Introduction: A Chapter of Upheavals and Murder
Chapter 16 of Melachim A is a turbulent chapter of shifting power in the kingdom of Israel: the end of the house of Baasha, the reign of his son Elah, the conspiracy of Zimri and his seven days of rule, the rise of Omri, the split of the people between Tibni and Omri, and finally the rise of Achav, the most wicked of the kings of Israel. Several principles recur throughout the chapter: measure for measure, punishment that comes specifically in the second generation, and the destructive influence of a wicked king upon the entire nation. We will follow the order of the pesukim and bring the explanations of the Malbim and the commentators, along with the words of Chazal and the masters of mussar.
The Prophecy of Yehu ben Chanani Concerning Baasha
וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהֹוָה אֶל־יֵהוּא בֶן־חֲנָנִי עַל־בַּעְשָׁא לֵאמֹר׃ יַעַן אֲשֶׁר הֲרִימֹתִיךָ מִן־הֶעָפָר וָאֶתֶּנְךָ נָגִיד עַל־עַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַתֵּלֶךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ יָרׇבְעָם וַתַּחֲטִא אֶת־עַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַכְעִיסֵנִי בְּחַטֹּאתָם׃ - And the word of Hashem came to Yehu ben Chanani concerning Baasha, saying: Because I raised you up out of the dust and made you ruler over My people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Yeravam and made My people Israel sin, provoking Me with their sins.
"Harimoticha" (I raised you up) carries two meanings: it can be understood in the sense of lifting up and exalting, and it can be understood in the sense of setting apart, like a terumah offering. The Holy One tells Baasha: you do not come from a family of kings, nor from a family of nobles and rulers; I raised you up out of the dust and set you as ruler over My people Israel, and you walk in the ways of Yeravam and cause My people Israel to sin.
הִנְנִי מַבְעִיר אַחֲרֵי בַעְשָׁא וְאַחֲרֵי בֵיתוֹ וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־בֵּיתְךָ כְּבֵית יָרׇבְעָם בֶּן־נְבָט׃ הַמֵּת לְבַעְשָׁא בָּעִיר יֹאכְלוּ הַכְּלָבִים וְהַמֵּת לוֹ בַּשָּׂדֶה יֹאכְלוּ עוֹף הַשָּׁמָיִם׃ - Behold, I will sweep away Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Yeravam ben Nevat. Whoever of Baasha dies in the city, the dogs shall eat, and whoever of his dies in the field, the birds of the sky shall eat.
"Mavir" (sweep away) is from the expression "and you shall remove the evil from your midst." What you did to the house of Yeravam is exactly what will be done to you. And not one of them will come to a Jewish burial: whoever dies in the city, the dogs will eat, and whoever dies in the field, the birds of the sky will eat.
Why Is the Prophecy Repeated Twice?
וְגַם בְּיַד־יֵהוּא בֶן־חֲנָנִי הַנָּבִיא דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה הָיָה אֶל־בַּעְשָׁא וְאֶל־בֵּיתוֹ וְעַל כׇּל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה לְהַכְעִיסוֹ בְּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו לִהְיוֹת כְּבֵית יָרׇבְעָם וְעַל אֲשֶׁר־הִכָּה אֹתוֹ׃ - And also through Yehu ben Chanani the prophet the word of Hashem came against Baasha and against his house, both for all the evil that he did in the eyes of Hashem, provoking Him with the work of his hands, to be like the house of Yeravam, and because he struck him down.
Seemingly, five pesukim earlier we already read that the word of Hashem came concerning Baasha through Yehu ben Chanani, so why repeat it? The Malbim explains: what was said in the first pasuk was still during Baasha's lifetime, and there the Holy One only revealed to the prophet the verdict that had been decreed, not by way of a mission, for Hashem does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets. Yehu was not told, "Go and tell Baasha," rather it was conveyed to him: know that Baasha has acted wickedly and he will pay the price. But in pasuk 7 it speaks of an actual mission, "through Yehu," to make the verdict known to the sinner himself, and therefore it says "against Baasha and against his house," meaning against his son Elah.
