dance for us a bit.’ He said to them: ‘This is inappropriate for me, as I am an elderly man.’ He reprimanded them, but they were not daunted and did not submit. He lifted his glance and saw that the courtyard [was going to be] overturned.11Due to their impudence in insisting that Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta dance for them, the courtyard would be destroyed. He said to them: ‘Repeat after me what I say: Go and say to this owner of this courtyard: “If you are sleeping, awaken, as the beginning of sin is sweet but its end is bitter.”’ From the sound of their words the owner of that courtyard awakened, and he emerged, and fell at [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta’s] feet. He said: ‘Rabbi, I beg of you, do not pay attention to their words, as they are young and foolish.’ [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘What can we do for you, the edict has already been issued.12The courtyard will be destroyed. However, I will delay it for you [so you have enough] time to take out everything that you have in the courtyard.’ When he had taken out everything that he had in the courtyard, that courtyard was lifted up and then crashed down [and was destroyed].
They went to fulfill the mitzva of circumcision, and the father of the boy was giving them aged wine to drink, and saying: ‘Drink of this fine wine, as I trust in the Master of Heaven that I will [also] give you to drink of it at his wedding.’ They answered him: ‘Just as you brought him to circumcision, so may you bring him to Torah and to the wedding canopy.’ From the sound of their words, Rabbi Shimon bar Ḥalafta emerged into the darkness,13He set out to return home even though it was night. he was accosted by the emissary of the people.14The angel of death. [The angel of death] said to him: ‘Is it because you rely on your good deeds that you are going out at a time that is not a time?’15For people to be outside. [Rabbi Shimon bar Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘You, who are you?’ He said to him: ‘I am the emissary of the people.’ He said to him: ‘Why do you look forlorn?’ He said: ‘It is from the sound of the harsh words that I hear from people every day.’ He said to him: ‘What are they?’ He said to him: ‘That baby that you circumcised today, I have the document of his [fate, which states] that I am to take him from here in thirty days. His father gave you to drink and said: “Drink this fine wine as I trust in the Master of Heaven that I will give you to drink of it at his wedding.” I heard and I was sad, because your prayer16The prayer the guests had said to the father: ‘Just as you brought him to circumcision, so may you bring him to Torah and to the wedding canopy.’ abrogates it.’ [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘By your life, show me my fate.’ He said to him: ‘I have no control over yours and not over your colleagues.’ He said to him: ‘Why?’ He said: ‘It is because each and every day you exert yourself in Torah and mitzvot and perform acts of righteousness, and the Holy One blessed be He adds years to your lifetimes.’ He said to him: ‘May it be the will of the Holy One blessed be He that just as you do not control our fates, so you will not have license to violate our words and our plea for mercy from Heaven.’ The baby lived.17This proves that, contrary to Rabbi Akiva’s statement, people can live beyond their predetermined life expectancy.
Rabbi Akiva said: What is [the significance of] this incident for us? I do not have an incident, but rather a verse: “I will fill the number of your days” (Exodus 23:26). Moses, how many mitzvot did he fulfill and how many acts of righteousness, and ultimately, it was stated to him: “Behold, your days are approaching to die” (Deuteronomy 31:14); that is: “A time to be born [and a time to die].”
Another matter, “a time to be born and a time to die” – when a man is born, the Holy One blessed be He waits up to twenty years for him to marry a woman. If he reached the age of twenty and did not marry a woman, the Holy One blessed be He says to him: It is “a time to be born” for you,18A time for you to have children. but you did not wish to do so; this is nothing other than “a time to die.” Some say: One waits only a bit before that which will burn him.19Since a man is liable to lose his life if he is not married by the age of twenty, he would do well not to wait until close to that age, and marry even before the age of twenty.
“A time to plant,” in peacetime; “and a time to uproot that which is planted,” in wartime.
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
(Fol. 49b) We are taught that Ben Azai says: "I found a secret scroll wherein it was written that a certain man was a Mamzer. It was also written there that the Mishnath of R. Eliezer b. Jacob is only a Kab (little in quantity), but well sifted. It was also written there that M'nashe executed Isaiah (the prophet)." Raba said: "He was tried before a court (of false prophets) where he was executed. He was asked: 'Moses thy master said (Ex. 33, 20) For no man can see me and live, and you said (Is. 6, 1) I saw the Lord sitting upon a high and exalted throne. Moses your master said (Deut. 4, 7) Who hath God so nigh unto it, as is the Lord our God at all times that we call upon Him, and you said (Is. 55, 6) seek ye the Lord, while He may be found. Moses your master said (Ex. 23, 26) The number of thy days will I make full, and you said (Is. 38, 5) I will add unto thy days fifteen years.' Isaiah then said to himself: I am quite sure that even should I offer him any explanation he will not accept it. If so, then why should I offer it altogether since it would merely cause him to commit [his crime] wilfully? Thereupon he uttered the Tetragrammaton and was swallowed up by a cedar tree. They brought the cedar and sawed it through, and when the saw reached Isaiah's mouth he died, because [of the sin he committed with his mouth when] he said (Is. 6, 5) "And in the midst of a people of unclean lips do I dwell."