BSD
Brochos 10b
Sivan 24, 5786. 06/10/2026
Short notes.
1 – Last week we came across the story of the 3 things חזקיהו המלך did that was lauded by the חכמים.
עַל שָׁלֹשׁ הוֹדוּ לוֹ: גָּנַז סֵפֶר רְפוּאוֹת, והוֹדוּ לוֹ; כִּתֵּת נָחָשׁ הַנְּחֹשֶׁת, והוֹדוּ לוֹ; גֵּירֵר עַצְמוֹת אָבִיו עַל מִטָּה שֶׁל חֲבָלִים, והוֹדוּ לוֹ.
With regard to three actions the Sages agreed with him:
1 – He suppressed the Book of Remedies, and they agreed with him.
2 – He ground the copper snake through which miracles were performed for Israel (Numbers 21:9), destroying it because it had been used in idol worship (II Kings 18:4), and they agreed with him.
3 – He dragged the bones of his evil father, King Ahaz, on a bed of ropes; meaning he did not accord his father a funeral fit for a king (II Chronicles 28:27), and they agreed with him.
The first was that he ‘hid the book of medicines’. A few ideas were discussed last week as to the contents and origin of this mysterious ספר הרפואות, including the interesting explanation by Rambam.
We added that some say that this book was actually a map that showed the locations of therapeutic hot springs that formed after the מבול that were used for healing. רוקח פ’ בשלח.
Others suggest that it was a manual on how to heal using דברי תורה. See עיון יעקב- גיטין ע, א.
[Story of the fellow that ‘just took the towels of the spa’…]
2 – One of the things that חזקיהו did that the חכמים were unhappy about was that he decided to add another month- אדר שני, on the 30th day of אדר.
The opinion of the חכמים is that the latest one can proclaim an additional month – אדר שני- is on the 29th of Adar.
(See this previous Shiur for a discussion of עִבֵּר ניסן בניסן)
We discussed how חזקיהו could have even participated in the deliberations if to be מעבר השנה , when it states explicitly that a king is biased and cannot sit on this quorum?
However he was biased in that he paid his army and garrisons based on a ‘yearly salary’. Thus by adding a 13th month he would have much to gain thus disqualifying him from voicing his opinion.
3 – We mentioned the other person that would no be permitted a join in the deliberations – the כהן גדול. His bias not to lengthen the year was so that Yom Kippur would occur earlier – closer to the summer months, so that when he goes to the Mikvah 5 times on Yom Kippur he would not be cold!
The Rebbe often cited this as an example of natural human bias. Even the כהן גדול , when he was thinking about the lofty עבודות of Yom Kippur…is still human and biased…
4 – Another thing חזקיה did was that he embarrassed his father after his passing away to atone for his father’s sins.
We spoke about the interesting שער הגלגולים from Reb חיים ויטאל the student of the אריז”ל.
In regards to חזקיה המלך, he writes (הקדמה לח) that his נשמה was נתגלגל in Rav דימי מנהרדעא who was diligent in the מצווה of הלווית המת.
Some suggest that despite his intention for the benefit of his father’s נשמה, with the חכמים agreeing to this action, perhaps there was a bit of dishonor which was atoned by רב דימי practicing הלווית המת.
Similar to what it says in זהר concerning רחל stealing her father’s idols.
5 – Speaking of the שער הגלגולים we mentioned the מחלוקת as to who רבי יהושע בן קרחה was. Rashi says that he was the son of , Reb Yehoshua, who was called בן קרחה because רבי עקיבא was bald!
(As discussed previously in this Shiur).
Tosfos argues very strongly against Rashi that one would refer to רבי עקיבא in a non respectful way.
Tosfos says that רבי יהושע בן קרחה was a different person who came from the town of Korcho!
We also find that בן עזאי said: כל חכמי ישראל דומין עלי כקליפת השום חוץ מן הקרח הזה
In comparison to me, all the חכמים are like the skin of a garlic except for this baldie!
Did he mean Reb Akiva? Again – it’s a bit unbecoming to refer to Reb Akiva in such a way.
See Tosfos above.
Some suggest that he meant רבי אלעזר בן עזריה who became a נשיא prior to growing a beard at a young age and was ‘bald’ on his face!
So the question is: was רבי יהושע בן רבי עקיבא and רבי יהושוע בן קרחה the same person or not.
In שער הגלגולים Reb ויטאל חיים write that the Arizal saw both and told him that they are two separate individuals!
גם אמר לי מורי ז”ל, כי הוא ראה בעיניו את ר’ יהושע בן קרחה, ואת ר’ יהושע בנו של ר’ עקיבא, ואינם איש אחד, הפך מה שכתב רש”י ז”ל בפ”ק דשבועות בסוגיא דבהרת ששניהם אחד
6 – We spoke about the בן השונמית that was revived by אלישע and the many actions it took until the body of the child became warm and came back to life.
וַיַּ֜עַל וַיִּשְׁכַּ֣ב עַל־הַיֶּ֗לֶד וַיָּ֩שֶׂם֩ פִּ֨יו עַל־פִּ֜יו וְעֵינָ֤יו עַל־עֵינָיו֙ וְכַפָּ֣יו עַל־כַּפָּ֔ו וַיִּגְהַ֖ר עָלָ֑יו וַיָּ֖חׇם בְּשַׂ֥ר הַיָּֽלֶד׃
And he went up and lay upon the child, and he put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and he stretched himself upon him; and the flesh of the child grew warm.
Half in jest we suggested that it refers to a situation when you are approached by a poor soul that is so desperate that he is ‘hardly alive’. You allow him into your house and hear him out. You talk to him and offer suggestions etc. פִּ֨יו עַל־פִּ֜יו
This needy fellow, despite your comforting words, remains ‘lifeless’. Your words of comfort cannot pay his rent or wedding expenses.
So you try another approach. וְעֵינָ֤יו עַל־עֵינָיו֙. You look him in the eyes and say ‘I would like to help you but my financial situation is not great. You may both even shed a tear. OK. However he will leave your home just as ‘lifeless’ as when he entered.
Only when you try the וְכַפָּ֣יו עַל־כַּפָּ֔ו method…. giving from your hand to hi$ hand….וַיָּ֖חׇם בְּשַׂ֥ר הַיָּֽלֶד׃ and the flesh of the child grew warm….you literally revive this needy fellow.