And why did the time for carrying out the decree arrive only now, after Baasha's death? Here the Malbim reveals a principle that recurs throughout Sefer Melachim: the Holy One waits until two generations have sinned. There is no immediate punishment upon the first wicked king; rather his son reigns in his place and continues in his way, and only then does Hashem cut off the kingship. This is exactly what happened with Yeravam: he himself was not cut off, but rather his son Nadav, who reigned after him, and only then did Baasha take the kingship. Let us take note of this phenomenon going forward as well.
"And Because He Struck Him Down" - When a Mitzvah Becomes a Sin
Two things are counted here in Baasha's punishment. The first, "for all the evil that he did": since he continued in the evil path of the house of Yeravam, it was fitting that he be punished like the house of Yeravam. The second, "and because he struck him," for striking down the house of Yeravam. And here there is a difficulty: striking down the house of Yeravam was the fulfillment of an explicit prophecy that not one who urinates against a wall would remain to him. He did a good deed, so why should he pay a price for it?
The answer, however, is this: as long as you were righteous and set out to strike Yeravam, we would say that you fulfilled the will of God and would even receive reward. But if you struck the house of Yeravam and then continued in exactly those same sins and did according to all that he did, it becomes clear in retrospect why you struck him: in order to clear the field of anyone who might rebel against you. For every king would kill the descendants of the previous king so that no one would dare take the kingship from him. You did it for your own benefit and pleasure, and therefore for this very act you will pay a very heavy price.
From here the Chafetz Chaim derives a great lesson. It is permitted to speak lashon hara about people who stir up strife, and so he ruled. But if that person should himself, God forbid, be caught up in some quarrel or in that very sin, woe to him, for all those statements said back then will be counted for him as a transgression. What was then perhaps considered a mitzvah, that you distanced the people of strife and spoke of their disgrace in order to prevent conflict, if you yourself later stumble in that same sin, they will punish you even for what was then a mitzvah. There is another parallel to this in Tanach further on, and we will mention it in its place, God willing.
Elah son of Baasha and the conspiracy of Zimri
בִּשְׁנַת עֶשְׂרִים וָשֵׁשׁ שָׁנָה לְאָסָא מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה מָלַךְ אֵלָה בֶן־בַּעְשָׁא עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּתִרְצָה שְׁנָתָיִם׃ וַיִּקְשֹׁר עָלָיו עַבְדּוֹ זִמְרִי שַׂר מַחֲצִית הָרָכֶב וְהוּא בְתִרְצָה שֹׁתֶה שִׁכּוֹר בֵּית אַרְצָא אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַבַּיִת בְּתִרְצָה׃ - In the twenty sixth year of Asa king of Yehudah, Elah son of Baasha became king over Israel in Tirtzah, for two years. And his servant Zimri, commander of half the chariotry, conspired against him while he was in Tirtzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Artza, who was over the household in Tirtzah.
"Commander of half the chariotry": there were two commanders over the chariotry, one over one half and one over the other half. And note the timing: King Elah is sitting in Tirtzah drinking and getting drunk in the house of Artza who was over the household, while the army is out at war. He sent his army to Givton, while he himself sat drinking; what did the wars matter to him? On this occasion Zimri came and conspired against him.
וַיָּבֹא זִמְרִי וַיַּכֵּהוּ וַיְמִיתֵהוּ בִּשְׁנַת עֶשְׂרִים וָשֶׁבַע לְאָסָא מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וַיִּמְלֹךְ תַּחְתָּיו׃ וַיְהִי בְמׇלְכוֹ כְּשִׁבְתּוֹ עַל־כִּסְאוֹ הִכָּה אֶת־כׇּל־בֵּית בַּעְשָׁא לֹא־הִשְׁאִיר לוֹ מַשְׁתִּין בְּקִיר וְגֹאֲלָיו וְרֵעֵהוּ׃ - And Zimri came and struck him and killed him, in the twenty seventh year of Asa king of Yehudah, and reigned in his place. And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he struck down all the house of Baasha; he did not leave him one who urinates against a wall, neither his kinsmen nor his friends.
