What did Achaz do? It is because he built a throne in the Azarah. It says "v'Es Musach ha'Shabbos Asher Banu ba'Bayis..." (it was a roof that he made to sit in its shade on Shabbos. SHIREI KORBAN - the Mishnah did not say that has no share in the world to come. However, above we asked why he was not listed. If so, we must say that also he was Mechadesh Aveiros.)

Note: Our text (49b) did not explicitly ask so. It mentioned that he has no share in the world to come, and asked why a verse listed him with righteous kings.

(R. Chunyah citing R. Lazar): Why is he called Achaz? It is because he Achaz (held, i.e. closed) Batei Kenesiyos and Batei Midrash.

What was Achaz like? He was like a king who had a son, and he handed him over to a mentor [to raise him], and [the mentor] wanted to kill him. He reasoned, if I kill him, I will be Chayav Misah. Rather, I will remove his wet-nurse, and he will die by himself;

So said Achaz. If there are no kids, there will be no adult goats. If there are no adult goats, there will be no flock (it will die out). If there is no flock, there is no [need for] a shepherd. If there is no shepherd, it is as if there is no world;

So Achaz thought to say. If there are no children [learning Torah], there will be no adults [who know Torah]. If there are no adults, there will be no Chachamim. If there are no Chachamim, there will be no Nevi'im. If there are no Nevi'im, there will be no Ru'ach ha'Kodesh. If there is no Ru'ach ha'Kodesh, there will be no Batei Kenesiyos and Batei Midrash, and it is as if Hash-m does not put His Shechinah on Yisrael.

(R. Yakov bar Abaye citing R. Acha): We learn from "v'Chikisi la'Shem ha'Mastir Panav mi'Beis Yakov v'Kivisi Lo" (Yeshayah needed to teach them, because Achaz had stopped people from learning).

There was no harsher time than when Hash-m told Moshe "v'Anochi Haster Astir Panai ba'Yom ha'Hu." [Even so,] from that time [Yeshayahu anticipated that Torah will continue -] "v'Kivisi Lo", that [Hash-m] said to Moshe on Sinai "Ki Lo Sishkach mi'Pi Zar'o."

What do you [Achaz] accomplish [through closing the Batei Kenesiyos and Batei Midrash? Even so, I am raising Talmidim!] ("Hinei Anochi veha'Yeladim Asher Nasan Li Hash-m" - were they [Yeshayahu's] children? They were his Talmidim! Rather, this teaches that they were dear to him, and he called them "my children."

What did Menasheh do? (We said above that he was Mechadesh Aveiros. We bring the following to show that Yeshayahu was his grandfather, and even so, he killed him - KORBAN HA'EDAH.) It says "ba'Yamim ha'Hem Chalah Chizkiyah Lamus... Ki Mes Atah v'Lo Sichyeh" - you will die in this world, and you will not live in the world to come.

[Chizkiyah] asked why. [Yeshayahu] told him it is because you did not want [to marry and try] to have children. Why didn't you want to have children? He said, it is because I saw [through Ru'ach ha'Kodesh] that I would have an evil son. Due to this, I did not want to have children.

Yeshayahu: Marry my daughter - perhaps from [the merit of] me and you, you will have a good child! (Perhaps he said so after Chizkiyah cited his tradition about how to nullify decrees. KORBAN HA'EDAH explains that he meant "you should have married my daughter.")

Even so, he had only a bad child - "v'Chelai Kelav Ra'im." (Even an Ashir, a bad Midah (stinginess) can cause his Kelim to be bad. Similarly, a Rasha can result from righteous parents, due to one shortcoming - KORBAN HA'EDAH.)

Chizkiyah: I do not listen to you [telling me that I will die]. I jump (rush to do) only to what my grandfather (Yosam) told me - if you see harsh dreams or harsh visions, jump to three things and you will be saved - they are Tefilah, Tzedakah and Teshuvah.

All three of them are in one verse - "va'Yikan'u Ami Asher Nikra Shmi Aleihem va'Yispalelu" - this is Tefilah. "Vi'Yvakshu Panai" - this is Tzedakah, like it says "Ani b'Tzedek Echezeh Fanecha Esbe'ah b'Hakitz Temunasecha." "V'Yashuvu mi'Darcheihem ha'Ra'im" is Teshuvah;

If they do so, what [will be]? It is written there "va'Ani Eshma Min ha'Shamayim v'Eslach l'Chatasam v'Erpa Es Artzam."

Immediately, Chizkiyah turned [to pray] - "va'Yasev Chizkiyah Panav El ha'Kir va'Yispalel El Hash-m."

Question: To which wall did he lift his eyes?

Answer #1 (R. Yehoshua ben Levi): He lifted his eyes to the wall of Rachav, "Ki Veisah b'Kir uva'Chomah Hi Yosheves";

Chizkiyah: Master of all the worlds! Rachav saved two souls for You (Pinchas and Kalev) - see how many souls You saved for her!

It says "va'Yavo'u ha'Ne'arim ha'Meraglim va'Yotzi'u Es Rachav v'Es Aviha v'Es Imah v'Es Acheha v'Es Kol Asher Lah v'Es Kol Mishpechoseha Hotzi'u va'Yanichum mi'Chutz l'Machaneh Yisrael."

(Beraisa - R. Shimon ben Yochai): Even if there were 200 people in her family, and they intermarried with 200 families, all of them would be saved in her merit.

My ancestors brought close to You all of these converts (150,000 in the days of Shlomo, due to the Kidush Hash-m through David - see the end of 6:7 above (29b)). How much the more so You should give to me my soul!

Answer #2 (R. Shmuel bar Nachman): He lifted his eyes to the wall of the Shunamis - "Na'aseh Na Aliyas Kir Ketanah v'Nasim Lo Sham Mitah v'Shulchan v'Chisei u'Menorah";

He said Master of all the worlds! The Shunamis made one wall for Elisha, and You revived her son - my ancestors made all this praise for You (built the Beis ha'Mikdash). How much the more so You should give to me my soul!

Answer #3 (R. Chaninah bar Papa): He lifted his eyes to the walls of the Beis ha'Mikdash - "b'Sitam Sipam Es Sipi... veha'Kir Beini u'Veineihem";

He said, Master of the world! My ancestors were great people, and they could not always pray in the Beis ha'Mikdash. Rather, they stood in their houses and prayed, and the wall was between them and the Beis ha'Mikdash;

I, there is no wall between me and the Mikdash when I pray. How much the more so You should give to me my soul!

Answer #4 (Rabanan): He put his eyes to the walls of his heart - "Me'ai Me'ai Ochilah Kiros Libi Homeh Li Libi Lo Acharish";

He said, Master of the worlds! I pondered the 248 limbs that You put in me, and I did not find that I angered You with one of them! How much the more so You should give to me my soul!