מדרש אויף הושע 7:7

Another matter: This what the verse said: “As they increased, so they sinned against Me; I will change their honor into shame” (Hosea 4:7). What is “as they increased”? Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: It means that everything that the prominent individuals perform, the generation performs.³⁷The term “as they increased [kerubam]” is thus understood in the sense of “like their leader [kerabam].” How so? If the Nasi permits something and the president of the court prohibits it, [the president of the court will say:] ‘If the Nasi permits should I prohibit? The judges will say: If the president of the court permits, shall we prohibit? The rest of the generation says: If the judges permit, shall we prohibit? Who caused the entire generation to sin? It was the Nasi, who sinned first.
Rabbi Simlai said: It is written: “For their mother committed harlotry; she who conceived them acted shamefully” (Hosea 2:7) – as they put their own words to shame before the masses. How so? The Sage sits and lectures in public: ‘Do not lend with interest,’ and he lends with interest. He says: ‘Do not rob,’ and he robs. He says: ‘Do not steal,’ and he steals. Rabbi Berekhya said: There was an incident involving a certain person whose garment was stolen, and he went to file a complaint about it with the judge, and he found it spread on his bed. And Rabbi Berekhya said: There was an incident involving a certain person whose kettle was stolen, and he went to file a complaint about it with the judge, and he found it on his stove. That is, “as they increased, so they sinned against Me.”
Another matter: “As they increased, so they sinned against Me” (Hosea 4:7) – Rabbi Tanḥuma said: The more lands I provided for them, the more they sinned against Me. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “Their altars too will be as heaps on the furrows of the field” (Hosea 12:12).³⁸They built altars for idol worship on the furrows of all the fields that they had.
Another matter: The more I increased their wealth, the more they sinned against Me. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “Their silver and gold they made into idols for themselves” (Hosea 8:4).
Another matter: The more I increased their kings, the more they sinned against Me. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “All their kings have fallen; no one among them calls to Me” (Hosea 7:7).
Another matter: The more I increased their children, the more they sinned against Me, as it is stated: “When you will beget children…”

This is what the verse said: “He prevents a deceitful person from reigning, from setting hindrances [mokeshei] for the people” (Job 34:30). Rabbi Yoḥanan and Reish Lakish, Rabbi Yoḥanan said: If you see a deceitful and wicked man leading the generation, it would be preferable for the generation to fly in the air rather than make use of him. This expression, from setting hindrances [mokeshei] for the people means nothing other than flying, like the matter that is stated: “Will a bird fall into a trap on the ground, and there is no snare [mokesh] for it?” (Amos 3:5).
“He prevents a deceitful person from reigning…” – the Rabbis said: When kings arose over Israel and began subjugating them, the Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘Did you not forsake Me and request a king for yourselves?’ That is, “I will install a king over me.”
This is what the verse said: “Do not trust in princes…” (Psalms 146:3). Rabbi Simon said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: Anyone who places his trust in the Holy One blessed be He, merits to be comparable to Him.¹⁷People will refer to him as a Godly person. From where is this derived? It is as it is stated: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and the Lord is his haven” (Jeremiah 17:7). But one who places his trust in idolatry is condemned to be comparable to it. From where is this derived? It is as it is stated: “Those who make them will be like them” (Psalms 115:8). The Rabbis say: Anyone who places his trust in a flesh-and-blood human, who passes away, his protection, too, passes away, as it is stated: “In man, in whom there is no salvation” (Psalms 146:3). What is written thereafter? “His spirit departs; he returns to his earth” (Psalms 146:4). The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘They know that a flesh-and-blood human is nothing, yet they forsake My honor and say: “Install a king for us” (I Samuel 8:5). Why do you seek a king? By your lives, ultimately you will feel what is destined to befall you under your king.’ From where is this derived? It is as it is stated: “All their kings have fallen; no one among them calls to Me” (Hosea 7:7).

That is what is written: “One hand to another will not be absolved from evil, [but the descendant of the righteous will escape]” (Proverbs 11:21). Bar Kappara said: Aḥaz and all the wicked kings of Israel have no portion in the World to Come, as it is stated: “All their kings have fallen, none of them calls to me” (Hosea 7:7). But he is enumerated among the tally of the years of kings, as it is stated: “In the days of Uziyahu, Yotam, Aḥaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah” (Isaiah 1:1).¹¹The midrash sees the fact that he is included in this list together with righteous kings as indicating that he was righteous. Rav Aḥa in the name of Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Yosei in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: It is because he had humility. How so? When the prophet came to rebuke him, he would go out to a place of impurity saying that the Divine Presence does not rest in a place of impurity.¹²He was embarrassed to hear the prophet’s rebuke, and therefore sought to avoid him by going to a place of impurity, where the prophet would not want to go because it might mean missing out on any potential prophecy (Etz Yosef). That is what is written: “The Lord said to Isaiah: Go out now to Aḥaz, you and She’ar Yashuv your son, to the end of the channel of the upper pool, on the path of the launderer’s field [sede khoves]” (Isaiah 7:3). Do not read it as khoves, but rather, as lower [khovesh]. How so? When the prophet would come to rebuke him, he would lower his face [in shame].
Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] said: It is because he was tormented over his firstborn son. That is what is written: “Zikhri, a mighty warrior of Ephraim, killed Maaseyahu the king’s son, and Azrikam chief official of the house, and Elkana the viceroy” (II Chronicles 28:7).¹³The suffering he endured as a result of the death of his son atoned for the sins he had committed until that point (Etz Yosef).
Rabbi Hoshaya the Great said: It is because his father was a righteous man. That is what Hezekiah says: “Behold, with peace, it is very bitter for me [mar li mar]” (Isaiah 38:17). It is bitter [mar] for me from before me, from Aḥaz; it is bitter for me from after me, from Menashe.¹⁴Hezekiah was righteous but his father, Aḥaz, and his son, Menashe, were wicked. Rather, Menashe’s father was righteous and his son was wicked, but Aḥaz’s father was righteous and his son was righteous.¹⁵Consequently, Aḥaz is listed among the righteous kings but Menashe is not, even though Isaiah prophesied in his time as well. Rabbi Simon said: “But the descendant of the righteous [tzaddik] will escape”¹⁶Singular. is not written here, but rather, “the descendant of the righteous [tzaddikim]”¹⁷Plural. – one who is inserted between two righteous men will escape.
Rabbi Pinḥas said: Anyone who performs a mitzva and seeks to take his reward for it, “one hand to another will not be absolved from evil” (Proverbs 11:21), he is wicked and will not leave anything to his children. Rabbi Simon said: Like a man who says: ‘Here is the sack, here is the sela, here is the se’a; arise and take.’ So, had the early patriarchs demanded to receive their reward for the minor mitzvot that they performed in this world, from where would merit remain for their descendants after them, as it says: “I will remember My covenant with Jacob.”