Measure for measure
בִּשְׁנַת עֶשְׂרִים וָשֶׁבַע שָׁנָה לְאָסָא מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה מָלַךְ זִמְרִי שִׁבְעַת יָמִים בְּתִרְצָה וְהָעָם חֹנִים עַל־גִּבְּתוֹן אֲשֶׁר לַפְּלִשְׁתִּים׃ - In the twenty seventh year of Asa king of Yehudah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirtzah, while the people were encamped against Givton which belonged to the Pelishtim.
Here we see a precise measure for measure. Baasha struck down Nadav son of Yeravam in exactly the same situation, when the people were encamped against Givton which belonged to the Pelishtim. It did not matter to him that the king was fighting there, and he staged a revolt back home. And now, when the army of Israel is again encamped against Givton, Zimri comes and stages a coup from within and kills Elah son of Baasha, and moreover while he was drinking and drunk in the house of Artza. "And Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke against Baasha by the hand of Yehu the prophet": all of it came about because of the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, who sinned and who caused Israel to sin.
The people make Omri king
וַיִּשְׁמַע הָעָם הַחֹנִים לֵאמֹר קָשַׁר זִמְרִי וְגַם הִכָּה אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיַּמְלִכוּ כׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־עׇמְרִי שַׂר־צָבָא עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא בַּמַּחֲנֶה׃ - And the people who were encamped heard it said, Zimri has conspired and has also struck down the king; so all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp.
We would have expected Zimri to reign, for he was the one who killed the king. But the people said: if the king has already been struck down, we would prefer someone close to us. The revolt was carried out in the city, while the people were on the battlefield, and their army commander was Omri, so they crowned him that very day in the camp.
וַיְהִי כִּרְאוֹת זִמְרִי כִּי־נִלְכְּדָה הָעִיר וַיָּבֹא אֶל־אַרְמוֹן בֵּית־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּשְׂרֹף עָלָיו אֶת־בֵּית־מֶלֶךְ בָּאֵשׁ וַיָּמֹת׃ - And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the citadel of the king's house and burned the king's house over him with fire, and died.
Omri and all of Israel go up from Gibbethon and lay siege to Tirzah, the place of the revolt. Zimri enters the citadel of the king's house in order to fortify himself and escape there, but Omri had no hesitation: he set the citadel ablaze over him and put an end to the whole affair.
Why was Zimri punished, when he reigned only seven days?
עַל־חַטֹּאתָיו אֲשֶׁר חָטָא לַעֲשׂוֹת הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה לָלֶכֶת בְּדֶרֶךְ יָרׇבְעָם וּבְחַטָּאתוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְהַחֲטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - For his sins that he sinned in doing evil in the eyes of Hashem, in walking in the way of Yerovam and in his sin that he did, causing Israel to sin.
How did Zimri manage to cause Israel to sin in seven days of reign? The Radak answers: the verse is speaking about the period when he was commander of half the chariotry, during which he already managed to cause Israel to sin. The Malbim explains differently: they attributed to him what he was destined to do in causing Israel to sin, and he was punished for it already now, for what he had resolved in his heart to do and to walk in this way.
Now seemingly the Holy One, blessed be He, does not punish for an evil thought unless there is an accompanying deed. However, Rabbeinu Yonah writes, and such is the way of the masters of mussar: all this was said only regarding a person whose way is to walk in a straight and good path. But a person whose way is to commit transgressions, even if he only planned to commit a transgression and did not succeed, is punished for it as though he had done it. One who is habituated in an evil way is judged for his evil thoughts as though he had already carried them out. So too in the verse "and the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his conspiracy that he made," the Malbim explains that this does not refer to the seven days of his reign, but to all that occurred also during the time he was commander of the chariotry.
