In this part of the chapter, we arrive at a defining moment in the reign of Yoshiyahu: amidst the repairs of the Temple (Bedek HaBayit), as they take out the money gathered for the renovation of the Mikdash, the Sefer Torah is found. From here on, events unfold rapidly: the tearing of garments, sending an inquiry to Chuldah the Prophetess, the prophecy of the Destruction, and the renewal of the covenant between the people and the Holy One, blessed be He. Let us examine the verses in order.
וּבְהוֹצִיאָם אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף הַמּוּבָא בֵּית יְהֹוָה מָצָא חִלְקִיָּהוּ הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־סֵפֶר תּוֹרַת־יְהֹוָה בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁה׃ - And as they brought out the money that had been brought into the House of the Lord, Chilkiyahu the Kohen found the scroll of the Torah of the Lord given by the hand of Moshe.
As they were bringing out the money brought into the House of Hashem, Chilkiyahu the Kohen happened to find the Sefer Torah of Hashem given by Moshe, that is, the very Torah scroll written by Moshe Rabbeinu. What was this scroll that was found? The commentators deliberate over this. The Metzudat David explains that since Achaz burned the Torah, as Chazal state, the Kohanim feared he would also lay hands on that special Sefer Torah resting alongside the Ark of the Covenant, the scroll Moshe wrote directly from Hashem's mouth. Therefore, they took it and hid it from Achaz. After Achaz died, they searched for where the scroll had been hidden, but its location remained unknown. Now, as the Kohen Gadol was occupied with the money brought into the House of Hashem and inspecting the Temple repairs to see what required restoration, he stumbled upon this hidden Sefer Torah whose location had been forgotten.
וַיַּעַן חִלְקִיָּהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־שָׁפָן הַסּוֹפֵר סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה מָצָאתִי בְּבֵית יְהֹוָה וַיִּתֵּן חִלְקִיָּהוּ אֶת־הַסֵּפֶר אֶל־שָׁפָן׃ - And Chilkiyahu spoke up and said to Shafan the scribe, "I have found the Book of the Torah in the House of the Lord." And Chilkiyahu delivered the book to Shafan.
Chilkiyahu shares the news with Shafan the scribe, the same Shafan who was accustomed to reading everything before the king, and hands him the scroll. Chazal tell us that when he found the scroll, it was rolled to the section of the Rebuke (Tochachah), and the top of the column began with "Hashem will lead you and your king" (Devarim 28:36). Now, anyone who examines our Sifrei Torah today will not find a column beginning with "Hashem will lead you and your king," especially since scribes today generally follow the custom of *Vavei HaAmudim* (starting every column with the letter Vav). A column never begins with the letter Yud, only with a Vav, with the exception of six columns hinted at by the acronym *B'YaH Shemo*, which begin with other specific letters.
In truth, the custom of beginning each column with a Vav is not an ancient one, but a practice of later generations, and there were even authorities who opposed it. This is because to ensure every column begins with a Vav, and all the more so to begin the columns of Megillat Esther with the word "HaMelech" as is common, the scribe is forced to stretch or compress the letters so that "HaMelech" lands at the top of the column. In any event, the only Sifrei Torah where "Hashem will lead you and your king" appears at the top of a column are Yemenite Sifrei Torah, which are extraordinarily authentic and precise, possessing an unbroken lineage copied directly from the Aleppo Codex of Ben Asher. By the way, the Torah code researchers who search for Equidistant Letter Sequences ("skip codes") also base their research on Yemenite Torah scrolls, because there are slight orthographic variations among Sifrei Torah - about twelve variations in letters alone. There is no different word or different meaning in terms of textual variants, but rather matters such as "Vayehi yemei Noach" versus "Vayihyu yemei Noach," or the word *Ketoret* spelled full (*malei*) or deficient (*chaser*). Consequently, when searching for letter skips, if a single letter varies, the findings change entirely; hence, such codes are calculated according to Yemenite Torah scrolls.
Returning to our subject: they had been searching for that Sefer Torah, and now Chilkiyahu came with the news that he had found the lost scroll. Why did they view this as an ominous sign? Because the Sefer Torah kept beside the Ark was always rolled to its beginning, to "Bereishit bara Elokim"; every time the king finished reading from it, they would roll it back to the start. Here, however, they found it open to a place it should not have been open to - the passage of the Rebuke - and they saw this as a clear sign from Heaven regarding exile: "Hashem will lead you and your king."
