Relationship between Melakhim and Divrei Hayamim

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Between War and Peace
Rabbi Alex Israel
Yoav's murders of Avner and Amassa exhibit the simple act of dishonor to the king, and also jeopardize the prospect of national peace and unity. Yoav's bloody ways characterize the reign of David but are not appropriate for the peaceful reign of Shlomo.

Shimi Ben Gera's venture to "Akhish ben Ma'akha, King of Gat" may be hinting that this is a venture of political maneuvering on Shimi's part, an appointment with a rival king and not a simple return of slaves.

The description in Divrei HaYamim of the transition between David and Shlomo is formal, regal, ceremonial, public, and sedate in contrast to the description in Melakhim.
Shlomo's Spiritual Aspirations
Rabbi Alex Israel
Shlomo's public spectacle in Givon is essentially his announcement of his initiative to transfer the altar to Jerusalem and eventually build the Mikdash there. He offers sacrifices on the central altar at Givon, but then immediately travels to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices there.
Shlomo's request for wisdom is followed by the famous case of his judgement. The story has two powerful messages: random people had access to the highest authority in the land and Shlomo sought to apply justice to the entire nation, and not simply to the upper classes.
An Interim "Introduction" to Sefer Melakhim
Rabbi Alex Israel
From chapter 14 and onwards, we read brief accounts of kings that are formal and contain standardized language. The focus of the book of Melakhim is to be on the Mikdash. The book begins with the rise of Shlomo and the building of the Mikdash, and it ends with its destruction. The blame is also clear. This is a book that targets the leaders, and hence it assesses the leadership – king by king - to discern which national figures accelerated the path to that great calamity of destruction and which tried to reverse or stem that process, steering the nation on a path of repentance. Every king is listed and surveyed in order to understand their part. Hence, no link in the chain from building to destruction may be omitted. It knows precisely where to place the blame, which area of deviance constitutes the core of the problem. Our book is focused and locked-in upon idolatry and its associated practices.
Rehavam: Three Sources - Three Perspectives
Rabbi Alex Israel
The description of Rehavam in Melakhim focuses on the sin of idolatry and on the Mikdash in Jerusalem. In Divrei Hayamim the focus is on the sin of pride and has a broader regional focus. Archaeological evidence testifies that Shishak attacked Yerovam in the North. This is not mentioned in either of the bibical accounts. What is the relationship between the various accounts and what is the relationship between the biblkical account and history?
Aviya, Assa, and Ba'sha – Civil War
Rabbi Alex Israel
Sharp discrepancies between the account of Aviyam in Melakhim and in Divrei Hayamim lead to the conclusion that Aviya served God while concurrently tolerating other religious phenomena - an anathema to the worldview of Melakhim: zero tolerance for idolatry and hence absolute condemnation of Aviya. Assa, the next king, removes idolatry from Yehuda and reestablishes the covenant with God. However, when he perceives a military threat from the Northern Kingdom he turns to Aram for help and not to God.
Yehoshafat, King of Yehuda
Rabbi Alex Israel
The brief description of Yehoshafat in Kings I indicates that his perios was one of enormous prosperity and extensive political hegemony over the region. In Divrei Hayamim, his reign is described in luxurious detail, spanning four extensive chapters. Yehoshafat is determined to actively pursue national unity with the Northern kingdom and the House of Ahav despite prophetic criticism. The results of this questionable policy included one failed military campaign and a broken fleet of ships. Yehoshafat began his monarchy with a passion for spreading Torah, and later , upon receiving the criticism of the prophet he decides to rehabilitate the legal system.

As a king, Yehoshafat is superior even to Shlomo in his positive and responsive interactions with the prophet and in the fact that, despite his association with Ahav, he is insusceptible to idolatry. In the landscape of Sefer Melakhim, Yehoshafat stands as one of the greatest and most impressive kings of Yehuda.
Yoash's Reversal
Rabbi Alex Israel
Melakhim describes Yoash as a good king. A different story is described in great detail in Divrei Hayamim. After Yehoyada's death, Yoash abandons the guidance of the Kohanim, turns to idolatry and murders the prophet Zekharya in the courtyard of the Beit HaMikdash - the son of the man who saved him and made him king. Just as he betrays, his servants betray him and kill him after he is injured in a battle against Hazael - King of Aram who despite being outnumbered defeats Yoash and walks away with great spoils. Different theories are suggested as how to reconcile the two accounts but it remains unclear why this episode is hardly even alluded to in Melakhim.
Amatzya and the War with Yoash
Rabbi Alex Israel
Sefer Melakhim presents Amatzya as a King who is religiously devoted and successful in expanding his empire. His aggression towards Yisrael, possibly generated by overinflated hubris, lead to his demise. Divrei Ha-yamim detail the sources of political tension between the North and South, but it also presents two distinct stages of Amatzya's reign. Prior to the campaign against Edom, Amatzya obeys the prophet and acts faithfully to God; he demonstrates compassion (against his father's assassins) and seeks national unity. After the successful campaign in Edom, he worships idols, intimidates the prophet and resists his message, exhibits extreme cruelty to Edom, and engages in a bombastic war campaign. Divrei Ha-yamim offers a coherent rationale for Amatzya's downfall; his turn to idolatry and his direct challenge to God arouse God's punishment.

In some ways Amatzya recalls his father, Yoash of Yehuda, whose early life was marked by ardent devotion to God, but who altered radically in later life, rejecting the priesthood, turning to idolatry. Both kings disastrously mismanaged a war which resulted in Yerushalayim being penetrated by the enemy, and both kings were assassinated by political opponents.
The Best of Times: The Reigns of Yerovam ben Yoash and Uziya
Rabbi Alex Israel
The long and impressive reign of Yerovam ben Yoash sees the Northern Kingdom reaching the summit of its regional power and material prosperity. The prophet Amos who prophesies during this period, reveals a society of enormous wealth, complacency, and security and yet bearing startling inequalities of income, and outrageous exploitation of the poor by the rich.

Uziya's long reign is filled with a long list of impressive accomplishments: Military conquests, extensive fortification of Jerusalem, development of agriculture and a cutting-edge military. However, his successes lead to arrogance and his eventual downfall, plagued till his death with Tzaraat. Yishayahu describes a society in Yehuda similar to what Amos described in the North.

While Sefer Melakhim dwells almost exclusively on the issue of idolatry, Amos and Yishayahu highlight the sins of arrogance and social injustice. Amos warns of an earthquake which shakes the kingdom a mere two years after Amos begins his prophecy. And yet, even with a national disaster of this proportion, Israel and Yehuda fails to harness its peace and wealth towards kindness, justice, and communal support.
Tests of Faith
Rabbi Alex Israel
Hizkiyahu's prayer in the face of a prophecy from Yishayahu of his impending death and the reversal of this prophecy to extend his life and his reign for 15 more years makes Hizkiyahu a paragon of faith. Conversely his dealings with Berodakh Baladan, King of Babylon, are criticized harshly by Yishyahu. Divrei Hayamim paints a picture of arrogance and pride as leading to Hizkiyahu's illness and perhaps the censure he received for his dealings with the Babylonian King. Melakhim seems to be critical of putting faith in other nations and forming alliances as a rejection of faith in God.

These two stories lead to a broader discussion within Hizkiyahu's character and in general of proactiveness versus faith in God. The Sages criticize Hizkiyahu for chanelling the waters of Gihon into the city and for utilizing the Book of Remedies as expressing a lack of faith. Are these criticisms justified?
King Menashe – An Idolatrous Kingdom
Rabbi Alex Israel
Menashe introduces idolatry and bloodshed into Yehuda in ways previously unknown. He accepts complete Assyrian domination and sets the wheels of destruction and exile into motion. Sefer Melakhim ends the description of Menashe on this note. However, Divrei HaYamim describes Menashe being taken into captivity by the Assyrian general, praying to God, repenting, God returning him to his kingdom and Menashe removing the idolatry that he instituted. This enormous gap between the two stories shed light on the different agendas of the two books. Despite his repentance, Menashe's negative influence impacted beyond his reign, and specifically to his son Amon who followed in his evil ways.
Introduction to Ezra-Nehemya
Rabbi Tzvi Sinensky
As opposed to the conclusion of Sefer Melakhim, Divrei Ha-Yamim sees hope for the future of the Judean Commonwealth. The city can and will be rebuilt and the Davidic line will be restored. In this sense, Ezra-Nehemya represents the fulfillment of Divrei Ha-Yamim’s optimistic vision for the future, and is properly viewed as not only a continuation but even a culmination of that work.

There can be no question that the dominant personality the first chapter of Ezra is Cyrus himself. Jewish leadership is all but absent. As opposed to the prophets, who were spurned time and again by their Jewish audience, Cyrus’ message is well received. Whereas Yirmiyahu failed miserably in his attempts to goad the people to follow his commands, Cyrus succeeded spectacularly.

In the prophetic period’s twilight, it is no longer a Jewish prophet who leads the Jews. Now, it is a gentile monarch (Cyrus), a Jewish scholar (Ezra), and a Jewish statesman (Nehemya). Cyrus’ dominance in Ezra-Nehemya’s opening chapter points to a wider motif of Shivat Tzion: the abatement of prophecy is marked by new forms of leadership and new modes for the Jewish people to connect with God.