Tibni son of Ginath against Omri
אָז יֵחָלֵק הָעָם יִשְׂרָאֵל לַחֵצִי חֲצִי הָעָם הָיָה אַחֲרֵי תִבְנִי בֶן־גִּינַת לְהַמְלִיכוֹ וְהַחֲצִי אַחֲרֵי עׇמְרִי׃ - Then the people of Israel were divided into two halves: half of the people followed Tibni son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri.
As long as Zimri was alive, all united around Omri, for there was a common enemy; even one for whom Omri was not the preferred alternative preferred him over Zimri. But once Zimri died and was burned, those who had not originally followed Omri began to say: why him specifically? We have Tibni son of Ginath. In the end "the people who followed Omri prevailed," the portion that supported Omri gained the upper hand. On a natural level this is understandable: Omri was an army commander, and the military forces that stood at his side were more dominant and active; the way of revolutions is to be carried out by whoever holds the army.
But the Sages add a reason beyond the natural: Asa king of Judah married the daughter of Omri to his son Jehoshaphat. From this the people saw esteem and honor for Omri: if the king of Judah marries his son to Omri's daughter, it is a sign that he is an important man, worthy of kingship, one who marries into royalty. This is what led them to recognize his importance and crown him.
Omri and the building of Samaria
בִּשְׁנַת שְׁלֹשִׁים וְאַחַת שָׁנָה לְאָסָא מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה מָלַךְ עׇמְרִי עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה בְּתִרְצָה מָלַךְ שֵׁשׁ־שָׁנִים׃ - In the thirty first year of Asa king of Yehuda, Omri began to reign over Israel for twelve years; he reigned six years in Tirtza.
As usual, the years of the kings of Israel are measured against the years of the kings of Yehuda: in the thirty first year of Asa, Omri reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirtza.
וַיִּקֶן אֶת־הָהָר שֹׁמְרוֹן מֵאֵת שֶׁמֶר בְּכִכְּרַיִם כָּסֶף וַיִּבֶן אֶת־הָהָר וַיִּקְרָא אֶת־שֵׁם הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה עַל שֶׁם־שֶׁמֶר אֲדֹנֵי הָהָר שֹׁמְרוֹן׃ - And he bought the hill Shomron from Shemer for two talents of silver, and he built on the hill, and he called the name of the city that he built after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Shomron.
Shemer was a wicked man. Omri buys the hill from him for talents of silver, builds a city upon it, and names it Shomron after him. Our Sages say: Come and see the difference between the head of the kingdom of Yehuda and the head of the kingdom of Israel. The royal city of Yehuda is Yerushalayim, whose name is an acronym of two virtues, yira and shalem, fear of Heaven and wholeness. But the royal city of Israel is Shomron, named after a base man. This one symbolizes fear of Heaven and wholeness, and that one symbolizes base men.
"And he did worse than all who were before him"
וַיַּעֲשֶׂה עׇמְרִי הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה וַיָּרַע מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר לְפָנָיו׃ - And Omri did what was evil in the eyes of Hashem, and he did worse than all who were before him.
What does "and he did worse than all who were before him" mean? The Ralbag explains it simply: he sinned with the sins of Yaravam and added things of his own; he was an enterprising type, not content with what he received but innovating and adding. And the Ralbag further explains: even if his deeds were on exactly the same level as the deeds of Yaravam, they are considered far more severe. Why? Because Yaravam sinned and was utterly destroyed; Basha arose after him, sinned with the sins of Yaravam, and he too was utterly destroyed. To come after two such destructions and act as they did is a far greater wickedness. Yaravam had no one to learn from and did not see how Hashem punishes with such severity, but you saw it with your own eyes, and nevertheless you went and did the same.
וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּכׇל־דֶּרֶךְ יָרׇבְעָם בֶּן־נְבָט וּבְחַטָּאתוֹ אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַכְעִיס אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהַבְלֵיהֶם׃ - And he walked in all the way of Yaravam the son of Nevat, and in his sin by which he made Israel sin, to anger Hashem, the God of Israel, with their vanities.