The Malbim makes a precise observation: from the fact that it says "he found *the* Book of the Torah" with the definite article, it is evident that this was not merely an ordinary Sefer Torah they happened upon. Rather, it was the very Sefer Torah written by Moshe Rabbeinu, the renowned and deeply treasured scroll, which had been hidden during the reigns of Menasheh and Amon. They had subsequently searched for it, but its whereabouts remained unknown.
וַיָּבֵא שָׁפָן אֶת־הַסֵּפֶר אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיָּשֶׁב עוֹד אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּבָר לֵאמֹר כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־נִתַּן בְּיַד־עֲבָדֶיךָ הֵם עֹשִׂים׃ - And Shafan brought the book to the king, and moreover returned word to the king, saying, "All that was committed to your servants, they are doing."
Shafan brings the scroll to the king, and beyond reporting the discovery of the scroll, he gives an accounting regarding the mission itself: the king had commanded them concerning the gathering of the funds and reinforcing the Temple repairs, and he reports that everything entrusted to them is being carried out. The Malbim explains that in the collection of funds, there were two distinct categories of money: the funds from vows and freewill offerings that were already in the possession of Chilkiyahu, and the money gathered from the cities of Yehudah that had just been brought in. Regarding the newly gathered money, he reports, "All that was committed to your servants, they are doing" - meaning, they will deliver it to the craftsmen to melt down and refine. But the money that was already in the House of Hashem from before, the funds from vows and freewill offerings in the hands of the Kohen Gadol, they had already melted down and given to the craftsmen on their own initiative, even before the king had issued his command on the matter.
וַיַּתִּיכוּ אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף הַנִּמְצָא בְּבֵית־יְהֹוָה וַיִּתְּנוּהוּ עַל־יַד הַמֻּפְקָדִים וְעַל־יַד עוֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה׃ - "And they melted down the silver that was found in the House of the Lord, and delivered it into the hand of the overseers and into the hand of the workmen."
"Vayattikhu" means they poured out or melted, as in "vayitzok shemen" ("and he poured oil"), and the Targum translates it as "ve'ateikh." That is, they melted down the silver to mint coins from it. "HaMufkadim" (the overseers) were the master craftsmen known as architects or directors, and they handed the money over to "osei hamelachah," the craftsmen who actually carried out the work.
וַיַּגֵּד שָׁפָן הַסּוֹפֵר לַמֶּלֶךְ לֵאמֹר סֵפֶר נָתַן לִי חִלְקִיָּהוּ הַכֹּהֵן וַיִּקְרָא־בוֹ שָׁפָן לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ - "Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying: 'Chilkiyahu the priest gave me a scroll.' And Shaphan read from it before the king."
After first reporting back to the king on the details of his mission in orderly fashion, Shaphan now begins to detail the matter of the scroll: Chilkiyahu had given him the lost scroll, and he handed it to him rolled to that very spot. This is the meaning of "and Shaphan read from it before the king": he read from the scroll at the exact place where it was found open.
וַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵת דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה וַיִּקְרַע אֶת־בְּגָדָיו׃ - "And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the Torah, that he tore his clothes."
When the king hears what is read - "The Lord will bring you and your king whom you set over you..." - he tears his clothes. He understands that there is an omen and a sign in this: why else would the scroll happen to be rolled specifically to the section of the Admonitions (Tochachah)?
וַיְצַו הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־חִלְקִיָּהוּ וְאֶת־אֲחִיקָם בֶּן־שָׁפָן וְאֶת־עַבְדּוֹן בֶּן־מִיכָה וְאֵת שָׁפָן הַסּוֹפֵר וְאֵת עֲשָׂיָה עֶבֶד־הַמֶּלֶךְ לֵאמֹר׃ - "And the king commanded Chilkiyahu, and Achikam the son of Shaphan, and Avdon the son of Michah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asayah the king's servant, saying:"
In our verse it is written "Avdon," whereas in Melachim II it says "Achbor." The Metzudat Tzion explains that he was known by both names, as we have explained in the past that people often had more than one name.
לְכוּ דִרְשׁוּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה בַּעֲדִי וּבְעַד הַנִּשְׁאָר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וּבִיהוּדָה עַל־דִּבְרֵי הַסֵּפֶר אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא כִּי־גְדוֹלָה חֲמַת־יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר נִתְּכָה בָנוּ עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא־שָׁמְרוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אֶת־דְּבַר יְהֹוָה לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכׇל־הַכָּתוּב עַל־הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה׃ - "Go inquire of the Lord on my behalf and on behalf of the remnant in Israel and in Judah concerning the words of the scroll that has been found, for great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us, because our fathers did not keep the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this scroll."
