פירוש על מלכים ב 15:41

In the twenty-seventh year of Yorovom, etc. Is it possible to say so? Did not Uzziyoh¹Azaryoh and Uzziyohu refer to the same person. See below verses 13 and 32. and Yorovom reign simultaneously, as was explained just before? What, then, is the meaning of the verse, ”In the twenty-seventh year of Yorovom … Azaryoh … became king”? That [from that year] he reigned a plagued kingship, [i.e.,] that he was stricken with tzora'as in the twenty-seventh year of his reign.

It is taught in Seder Olam that in the 27th year of Jeraboam, Azariah was afflicted with Leprosy and he reigned an afflicted kingdom. However, the beginning of Azariah's reign began in the same year Jeraboam began to rule. (NOT DONE)

15 in the life of his father and 37 after the death of his father.

Adonoy brought a plague upon the king. It is explained in Divrei Hayomim²II Divrei Hayomim 26:16-21. that he entered the Temple to burn incense on the Incense Altar.³He was punished with tzora'as for attempting to assume the role of the kohein gadol and burn incense on the altar. See II Divrei Hayomim 26-16:21 and Rashi in Bamidbar 17:5.

In Chronicles it says that Azariah came to the Beit Hamikdash out of anger with the priests and gave incense despite the priests' objections.

In a retirement house. He made himself a house in the cemetery,⁴The word חפשי means freedom. The Gemara in Maseches Horiyos 10a explains that Uzziyohu became “free” of the duties of being king. Targum indicates that he lived outside the walls of Yerusholayim. The reason is because a metzora is forced to live in isolation. He was therefore unable to attend to his royal duties and was thus “freed” from his responsibilities. ⁵The house was in the cemetery because our Rabbis taught in Maseches Nedarim 12b that a metzora is accounted as dead. And like the dead who is free from the many toils of life, as it states in Tehilim 88:6, “I am [considered] among the dead who are free,” so is a metzora. as it is stated, ”I am [considered] among the dead who are free.”⁶Tehilim 88:6. In [Talmud] Yerushalmi.

As if to say, he resigned as leader of the kingdom, and was exempt from work. And this is like what our rabbis say, may they be remembered for a blessing, that kingship is like slavery because of the large amount of work required.

Our sages of blessed memory said in Horayot:10, that being a King is work; You need to carry the burdens of the nation, listen to them, and judge their cases in court whether you want to or not. If being a King is work, and the leprosy caused him to lived alone, then he was free from the work of being a king. Therefore, it was called a House of Freedom. Alternatively, the sages said this 'house of freedom' was a cemetery as it says in the verse (Psalms 88:6) "...among the dead who are free".

he was appointed over the palace as a judge who judged the nation in place of the king.

In the thirty-eighth year of Azaryohu king of Yehudah, Zecharyoh … became king. From here too, it is possible to deduce that Azaryoh[u] reigned from the time that Yoash king of Yisroel died, fifteen years during the lifetime of Amatzyoh his father, for if he did not become [king] until his father died, it follows that he did not become [king] until the fifteenth year of Yorovom son of Yoash. Now, since Yorovom reigned forty-one years, it follows that Yorovom died in the twenty-seventh year of Uzziyoh. So, how does [Scripture] state, “In the thirty-eighth year?” Rather, we are forced [to deduce] that Uzziyoh and Yorovom reigned simultaneously, except that Yorovom reigned during the lifetime of his father Yehoash—three years. Therefore [Scripture] states, ”and Yorovom had sat on his throne,”⁷Above, 13:13. [i.e., on the throne] that he had already sat. And Uzziyoh became [king] when Yoash died and Yorovom reigned over a complete monarchy. I saw in Seder Olam that Yorovom reigned one year during his father's lifetime, and I do not know whether it is the writers' error, for I cannot reconcile, ”In the thirty-eighth year of Azaryohu … Zecharyohu … reigned,” except in this manner.

Jeroboam was king 3 years in the life of his father and 38 years after the death of his father, in total 41 years. His term ended in the 38th year of Azariah, because the beginning of Azariah's reign during his father's reign and the beginning of Jeraboam's reign from the death of his father happened at the same time. If so, Jeraboam reigned for three years prior to the reign of Azariah in his father's life, and he ruled in his 41st year during the 38th year of Azariah's reign, and then Zechariah took over.

And struck him before the people. [Targum Yonoson renders,] he struck him before the people [i.e.,] before the eyes of the people.⁸קבל in Aramaic means opposite, i.e., he struck him opposite the people.—Metzudas Tzion

And it was so. Not that his kingdom deserved to last that long, but to fulfill the word of the King,⁹I.e., the word of God stated in 10:30 above. as it is stated, ”So shall be My word, which will go forth from My mouth etc.”¹⁰Yeshayohu 55:11.

When Jehoachaz, Joash, Jeraboam, and Zechariah reigned, their royal bloodline ceased.

Because Zechariah reigned for 38 years during Uziah's reign, and he reigned for 6 more months, and Shalum reigned during the 39th year of Uziah.

Because it would not open. The governor of the city did not open the city for him, to accept him as king over them.

"...and all the strongholds and towers in the mountains were ripped up."

From across Tirzah.

...He split open all the pregnant women as an act of vengeance and disgrace...

Its pregnant women. The pregnant women therein, he ripped open.

On the matter that the guards of Tiphsah did not open the gates of the city to gain entry to it. This is the reason he smote Tiphsah and it's borders that were across Tirzah.

He opened the stomachs of the pregnant women to extract their fetuses.

It wanted to say, after 39 years passed at Azariah, Shallum reigned at the end of Azariah's 39th year and was killed after a month. And in the next year at the end of Azariah's 39th year and the beginning of the 40th year Menachem ruled.

He did not stay there but returned to his home seeing that he recived the money and no longer protect him from other enemies

His mighty warrior. His mighty warrior.¹¹Alternatively, “his officer.”—Metzudas Tzion [Near] the palace and [near] the lion. Every ארגוב is an expression of important palaces, and every טרכונין in Aramaic [means] important palaces of the kingdom.¹²See Rashi in Devarim 3:4. Alternatively, “Argov” and “Aryeh” are names of two mighty warriors who were with Pekach, in addition to the fifty men.—Metzudas Tzion In the great chamber that was next to the palace.

[Near] the palace and [near] the lion. Every ארגוב is an expression of important palaces, and every טרכונין in Aramaic [means] important palaces of the kingdom.¹²See Rashi in Devarim 3:4. Alternatively, “Argov” and “Aryeh” are names of two mighty warriors who were with Pekach, in addition to the fifty men.—Metzudas Tzion In the great chamber that was next to the palace.

And [near] the lion. It is possible to say that a golden lion was standing in that palace.

In the twentieth year of Yosam. He should have said, “in the fourth year of Achaz,” because Yosam's entire reign lasted [only] sixteen years, but since Achaz was wicked, Scripture prefers to count [the years with reference] to Yosam who was in the grave, rather than to Achaz, who was alive.¹³Alternatively, because the Divine decree of destruction had been passed against Pekach during Yosam's reign, therefore its fulfillment is reckoned in terms of his reign even though it took place after his death.—Radak Thus it is [stated] in Seder Olam.

In those days. At the end of Yosam's life.¹⁴Alternatively, after Yosam's death.—Radak

To incite. To incite.¹⁵Alternatively, “to send,” as a punishment for the sins of Achaz.—Ralbag