The Radak notes: the written form is "uvechatotav" (his sins) and the read form is "uvechatato" (his sin). "Chatotav" indicates the many sins he committed, the totality of the transgressions and acts of wickedness; while "chatato" in the singular indicates the central sin, the calves that Yaravam made.
Achav son of Omri
Until now we have passed over the kings briefly, a few words on each and onward. But Achav is very singular in his sins and wickedness, and therefore with him we will linger at length.
וְאַחְאָב בֶּן־עׇמְרִי מָלַךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּשְׁנַת שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁמֹנֶה שָׁנָה לְאָסָא מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וַיִּמְלֹךְ אַחְאָב בֶּן־עׇמְרִי עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנָה׃ - And Achav the son of Omri began to reign over Israel in the thirty eighth year of Asa king of Yehuda, and Achav the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Shomron twenty two years.
He reigned for a long time, twenty two years, and in that time he managed to accomplish a great deal, sadly for the worse.
וַיְהִי הֲנָקֵל לֶכְתּוֹ בְּחַטֹּאות יָרׇבְעָם בֶּן־נְבָט וַיִּקַּח אִשָּׁה אֶת־אִיזֶבֶל בַּת־אֶתְבַּעַל מֶלֶךְ צִידֹנִים וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיַּעֲבֹד אֶת־הַבַּעַל וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לוֹ׃ - And it came to pass, as if it were a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Yaravam son of Nevat, that he took as a wife Izevel daughter of Etbaal king of the Tzidonim, and he went and served the Baal and bowed down to it.
"As if it were a light thing" - the sins that seemed light in his eyes were walking in the sins of Yaravam, that is, the calves that were Yaravam's own initiative. To him these were minor matters. Beyond that, he took a wife from the nations of the lands, and not just any woman, but Izevel daughter of Etbaal king of the Tzidonim. Her father's name, Etbaal, symbolizes the worship of the Baal. Achav wanted to bring in the greatest experts in the worship of the Baal, and that is precisely why he married this woman.
The difference between the Baal and the Ashera
The Malbim says: Know that the worship of the Baal was far more severe than the worship of the Ashera. In the worship of the Baal they would take their sons and slaughter them and sacrifice them to the Baal. The Ashera, however, some would plant even beside the altar of Hashem. What was the purpose of planting the Ashera? To draw down spiritual forces that would rest upon the sacrifice. The Ashera is a living, growing force, and demons, as is known, are found among the trees and in desolate places and in the fields, and therefore they thought that the tree had the power to draw spiritual forces into it that would come and rest within it. And because they would plant it even beside the altar of Hashem, the Torah warned: "You shall not plant for yourself an Ashera, any tree, beside the altar of Hashem your God."
A proof of this: when Eliyahu the prophet carried out judgment against them, there were prophets of the Baal and prophets of the Ashera present, yet he disputed only with the prophets of the Baal and killed only them, and the prophets of the Ashera he did not kill. Likewise Yehu, who was a righteous king, abolished the Baal but left the Ashera in place.
וַיָּקֶם מִזְבֵּחַ לַבָּעַל בֵּית הַבַּעַל אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן׃ וַיַּעַשׂ אַחְאָב אֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרָה וַיּוֹסֶף אַחְאָב לַעֲשׂוֹת לְהַכְעִיס אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִכֹּל מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ לְפָנָיו׃ - And he raised up an altar for the Baal in the house of the Baal which he had built in Shomron. And Achav made the Ashera, and Achav continued to act so as to provoke Hashem, God of Israel, more than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
His worship of the Baal stemmed from his taking Izevel daughter of Etbaal, whose father was among the experts in the worship of the Baal; therefore "and he raised up an altar for the Baal" is directly connected to the bringing in of Izevel. But the Ashera he made on his own, not on account of the wife he married nor on account of his father in law, but on his own initiative. This is the intent of the verse "and Achav made the Ashera": ostensibly it would have been enough to say "and he made the Ashera," since the verse is speaking about him, so why repeat his name? The Malbim says: to tell you that this one he initiated himself. Likewise "and Achav continued to act" - it does not say "and he continued to act," but repeats his name, to tell you that the provocation too was his own initiative.
And Chazal said: there was not a single furrow in the Land of Israel in which he did not plant an Ashera or build a house of idolatry. And what is "and he continued to provoke"? Rabbi Yochanan said: he wrote on the gates of Shomron, "Achav has denied the God of Israel, he shall have no portion in the God of Israel." It was not enough for him to deny; he wanted everyone to know, and he wrote it large upon the gates.
Chiel of Beit HaEli builds Yericho
בְּיָמָיו בָּנָה חִיאֵל בֵּית הָאֱלִי אֶת־יְרִיחֹה בַּאֲבִירָם בְּכֹרוֹ יִסְּדָהּ וּבִשְׂגוּב צְעִירוֹ הִצִּיב דְּלָתֶיהָ כִּדְבַר יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּיַד יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן׃ - In his days Chiel of Beit HaEli built Yericho; with Aviram his firstborn he laid its foundation, and with Seguv his youngest he set up its gates, according to the word of Hashem which He spoke through Yehoshua son of Nun.
Chazal ask: Yericho was in the portion of Yehuda and not in Shomron, so why is the matter attributed to Achav? It should have written "in the days of such and such a king of Yehuda." Rather, Chiel was from Binyamin, which is connected to Yehuda, and Yericho belonged to Yehoshafat who was king of Yehuda, so why attribute it to Achav? Because one hangs the corruption upon the corrupt one, and the curse upon the cursed one. When one wants to say something negative, one attaches it to the negative person: when did this happen? In the time of Achav.
"Beit HaEli" in its plain sense means "from Beit El," like "Yishai the Beit HaLachmi" or "the Beit HaShimshi." Chazal derive an additional interpretation, and the commentators explain it from the word "alah," a curse: this is Chiel who took upon himself the curse that Yehoshua pronounced, that whoever rebuilds Yericho would lay its foundation with his firstborn and set up its gates with his youngest son. And why did Yehoshua curse anyone from rebuilding Yericho? Because Yericho was the bolt of Eretz Yisrael, the first place conquered within it. Yehoshua wanted this place to be entirely consecrated to Hashem, like the first fruit of a tree which is bikkurim to Hashem.
And yet Chiel went and rebuilt it. Why did he dare? Because Achav so multiplied wickedness that he removed from the world the fear, the awe, and the dread of the majesty of the Holy One, blessed be He, and Chiel was able to build without any concern for the curse at all. If so, it was not for nothing that the ruin was attributed to the ruined one: what caused Chiel to dare and reach such corruption? When there is a wicked man like Achav, who commits the greatest corruptions in public and writes on the doors of his palace "Achav has denied the God of Israel," this causes simple people to see that one can rebel against Hashem and go on living, and nothing happens. The Malbim adds that even though they worshipped idolatry, they had not yet denied all the roots of faith: an oath was still grave in their eyes, and a curse was still grave in their eyes. And it was Achav's deeds that caused such a decline, that even when a man sees with his own eyes his sons dying one after another, he continues to deny with a high hand. All of this Scripture sets before us in preparation for the next chapter, which will recount the meeting between Eliyahu and Achav, a meeting connected to the deed of Chiel Beit HaEli, as we will see further on.
"Avid inish le'achzukei dibureih" - a great lesson in mussar
It is hard to understand logically: how can a man be so wicked and so corrupt that he sees his sons dying in a series, one after another, and does not stop building the city? I am not asking about righteousness and I am not asking about fear of Heaven, I am asking about facts. A man who sees such facts, this alone should have stopped him. Even if you have no rational explanation, the facts say that the moment you continue building, your sons die.