The king asks them to inquire of Hashem and consult the prophets regarding him, regarding the remnant in Israel, and regarding all of Judah, concerning what is written in this scroll, for he perceived it as a prophecy of misfortune. "The wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us" is like fire that falls and is poured out. And since the people of that generation were themselves upright, he says, "because our fathers did not keep the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this scroll."
וַיֵּלֶךְ חִלְקִיָּהוּ וַאֲשֶׁר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־חֻלְדָּה הַנְּבִיאָה אֵשֶׁת שַׁלֻּם בֶּן־תׇּקְהַת בֶּן־חַסְרָה שׁוֹמֵר הַבְּגָדִים וְהִיא יוֹשֶׁבֶת בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם בַּמִּשְׁנֶה וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֵלֶיהָ כָּזֹאת׃ - "So Chilkiyahu and those whom the king had designated went to Chuldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhat, the son of Chasrah, keeper of the wardrobe - now she lived in Jerusalem in the Mishneh - and they spoke to her accordingly."
Chilkiyahu and the officers sent by the king go to Chuldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Chasrah. Chazal expound that they were sent specifically to her because women are more compassionate than men; therefore he did not send to Yirmiyahu, who was a prophet of wrath. On the surface, this is puzzling: does not a prophet speak only what Hashem tells him, so what room is there to send to someone more compassionate? Is prophecy made to order? Rather, although prophecy is from Hashem, the manner in which the prophet expresses the words varies from prophet to prophet, as Chazal teach that no two prophets prophesy in the identical style; therefore, the manner in which the words emerge carries great significance. Another explanation: he wanted her to pray over the matter, as women are inherently compassionate. By contrast, Yirmiyahu, who was already accustomed to prophecies of wrath, might hear of this and say, "See, this is what I told you all along," and would not pray on their behalf. But Chuldah, being among women who are compassionate, would plead for mercy, and thereby the calamity might be averted.
The Metzudat David explains that perhaps because the other prophets were not in Jerusalem, he sent specifically to Chuldah. Chazal, however, deduced from the wording "And Chilkiyahu and those whom the king sent went to Chuldah the prophetess" that there was a deliberate mission specifically to Chuldah. Therefore, they taught that this was intentional - even though he could have sent to other prophets - in order to evoke mercy, as women are more compassionate.
Chuldah's husband, Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Chasrah, is called "the keeper of the wardrobe." The commentary attributed to Rashi notes: this refers either to the priestly vestments or to the royal robes, for as an ordinary keeper of garments, what garments would he guard? But if it refers to the royal robes or the priestly vestments, it is certainly appropriate to speak of a keeper of the wardrobe. And where did she dwell? "In Jerusalem in the Mishneh": the city had two walls, and she resided between the two walls. The Targum renders this as "beit ulpana," a place of Torah study. Chuldah had a chamber adjacent to the Chamber of Hewn Stone (Lishkat HaGazit); her chamber was open to the outside and enclosed toward the Sanhedrin in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, as recorded in Masechet Middot. This arrangement was for reasons of modesty: it was open to the outside so that anyone passing by could see, thereby preventing any concern of yichud (seclusion) for anyone entering inside.
Here it is written "Tokhath the son of Chasrah," whereas in II Kings it says "Tikvah the son of Charchas." Metzudat Tzion notes that they are one and the same person, as noted earlier that individuals often had multiple names.
And why is the husband's name mentioned? What was so special about him that Scripture saw a need to record it? Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer states in the name of Rabbi Azaryah: come and see the power of tzedakah from Shallum the son of Tikvah, who was among the greatest men of the generation and performed acts of charity every single day. What would he do? He would fill a waterskin with water and sit at the entrance of the city, and to anyone arriving from the journey, he would give drink and revive their soul. Consider this: he opened a kiosk at the entrance of the city, completely free of charge, where every traveler arriving from the road received a drink and was refreshed. In the merit of the charity he performed, the spirit of divine inspiration (Ruach HaKodesh) rested upon his wife, as it says, "So Chilkiyahu the priest... went to Chuldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah."
And retroactively, says Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, his name was "ben Sachrah," just as the verse says, "For its merchandise (sachrah) is better than silver." When her husband died, the charitable deeds of her husband were missed - meaning that immense merit was now absent - and all of Israel went out to bestow kindness upon Shallum the son of Tikvah. He was the very man about whom it is related that when they saw an enemy band coming, they cast the man into the grave of Elisha the prophet; his body touched the bones of Elisha, and he came back to life. Afterwards, once he returned to life, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer states that he fathered Chanamel the son of Shallum.
