Citazione Commento su II Re 20:3

התהלך לפני, as rendered by Onkelos, "serve Me" by carrying out what I command you ( in order to become perfect). This is also that meaning of the word התהלך in Genesis 24,40 as well as in Genesis 48,15. It is a reference to serving the lord in thought and deed. All service of the Lord is rooted in man's heart. This is why King Chiskiyah in Kings II 20,3 in his prayer says: אני ה' דבר נא את אשר התהלכתי לפניך באמת ובלבב שלם, "please o Lord remember how I have served you in truth and with a pure heart, etc." Chiskiyah first refers to his serving G'd with his heart, before mentioning that he had performed deeds which constituted service of the Lord also, when he said והטוב בעיניך עשיתי, "and I have done what is pleasing in Your eyes." At this juncture G'd commands Avram that He will require additional service from him, service to be performed on his own body. He had already proven that his heart was pure. He had also already perfected his personality traits to the extent that his mind and intelligence had suggested such improvements. This form of service to be performed on his body was something that his mind and reason would reject as illogical. G'd demanded this only in order for the people whom Avraham would produce would be recognizable by the circumcision of their body as unique, as wearing the mark of G'd. Even though many of the gentiles do circumcise themselves also, they do not do so in response to a command by G'd. Only the special seed of Avram, i.e. Yitzchok was included in this command. Also Yitzchok's special seed was included in that command, [i.e. according to our author Ishmael's children and Esau's children as well as the sons Avraham had by Keturah would not have been included in this commandment. Because of these considerations G'd commanded the circumcision before Yitzchok would be born or even conceived. Any convert, not alive at that time but joining the Jewish people and its faith are therefore described as being בני אברהם "descendants, sons of Avraham," [This is an additional meaning of the name change from Avram to Avraham, foretelling him that he would become the spiritual father of all future converts. Ed.]

AND HE HID THE BOOK OF REMEDIES. As it is written (II Kings 20:3; Isa. 38:3), "I have done what is pleasing (and righteous) to You." And we said in B'rachot that he hid the Book of Remedies because their minds were not subdued by the illness; instead, they would be healed instantly.

“And I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying.” Rashi explains that although the righteous have reason to rely on their good deeds, nevertheless they only request a free gift [from God] (Sifrei Vaetchanan 23). This explanation is difficult: Why would we think they would rely on their good deeds that they have already performed? Surely a person never has any claim against the Holy One, blessed be He, for all the commandments that a person performs are insufficient to repay even a fraction of what God has done for them, as it is written, as He repays according to their deeds, so He will repay (Isaiah 59:18). All His acts of kindness towards a person began from the day they were born, as elaborated in Duties of the Heart (Gate of Trust, chapter 4). And our Sages (Berakhot 10b) criticized Hezekiah for relying on his deeds when he said, Remember now how I have walked before You in truth (Second Kings 20:3). They attributed his salvation to the merit of others, as it says, And I will defend this city for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David (Second Kings 20:6). For from heaven they showed him that he had no merit of his own because he had already consumed it, and in him was fulfilled the statement, I am unworthy of all the kindnesses (Genesis 32:11). For Jacob acknowledged and said that he was small and poor in commandments compared to all the kindnesses he had already received. So how could they say that “although the righteous have reason to rely on their good deeds”? And the proof brought from the verse I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious is not relevant here, because this verse only teaches us that even someone who has no merit, the Holy One, blessed be He, treats with grace. But Moses, who was punished for his sin by not being allowed to enter the land, how does this verse apply to him? For he is certainly in a worse position than someone who has neither merit nor guilt.

and he prayed to the Lord as is delineated in II Kings (20:3).