Rav Chaim Shmulevitz resolves this with a great principle: "Avid inish le'achzukei dibureih" (a person tends to uphold his own words). A man who has stated a certain thing finds it hard to come afterward and say "I was wrong," it is hard for him to admit that he acted improperly. So what does he do? He brings all the proofs that he was right and did not err. Like those two who argued about some strange thing they saw from a distance on a tree. One says: it looks to me like a raven. The other says: no way, it is a dog. In the midst of the argument one of them threw a stone, and the thing spread its wings and flew off. He said to him: well, what do you say now? He replied: believe me, it is the first time in my life I have seen a dog fly. To admit, there is no such thing.
And this is in an ordinary case. But when harm resulted from my approach, I exert myself far more to hold on to it. Why? Because if I admit, it turns out that I bear responsibility for all the harm caused until now, and I am the guilty one. And who is willing to say "I am guilty"? Had Pharaoh said after five plagues, "That is it, we are finished, I take it back," they would have said to him: what a fool, you destroyed Egypt, how many died, and only after five plagues did you wake up? Why did you not do this earlier? Our relatives would be alive and Egypt would have survived. Pharaoh cannot allow himself to retract, because to retract means to take responsibility, and to take responsibility means to be guilty. So it is better to say "we are not guilty, we must be strong and in the end we will prevail and succeed."
And so too in the matter of Chiel. They asked him: what happened with your son who died? He replied: did you not hear? A traffic accident. And what about the second? A virus, I have documents from the doctor. And the third? He caught it from the neighbor's son. And the fourth? And the fifth? Born sickly from the start. For each child he had an explanation. A curse? Come on, who believes in such nonsense, a curse from hundreds of years ago, be a rational person, what have you to do with Yehoshua. When a man does not want to admit, he will find arguments for everything. For if he had stopped after the eighth son, they would have said to him: Chiel, you murdered eight of your children? And who is willing to take such a thing upon himself? Therefore he says "it is not me," and continues; and another will die and another will die, but "it is not me."
From here we must learn a great lesson in mussar: that a person should be one who admits regarding his own words. Even if you erred, admit it and take responsibility for what you did, and do not keep insisting so as to continue in the error. We sometimes see this in people who send their children to an unsuccessful education: he wanted his son to have a profession, so he sent him to a lukewarm religious place, and this calf came out. And then you see that he sends the next child to the very same place. Master of the world, did you not see what came out of the first one? No, he explains, there the problem was a friend who corrupted him; and with the second it was for another reason, and with the third yet another reason. The main thing is not to admit the error. Because if I now send my child to yeshiva, I am in effect admitting that I erred with the previous children. And he will always bring you the example of the one who succeeded: look, did you see so-and-so's son? What a beard, what fear of Heaven, and he too studied there. "Avid inish le'achzukei dibureih," and he causes himself much harm, all so as not to admit the error.
In summary:
Chapter 16 leads us from the end of the house of Basha up to the rise of Achav. We learned that the punishment came specifically in the second generation, after two generations of sin; that a deed done as a mission of Hashem may be counted as a fault when its doer continues in that very same sin, as in the words of the Chafetz Chaim regarding speaking lashon hara about people involved in a dispute; and that the measure for measure was precise, Basha killed at the time of the war of Givton, and his offspring were cut off at the time of the war of Givton. We saw the difference between Yerushalayim, an acronym for fear (yirah) and completeness (shleimut), and Shomron, named after a worthless man; and the essence of Achav, who added to the sins of Yeravam the Baal from the house of Izevel, and the Asheirah and the provocation of his own initiative, until he wrote on the doors of Shomron that he denied the God of Israel. From this stemmed Chiel's audacity to rebuild Yericho despite the curse of Yehoshua, and from this the bitter principle of Rav Chaim Shmulevitz: "Avid inish le'achzukei dibureih," to the point where a man buries sons and does not admit his error. And our lesson: to be one who admits the truth, to take responsibility, and not to continue in an error merely so as not to admit it.