Mishnah
Mishnah

Halakhah for Pesachim 4:9

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:

King Hezekiah did six things, three of which met with their (the sages') approbation, three of which did not. He dragged his father's bones on a litter of ropes, [for purposes of atonement. He did not bury him in a litter befitting his honor, so that he be demeaned because of his wickedness and the wicked thereby take reproof], and this met with their approbation. He crushed the brass serpent, [as explained in Chronicles, because they were led astray by it], and this met with their approbation. He hid the Book of Cures, [for they recovered immediately and their hearts were not humbled by their illness. Rambam explains that the Book of Cures described the forms of stars and of talismans, affirming that certain forms fashioned at certain times would cure certain illnesses. This came near to drawing men to idolatry, for which reason Hezekiah hid it], and this met with their approbation. He cut (the gold from the doors of) the Temple and sent it to the king of Assyria, and this did not meet with their approbation. He stopped up the upper mouth of the waters of Gichon, and this did not meet with their approbation. He intercalated Nissan on Nissan, and this did not meet with their approbation. [After Nissan had entered, he decided to make it Adar Sheni, but it is written (Exodus 12:2): "This month shall be for you the beginning of months" — this month is Nissan, and no other month is Nissan. And Hezekiah did not do so after Nissan itself had entered; but on the thirtieth day of Adar he intercalated the year, whereas the ruling is that the year is not to be intercalated on the thirtieth of Adar since that day may be declared Nissan.]

Gray Matter IV

This may account for why the rabbis did not call for disobedience in certain situations. The Gemara (Pesachim 56a) relates that king Chizkiyahu removed the door to the Heichal (main hall) of the Beit Hamikdash and sent it to the king of Assyria in order to avoid war. The Gemara relates that Chazal disapproved of this action. Rashi (ad. loc. s.v. V’ Lo Hodu Lo) explains that they felt that Chizkiyahu should have had more faith in Hashem. The Tiferet Yisrael (Pesachim 4:9) explains that Chazal did not call for disobedience to the king because of eimat malchut, fear of the king. Chazal were not afraid that Chizkiyahu would harm them, as Chizkiyahu was an exceptionally righteous king. Rather, it seems that Chazal sought to protect the respect and integrity of the king. They appreciated the ambiguity of the situation, and therefore, it did not warrant mutiny that could threaten societal stability.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Previous VerseFull ChapterNext Verse