This raises an obvious question: why should Ruach HaKodesh rest upon his wife because of a deed that he performed? One might suggest an analogy to Devorah, where it is taught that she sent Barak the son of Avinoam to make wicks for the Sanctuary, and perhaps here too, because she sent him to perform this chesed, she received the reward, while he at least merited that his name was recorded here. However, upon deeper examination, Rabbi Eliyahu HaKohen, author of Midrash Talpiyot and Shevet Mussar, writes in his work Me'il Tzedakah to resolve this difficulty: in truth, Shallum was an prominent figure of the generation, a wealthy and well-known man, but he was not among the great sages and tzaddikim, so it was not fitting for Ruach HaKodesh to rest directly upon him. What then did he merit? Because he held fast to the mitzvah of gemilut chasadim, Ruach HaKodesh rested upon his wife, who was considered half of his body (pelag gufeih) and was personally more prepared to receive the Divine Presence; furthermore, she actively aided and supported him, never hindering him from performing those acts of kindness. In this, Scripture tells us: come and see, even though he was "ben Sachrah," a man of commerce and great wealth, he nevertheless left it all behind to occupy himself with acts of kindness, and by virtue of this, his wife merited Ruach HaKodesh.
It should also be noted: regarding the statement that Shallum the son of Tikvah was the one cast into Elisha's grave who came back to life, this matter is subject to dispute. Some say that the one resurrected in Elisha's grave was the false prophet who lived in Beit El, while others say it was Tzidkiyah the son of Kena'anah. What is clear is that in Masechet Sanhedrin it is stated that he was a wicked man, and evidently these Midrashim disagree.
וַתֹּאמֶר לָהֶם כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִמְרוּ לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַח אֶתְכֶם אֵלָי׃ - And she said to them: "Thus says Hashem, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me."
Chazal say: There were two prophetesses who had unappealing names, Zibora and Karkushta. Zibora is Devorah (a bee or wasp) and Karkushta is Chuldah (a weasel), and these are non-kosher creatures. Chazal found a shortcoming in both of them: that both acted with a measure of haughtiness. Concerning Devorah it is written, "Until I, Devorah, arose; until I arose a mother in Israel" (Shoftim 5:7), which carries a touch of pride. And likewise here with Chuldah: "Say to the man who sent you to me" - why "the man"? As if he were an anonymous nobody, yet she was speaking of the king! She ought to have said, "Say to the king who sent you to me." There is an element of disrespect here, and therefore Chazal say their names reflected a flaw.
כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה הִנְנִי מֵבִיא רָעָה עַל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וְעַל־יוֹשְׁבָיו אֵת כׇּל־הָאָלוֹת הַכְּתוּבוֹת עַל־הַסֵּפֶר אֲשֶׁר קָרְאוּ לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה׃ - Thus said Hashem: Behold, I am bringing disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the curses written in the book that was read before the king of Judah.
The Metzudat David explains that she tells them this sign was not coincidental, and it is as though Hashem is speaking to them and saying: Behold, I am bringing disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the curses written in the book that was read before the king of Judah. The Malbim explains that this is Ezra's explanation here for what is written in the Book of Kings, "all the words of the book that they read before him": they had read the rebuke in Mishneh Torah (Devarim) before him, and as Chazal state, the scroll was rolled to "Hashem will lead you and your king," and they read before him concerning that matter. The Malbim adds: the rest of the matter I have already explained there, and whoever wishes may study it in the lessons on Sefer Melachim.
תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר עֲזָבוּנִי וַיְקַטְּרוּ לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לְמַעַן הַכְעִיסֵנִי בְּכֹל מַעֲשֵׂי יְדֵיהֶם וְתִתַּךְ חֲמָתִי בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וְלֹא תִכְבֶּה׃ - Because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods to provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore My wrath shall be poured out upon this place and shall not be quenched.
"And burned incense to other gods" means they offered incense to idolatry or brought sacrifices to idols, and all this was "to provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands," committing sins deliberately to provoke. "Therefore My wrath shall be poured out (vetitach) upon this place" - there is an allusion here that was mentioned previously: if we spell "תתך" as two numbers, we get tav-yud (410) and tav-kaf (420), representing the duration of the First Temple and the Second Temple: the First Temple stood for 410 years and the Second Temple for 420 years. This is hinted at here in "and My wrath shall be poured out upon this place," indicating the destruction of the Temple after standing for 410 and 420 years. "And shall not be quenched" is a metaphor, as if to say there will be an unyielding wrath that offers no respite, but rather a fury that consumes everything.
