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Perek 4

Mishnayos Pesachim Perek 4 Mishnah 9

פסחים פרק ד׳ משנה ט׳

9
The Sages taught: King Hezekiah performed six actions. With regard to three of them, the Sages of his generation conceded to him; and with regard to three of them, the Sages did not concede to him. Due to King Hezekiah’s father’s wickedness, he dragged the bones of his father Ahaz on a bier of ropes and did not afford him the respect due to a king, and the Sages conceded to him. He ground the copper snake that Moses fashioned in the desert because Israel worshipped it, and the Sages conceded to him. He suppressed the Book of Cures, and they conceded to him. And with regard to three actions, the Sages did not concede to him. He cut off the doors of the Sanctuary and sent them to the King of Assyria, and they did not concede to him because he thereby demeaned the Temple. He sealed the waters of the upper Gihon stream, diverting its water into the city by means of a tunnel, and they did not concede to him, because he harmed the local populace in the process and should have relied upon God (Me’iri). He intercalated the year, delaying the advent of the month of Nisan during Nisan, and they did not concede to him. The Gemara explains that he declared the first of Nisan to be the thirtieth of Adar and only then intercalated the year (see II Chronicles 30:2).

שִׁשָּׁה דְבָרִים עָשָׂה חִזְקִיָּה הַמֶּלֶךְ, עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה הוֹדוּ לוֹ, וְעַל שְׁלֹשָׁה לֹא הוֹדוּ לוֹ. גֵּרַר עַצְמוֹת אָבִיו עַל מִטָּה שֶׁל חֲבָלִים, וְהוֹדוּ לוֹ. כִּתֵּת נְחַשׁ הַנְּחֹשֶׁת, וְהוֹדוּ לוֹ. גָּנַז סֵפֶר רְפוּאוֹת, וְהוֹדוּ לוֹ. עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה לֹא הוֹדוּ לוֹ, קִצֵּץ דְּלָתוֹת שֶׁל הֵיכָל וְשִׁגְּרָן לְמֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר, וְלֹא הוֹדוּ לוֹ. סָתַם מֵי גִיחוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן, וְלֹא הוֹדוּ לוֹ. עִבֵּר נִיסָן בְּנִיסָן, וְלֹא הוֹדוּ לוֹ:

ט׳

גירר עצמות אביו – because of atonement. And he did not bury him according to his honor on a nice bier in order that he would be put to shame on his wickedness and that the wicked would be tormented.

כתת נחש הנחשת – as it is written in Chronicles (2 Kings 18:4 – “He broke into pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until that time the Israelites had been offering sacrifices to it; it was called Nehushtan”) because they would err after him.

וגנז ספר רפואות – because their hearts were not humbled by their illnesses but they were healed immediately. And Maimonides explained, that the book of healing, was a book informing of the matters of the forms of the stars and their witchcraft, that a certain form was made at a known time and period while curing from specific illness. And this was close to causing humans to error after idolatry and for that reason, the books were hidden.

עיבר ניסן בניסן – after Nisan had begun, he took counsel and it was made Second Adar, and the Biblical verse states (Exodus 12:2): “This month shall be for you the first of months.” This is Nisan and there is nothing after Nisan, and Hezekiah did not intercalate the year after Nisan had already begun, but on the thirtieth day of Adar, he intercalated the year. And we hold that we do not intercalate the year on the thirtieth of Adar since it is appropriate to establish it as Nisan.

גירר עצמות אביו. משום כפרה. ולא קברו לפי כבודו על מטה נאה, כדי שיתגנה על רשעו ויווסרו הרשעים:

כתת נחש הנחשת. כדכתיב בדברי הימים, לפי שהיו טועין אחריו:

וגנז ספר רפואות. לפי שלא היה לבם נכנע על חליים אלא מתרפאים מיד. והרמב״ם פירש, ספר רפואות, ספר מודיע מעניני צורות הכוכבים והטלסמאות, שצורה פלונית העשויה בזמן ועת ידוע מרפאת מחולי פלוני, וזה היה קרוב להטעות הבריות אחר עבודת כוכבים ולכך גנזו:

עיבר ניסן בניסן. לאחר שנכנס ניסן נמלך ועשה אדר שני. והכתוב אומר (שמות י״ב:ב׳) החדש הזה לכם, זה ניסן, ואין אחר ניסן. ולא עיבר חזקיה לאחר שנכנס ניסן ממש, אלא יום שלשים של אדר עיבר את השנה, ואנן קיי״ל אין מעברין את השנה בשלשים של אדר הואיל וראוי לקבעו ניסן: