The Righteous King

Yotam King of Yehuda

(כא) וַיְהִי֩ עֻזִּיָּ֨הוּ הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ מְצֹרָ֣ע ׀ עַד־י֣וֹם מוֹת֗וֹ וַיֵּ֜שֶׁב בֵּ֤ית (החפשות) [הַֽחׇפְשִׁית֙] מְצֹרָ֔ע כִּ֥י נִגְזַ֖ר מִבֵּ֣ית יְהֹוָ֑ה וְיוֹתָ֤ם בְּנוֹ֙ עַל־בֵּ֣ית הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ שׁוֹפֵ֖ט אֶת־עַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ׃

II Chronicles 26:21

(21) King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He lived in isolated quarters^-b as a leper, for he was cut off from the House of the LORD—while Jotham his son was in charge of the king’s house and governed the people of the land.

מלכים ב ט״ו:ל״ב-ל״ד

(לב) בִּשְׁנַ֣ת שְׁתַּ֔יִם לְפֶ֥קַח בֶּן־רְמַלְיָ֖הוּ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מָלַ֛ךְ יוֹתָ֥ם בֶּן־עֻזִּיָּ֖הוּ מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃ (לג) בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וְחָמֵ֤שׁ שָׁנָה֙ הָיָ֣ה בְמׇלְכ֔וֹ וְשֵׁשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ יְרוּשָׁ֖א בַּת־צָדֽוֹק׃ (לד) וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הַיָּשָׁ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה כְּכֹ֧ל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֛ה עֻזִּיָּ֥הוּ אָבִ֖יו עָשָֽׂה׃

II Kings 15:32-34

(32) In the second year of King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel, Jotham son of King Uzziah of Judah became king. (33) He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. (34) He did what was pleasing to the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done.

דברי הימים ב כ״ז:א׳-ו׳

(א) בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וְחָמֵ֤שׁ שָׁנָה֙ יוֹתָ֣ם בְּמׇלְכ֔וֹ וְשֵׁשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ יְרוּשָׁ֖ה בַּת־צָדֽוֹק׃ (ב) וַיַּ֨עַשׂ הַיָּשָׁ֜ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֗ה כְּכֹ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה֙ עֻזִּיָּ֣הוּ אָבִ֔יו רַ֕ק לֹא־בָ֖א אֶל־הֵיכַ֣ל יְהֹוָ֑ה וְע֥וֹד הָעָ֖ם מַשְׁחִיתִֽים׃ (ג) ה֗וּא בָּנָ֛ה אֶת־שַׁ֥עַר בֵּית־יְהֹוָ֖ה הָעֶלְי֑וֹן וּבְחוֹמַ֥ת הָעֹ֛פֶל בָּנָ֖ה לָרֹֽב׃ (ד) וְעָרִ֥ים בָּנָ֖ה בְּהַר־יְהוּדָ֑ה וּבֶחֳרָשִׁ֣ים בָּנָ֔ה בִּירָנִיּ֖וֹת וּמִגְדָּלִֽים׃ (ה) וְ֠ה֠וּא נִלְחַ֞ם עִם־מֶ֣לֶךְ בְּנֵֽי־עַמּוֹן֮ וַיֶּחֱזַ֣ק עֲלֵיהֶם֒ וַיִּתְּנוּ־ל֨וֹ בְנֵי־עַמּ֜וֹן בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַהִ֗יא מֵאָה֙ כִּכַּר־כֶּ֔סֶף וַעֲשֶׂ֨רֶת אֲלָפִ֤ים כֹּרִים֙ חִטִּ֔ים וּשְׂעוֹרִ֖ים עֲשֶׂ֣רֶת אֲלָפִ֑ים זֹ֗את הֵשִׁ֤יבוּ לוֹ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וּבַשָּׁנָ֥ה הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית וְהַשְּׁלִשִֽׁית׃ (ו) וַיִּתְחַזֵּ֖ק יוֹתָ֑ם כִּ֚י הֵכִ֣ין דְּרָכָ֔יו לִפְנֵ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽיו׃

II Chronicles 27:1-6

(1) Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Jerushah daughter of Zadok. (2) He did what was pleasing to the LORD just as his father Uzziah had done, but he did not enter the Temple of the LORD; however, the people still acted corruptly. (3) It was he who built the Upper Gate of the House of the LORD; he also built extensively on the wall of Ophel. (4) He built towns in the hill country of Judah, and in the woods he built fortresses and towers. (5) Moreover, he fought with the king of the Ammonites and overcame them; the Ammonites gave him that year 100 talents of silver and 10,000 kor of wheat and another 10,000 of barley; that is what the Ammonites paid him, and [likewise] in the second and third years. (6) Jotham was strong because he maintained a faithful course before the LORD his God.

סוכה מ״ה ב:ד׳

וְאָמַר חִזְקִיָּה אָמַר רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי: יָכוֹל אֲנִי לִפְטוֹר אֶת כׇּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ מִן הַדִּין — מִיּוֹם שֶׁנִּבְרֵאתִי עַד עַתָּה, וְאִילְמָלֵי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בְּנִי עִמִּי — מִיּוֹם שֶׁנִּבְרָא הָעוֹלָם וְעַד עַכְשָׁיו, וְאִילְמָלֵי יוֹתָם בֶּן עוּזִּיָּהוּ עִמָּנוּ — מִיּוֹם שֶׁנִּבְרָא הָעוֹלָם עַד סוֹפוֹ.

Sukkah 45b:4

And Ḥizkiya said that Rabbi Yirmeya said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: I am able to absolve the entire world from judgment for sins committed from the day I was created until now. The merit that he accrued through his righteousness and the suffering that he endured atone for the sins of the entire world. And were the merit accrued by Eliezer, my son, calculated along with my own, we would absolve the world from judgment for sins committed from the day that the world was created until now. And were the merit accrued by the righteous king, Jotham ben Uzziah, calculated with our own, we would absolve the world from judgment for sins committed from the day that the world was created until its end. The righteousness of these three serves as a counterbalance to all the evil deeds committed throughout the generations, and it validates the ongoing existence of the world.

רש"י על דברי הימים ב כ״ז:ב׳:א׳

ככל אשר עשה עזיהו אביו. הטובות שעשה אביו וזהו שאמר רבי שמעון בן יוחאי במסכת סוכה אלמלא יהי' אברהם אבינו מקבל עליו כל עונות הדורות עד לו אני הייתי מקבל עלי חטאי הדורות מאברהם עד לי ואם היה יותם בן עזיהו עמי היינו מקבלין עלינו מאברהם ועד סוף הדורות שבכל המלכים שלפניו ולאחריו מצינו בהם חטא חוץ מיותם, דוד רק באוריה החתי שלמה נשיו הטו לבבו ורחבעם עזב את תורת ה', אביה וילך בכל חטאת אביו, אסא הוציא כסף וזהב מאוצרות בית ה' ונתן הנביא בית המהפכת, יהושפט נתחבר לרשע יהורם הרג אחיו אחזיהו אמו יועצתו להרשיע יואש הרג זכריה ונעשה קדש אמציה השתחו' לפסילי שעיר עזיהו נכנס להיכל להקטיר אחז הלך בדרכי מלך ישראל וגם עשה מצבות לבעלים חזקיה גבה לבו ויהי עליו קצף ועל שלשה לא הודו לו, מנשה עשה הרע בעיני ה' יאשיהו לא שמע דברי נבואה מפי אלהים צדקיה עשה הרע בעיני ה' ולא נכנע מפני ירמיה אבל יותם לא נמצא בו שום דופי (כך אמר לי ר' אלעזר בר משה):

Rashi on II Chronicles 27:2:1

as all that his father Uzziah the good deeds that his father had done. That is what R. Simeon ben Yohai said in Tractate Sotah (sic. Should be Sukkah 45b): If Abraham would take upon himself all the sins of the generations until his time, I would take upon myself the sins of the generations from Abraham until my time. And if Jotham the son of Uzziah were with me, we would take upon ourselves the sins of all the generations from Abraham until the end of all generations, for in all the kings before him and after him we find sin, except in Jotham. Concerning David it is written, (I Kings 15:5): “Only concerning the matter of Uriah the Hittite”; concerning Solomon it is written, (ibid. 11:4): “His wives turned his heart away”; Rehoboam forsook the Lord’s Torah; Abijah (ibid. 15:3): “went in all his father’s sins”; Asa took silver and gold from the treasuries of the House of the Lord and put the prophet in prison; Jehoshaphat associated with a wicked man (Ahab and his son Ahaziah); Joram killed his brother; Ahaziah’s mother advised him to sin; Joash killed Zechariah and was [later punished by being] sexually molested (Yer. Kid. 1:7); Amaziah prostrated himself before the graven images of Seir; Uzziah entered the Temple to burn incense; Ahaz went in the ways of the kings of Israel and also made monuments for the baalim; Hezekiah became haughty and there was anger upon him, and the sages did not concur with him on three things that he did (Pes. 4:9); Manasseh did evil in the eyes of the Lord; Josiah did not heed the words of prophecy from God; Zedekiah did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not humble himself before Jeremiah (below 36:12). In Jotham, however, no trace of sin was found. (R. Eliezer the son of Moses told me this.)

מלכים ב ט״ו:ל״ה-ל״ו

(לה) רַ֤ק הַבָּמוֹת֙ לֹ֣א סָ֔רוּ ע֗וֹד הָעָ֛ם מְזַבְּחִ֥ים וּֽמְקַטְּרִ֖ים בַּבָּמ֑וֹת ה֗וּא בָּנָ֛ה אֶת־שַׁ֥עַר בֵּית־יְהֹוָ֖ה הָעֶלְיֽוֹן׃ (לו) וְיֶ֛תֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י יוֹתָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה הֲלֹא־הֵ֣ם כְּתוּבִ֗ים עַל־סֵ֛פֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י הַיָּמִ֖ים לְמַלְכֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃

II Kings 15:35-36

(35) However, the shrines were not removed; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings at the shrines. It was he who built the Upper Gate of the House of the LORD. (36) The other events of Jotham’s reign, and all his actions, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Judah.

דברי הימים ב כ״ז:ב׳

(ב) וַיַּ֨עַשׂ הַיָּשָׁ֜ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֗ה כְּכֹ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה֙ עֻזִּיָּ֣הוּ אָבִ֔יו רַ֕ק לֹא־בָ֖א אֶל־הֵיכַ֣ל יְהֹוָ֑ה וְע֥וֹד הָעָ֖ם מַשְׁחִיתִֽים׃

II Chronicles 27:2

(2) He did what was pleasing to the LORD just as his father Uzziah had done, but he did not enter the Temple of the LORD; however, the people still acted corruptly.

דברי הימים ב כ״ו:ט״ז-י״ח

(טז) וּכְחֶזְקָת֗וֹ גָּבַ֤הּ לִבּוֹ֙ עַד־לְהַשְׁחִ֔ית וַיִּמְעַ֖ל בַּיהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑יו וַיָּבֹא֙ אֶל־הֵיכַ֣ל יְהֹוָ֔ה לְהַקְטִ֖יר עַל־מִזְבַּ֥ח הַקְּטֹֽרֶת׃ (יז) וַיָּבֹ֥א אַחֲרָ֖יו עֲזַרְיָ֣הוּ הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וְעִמּ֞וֹ כֹּהֲנִ֧ים ׀ לַיהֹוָ֛ה שְׁמוֹנִ֖ים בְּנֵי־חָֽיִל׃ (יח) וַיַּעַמְד֞וּ עַל־עֻזִּיָּ֣הוּ הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ וַיֹּ֤אמְרוּ לוֹ֙ לֹֽא־לְךָ֣ עֻזִּיָּ֗הוּ לְהַקְטִיר֙ לַיהֹוָ֔ה כִּ֣י לַכֹּהֲנִ֧ים בְּנֵֽי־אַהֲרֹ֛ן הַמְקֻדָּשִׁ֖ים לְהַקְטִ֑יר צֵ֤א מִן־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ֙ כִּ֣י מָעַ֔לְתָּ וְלֹֽא־לְךָ֥ לְכָב֖וֹד מֵיְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִֽים׃

II Chronicles 26:16-18

(16) When he was strong, he grew so arrogant he acted corruptly: he trespassed against his God by entering the Temple of the LORD to offer incense on the incense altar. (17) The priest Azariah, with eighty other brave priests of the LORD, followed him in (18) and, confronting King Uzziah, said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to offer incense to the LORD, but for the Aaronite priests, who have been consecrated, to offer incense. Get out of the Sanctuary, for you have trespassed; there will be no glory in it for you from the LORD God.”

משנה תורה, הלכות תשובה ב׳:ד׳

(ד) מִדַּרְכֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה...וּמִתְרַחֵק הַרְבֵּה מִן הַדָּבָר שֶׁחָטָא בּוֹ ...:

Mishneh Torah, Repentance 2:4

(4) Among the ways of repentance are,...to distance himself exceedingly from the thing wherein he sinned.

מלכים ב ט״ו:ל״ז-ל״ח

(לז) בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם הֵחֵ֣ל יְהֹוָ֗ה לְהַשְׁלִ֙יחַ֙ בִּֽיהוּדָ֔ה רְצִ֖ין מֶ֣לֶךְ אֲרָ֑ם וְאֵ֖ת פֶּ֥קַח בֶּן־רְמַלְיָֽהוּ׃ (לח) וַיִּשְׁכַּ֤ב יוֹתָם֙ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו וַיִּקָּבֵר֙ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו בְּעִ֖יר דָּוִ֣ד אָבִ֑יו וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ אָחָ֥ז בְּנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ {פ}

II Kings 15:37-38

(37) In those days, the LORD began to incite King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah. (38) Jotham slept with his fathers, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of his ancestor David; his son Ahaz succeeded him as king.