וְאֶל־מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה הַשֹּׁלֵחַ אֶתְכֶם לִדְרוֹשׁ בַּיהֹוָה כֹּה תֹאמְרוּ אֵלָיו כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר שָׁמָעְתָּ׃ - And to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of Hashem, so shall you say to him: Thus said Hashem, the God of Israel, concerning the words that you heard:
Here we see that she accords him appropriate honor: "to the king of Judah." And the meaning of the words is: and as for what pertains personally to the king of Judah. This is the addition here. In general terms, it was said that there would be exile and divine wrath, but there is also a personal matter concerning the king, for it is written, "Hashem will lead you and your king." And she tells him: "the words that you heard" - these words made a deep impression upon you, and you will not share their fate entirely.
יַעַן רַךְ־לְבָבְךָ וַתִּכָּנַע מִלִּפְנֵי אֱלֹהִים בְּשׇׁמְעֲךָ אֶת־דְּבָרָיו עַל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וְעַל־יֹשְׁבָיו וַתִּכָּנַע לְפָנַי וַתִּקְרַע אֶת־בְּגָדֶיךָ וַתֵּבְךְּ לְפָנָי וְגַם־אֲנִי שָׁמַעְתִּי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃ - Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, tore your garments, and wept before Me, I have also heard, says Hashem.
"Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God" - you did not harden your heart. By contrast, who took the Book of Eichah and cast the scroll into the burning hearth? Yehoyakim. And what did he seek to show by that? That whatever you say here is invalid! And what did he cause thereby? Two more chapters were added to the Book of Eichah, may Hashem protect us. From here you see that when one receives a message and fails to act upon it, that constitutes "wrath of indifference" (chamat keri), bringing down an even greater fury. But here she praises him: your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God; you received a wake-up call and were aroused. "When you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants" - you heard the stern words and recognized that this was the word of Hashem. "And you humbled yourself before Me, tore your garments, and wept before Me" - here she speaks, as it were, in Hashem's Name: I heard how you wept before Me and tore your clothes, which demonstrates true repentance, and you did not harden your heart.
הִנְנִי אֹסִפְךָ אֶל־אֲבֹתֶיךָ וְנֶאֱסַפְתָּ אֶל־קִבְרוֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם וְלֹא־תִרְאֶינָה עֵינֶיךָ בְּכֹל הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מֵבִיא עַל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וְעַל־יוֹשְׁבָיו וַיָּשִׁיבוּ אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּבָר׃ - Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your graves in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the evil that I am bringing upon this place and upon its inhabitants. And they brought back word to the king.
Metzudat David asks: Yoshiyahu was killed in battle, so what is the meaning of "in peace"? Rather, from what it says to him, "and your eyes shall not see all the evil that I am bringing upon this place" - this is the "in peace." For ultimately he was killed, and how was he killed? They pierced his body like a sieve, and concerning him it is said, "The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Hashem, was caught in their pits." Chazal apply this verse to Yoshiyahu: we thought that under his shadow we would live among the nations and in his light we would see light, yet he was caught in their corruption. If so, "in peace" is meant in a relative sense: that you will not see all the evil coming upon this place and its inhabitants; you will not see the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash.
This is also one of the reasons why "the righteous is taken away from the evil to come": so that he does not witness the suffering of the community and see things that would cause him pain, beyond the additional considerations involved, such as removing his protection so that he will not pray on behalf of his generation. Regarding "to your graves," Metzudat David explains that this means you will not be buried in foreign lands, but rather in your own ancestral burial grounds. "And they brought back word to the king" - they returned to the king and reported Chuldah's words to him.
וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֶּאֱסֹף אֶת־כׇּל־זִקְנֵי יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלָיִם׃ - Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Yehudah and Yerushalayim.
וַיַּעַל הַמֶּלֶךְ בֵּית־יְהֹוָה וְכׇל־אִישׁ יְהוּדָה וְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם וְכׇל־הָעָם מִגָּדוֹל וְעַד־קָטָן וַיִּקְרָא בְאׇזְנֵיהֶם אֶת־כׇּל־דִּבְרֵי סֵפֶר הַבְּרִית הַנִּמְצָא בֵּית יְהֹוָה׃ - And the king went up to the House of Hashem with every man of Yehudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, the kohanim, the Levites, and all the people, from great to small; and he read in their ears all the words of the Book of the Covenant that was found in the House of Hashem.
