מִכְתָּ֖ב לְחִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֑ה בַּחֲלֹת֕וֹ וַיְחִ֖י מֵחָלְיֽוֹ׃
אַ געשריפֿטס פֿון חִזקִיָהו דעם מלך פֿון יהוּדה, װען ער איז קראַנק געװען, און איז גענעזן געװאָרן פֿון זײַן קראַנקשאַפֿט.
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer
The seventh wonder (was): From the day when the heavens and earth had been created there had never been a sick man who had recovered from his sickness, until Hezekiah, king of Judah, came and fell sick and (yet) he recovered, as it is said, "The writing of Hezekiah, king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness" (Isa. 38:9). He began to pray before the Holy One, blessed be He, saying: Sovereign of all worlds! "Now, O Lord, remember, I beseech thee, how I walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight" (2 Kings 20:3); and He was entreated of him, as it is said, "Behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years" (Isa. 38); and He was entreated of him, as it is said, "Behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years" (Isa. 38 5). Hezekiah said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of all worlds ! Give me a sign, as it is said, "And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up unto the house of the Lord?" (2 Kings 20:8). He answered him: Ahaz thy father compelled the constellations, and he bowed down to the sun, and the sun fled before him and went down in the west ten steps. If thou desirest, it shall go down ten steps, or it shall ascend ten steps. Hezekiah spake before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of all worlds ! Nay, || but those ten steps which it has (already) gone down let it retrace and stand, as it is said, "Nay, but let the shadow return backward ten steps" (2 Kings 20:10). And He was entreated of him, as it is said, "Behold, I will cause the shadow on the steps, which is gone down on the dial of Ahaz with the sun, to return backward ten steps" (Isa. 38:8). All the kings of the earth saw, and they were astonished, for there had been nothing like it from the day when the world was created, and they sent to behold the wonder, as it is said, "Howbeit in (the business of) the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land" (2 Chron. 32:31).
Bereshit Rabbah
Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said: Abraham demanded aging. He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, a man and his son enter a place and no one knows which of them to honor. Because you adorn him with aging, a person knows whom to honor.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘As you live, you have demanded a good thing, and it will begin with you.’ From the beginning of the book until that point, aging is not written. When Abraham stood, He granted him aging – “Abraham was old” (Genesis 24:1).
Isaac demanded suffering. He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, a person dies without suffering, the attribute of justice is outstretched against him. When you bring suffering upon him, the attribute of justice is not outstretched against him.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘As you live, you have demanded a good thing, and I will begin with you.’ From the beginning of the book until here, suffering is not written. When Isaac stood, He granted him suffering – “it was when Isaac was old, and [his eyes] dimmed.”
Jacob demanded illness. He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, a person dies without illness and does not settle matters between his children. When he is ill for two or three days, he settles matters between his children.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘As you live, you have demanded a good thing, and it will begin with you’ – “One said to Joseph: Behold, your father is ill” (Genesis 48:1).
Rabbi Levi said: Abraham introduced aging, Isaac introduced suffering, Jacob introduced illness, Hezekiah introduced illness that is cured. He said to Him: ‘You would sustain one until the day of his death.8In good health. But because a person is ill and recovers, is ill and recovers, he repents.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘As you live, you have demanded a good thing.’ That is what is written: “A composition of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he became ill and recovered from his illness” (Isaiah 38:9). Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: From here [we learn], that between illness and illness, there was an illness that was more severe than both of them.
Isaac demanded suffering. He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, a person dies without suffering, the attribute of justice is outstretched against him. When you bring suffering upon him, the attribute of justice is not outstretched against him.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘As you live, you have demanded a good thing, and I will begin with you.’ From the beginning of the book until here, suffering is not written. When Isaac stood, He granted him suffering – “it was when Isaac was old, and [his eyes] dimmed.”
Jacob demanded illness. He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, a person dies without illness and does not settle matters between his children. When he is ill for two or three days, he settles matters between his children.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘As you live, you have demanded a good thing, and it will begin with you’ – “One said to Joseph: Behold, your father is ill” (Genesis 48:1).
Rabbi Levi said: Abraham introduced aging, Isaac introduced suffering, Jacob introduced illness, Hezekiah introduced illness that is cured. He said to Him: ‘You would sustain one until the day of his death.8In good health. But because a person is ill and recovers, is ill and recovers, he repents.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘As you live, you have demanded a good thing.’ That is what is written: “A composition of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he became ill and recovered from his illness” (Isaiah 38:9). Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: From here [we learn], that between illness and illness, there was an illness that was more severe than both of them.