The king ascends to the House of Hashem and gathers everyone: every man of Yehudah, the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, the kohanim, the Levites, and all the people from great to small, and reads before them all the words of the Book of the Covenant. From this we understand why he too forged a covenant, for it is written, "Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them," and Yoshiyahu saw that right next to this it states, "You are standing today, all of you... that you should enter into the covenant of Hashem your God... which Hashem your God makes with you today." He said: If so, I understand that this is what must be done to repair the covenant that was breached between us and Hashem until now - to renew the covenant. Therefore, he gathers the people from small to great and establishes a covenant with them to serve Hashem.
וַיַּעֲמֹד הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל־עׇמְדוֹ וַיִּכְרֹת אֶת־הַבְּרִית לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה לָלֶכֶת אַחֲרֵי יְהֹוָה וְלִשְׁמוֹר אֶת־מִצְוֺתָיו וְעֵדְוֺתָיו וְחֻקָּיו בְּכׇל־לְבָבוֹ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשׁוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית הַכְּתוּבִים עַל־הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה׃ - And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before Hashem, to walk after Hashem and to keep His commandments, His testimonies, and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant written in this book.
This is the covenant he renewed with the people to serve Hashem. And the phrase "with all his heart and with all his soul" is likewise drawn from the passage there: "And you return to Hashem your God... with all your heart and with all your soul."
וַיַּעֲמֵד אֵת כׇּל־הַנִּמְצָא בִירוּשָׁלַיִם וּבִנְיָמִן וַיַּעֲשׂוּ יוֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם כִּבְרִית אֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם׃ - And he made all who were present in Yerushalayim and Binyamin stand to it; and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim acted according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
What is the meaning of vaya'amed ("and he caused them to stand")? It means he bound them to the covenant: he stood them firm, obligating and compelling them. And since entering a covenant with Hashem requires removing all abominations so that one's heart does not turn away from Hashem, this was the necessary next step immediately after binding everyone to the covenant.
וַיָּסַר יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ אֶת־כׇּל־הַתֹּעֵבוֹת מִכׇּל־הָאֲרָצוֹת אֲשֶׁר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעֲבֵד אֵת כׇּל־הַנִּמְצָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲבוֹד אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם כׇּל־יָמָיו לֹא סָרוּ מֵאַחֲרֵי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם׃ - And Yoshiyahu removed all the abominations from all the territories that belonged to the Children of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel serve, to serve Hashem their God; all his days they did not depart from following Hashem, the God of their fathers.
We are speaking here about Eretz Yisrael, so why does the verse use the plural phrasing "lands"? As the Mishnah states: "There are three lands - Yehudah, the Galil, and Ever HaYarden." That is, distinct regions and settled areas within Eretz Yisrael are referred to as "lands." Similarly, we find the term medinot (provinces): sometimes within a specific country, when it is divided into major cities, the cities themselves are called medinot. In Arabic as well, a medina is a city, and indeed throughout other Semitic languages medina denotes a city. Thus, large cities within a single land are called medinot, and in the same way, one can speak of "lands" within a single country.
And what was the spiritual state of that generation? Chazal relate that Yoshiyahu would send inspectors to search for idolatry in order to eradicate it, but the people would mount their idols on the inside face of their doors. When the emissaries arrived and swung the door open, the inner surface pressed against the wall, hiding the idol from view. The emissary would conclude the search, and as soon as he exited and closed the door, the idol stood upright once again, returned to its place. This deception was ultimately what brought about Yoshiyahu's downfall.
If one pays close attention, this is also precise in the wording of the verse: "Yoshiyahu removed all the abominations from all the lands that belonged to the Children of Israel, and compelled (vaya'aved) all who were present in Israel to serve Hashem." It is stated in the causative form: it does not say, "and they served Hashem with all their heart and with all their soul," but rather vaya'aved, meaning he compelled them to serve. There were people who resented this service and performed their deeds in secret, since it was imposed on them through coercion rather than out of their own free will. "And all his days they did not turn away from following Hashem, the God of their fathers" - meaning that outwardly they did not deviate, and he did everything in his power, but in secret they continued to cling to idolatry.
With this, we conclude Chapter 34 of Divrei HaYamim II.