Why does it say that he did "ha'Yashar b'Einei Hashem" like his father Uziyah? Uziyah transgressed and received Tzara'as (26:16-19)!
'Rashi': He did like the good that his father did, but not like the evil that his father did.
Why does it say "Rak Lo Ba El Heichal Hashem"?
Radak #1, Malbim: Regarding this, he was unlike his father.
Radak #2: Because his father stumbled in this, he did not want to go there to pray and offer Korbanos 1 ; he offered on Bamos. This is like it says after this, "v'Od ha'Am Mashchisim" (refer to 27:2:3:1).
Ketores is offered only in the Heichal, but other Korbanos are offered in the Azarah. One can even send Korbanos from outside the Mikdash, via a Shali'ach! Perhaps Yosam made a fence lest he come to enter the Heichal. (PF)
What is the meaning of "v'Od ha'Am Mashchisim"?
'Rashi', Radak, Malbim: This is like it says (Melachim II, 15:4) "Od ha'Am Mezabchim u'Mekatrim ba'Bamos."
R. Shimon said (Sukah 45b), if Yosam would be with me, I could accept (atone for) all Aveiros from the time of Avraham until the end of days. What was so special about Yosam?
'Rashi' citing R. Elazar bar Moshe: Every other king has a sin. David ? "Rak bi'Dvar Uriyah" (Shmuel II, 11:12). Shlomo ? "Nashav Hitu Levavo" (Melachim I, 11:4). Rechav'am "Azav Es Toras Hashem" (above, 12:1). Aviyah went "b'Chol Chat'os Aviv" (Melachim I, 15:3). Asa took the gold and silver from Otzeros Beis Hashem [to bribe Ben Hadad ? ibid., 18] and incarcerated the Navi (above, 16:10). Yehoshafat joined with a Rasha (Melachim I, 22:48). Yehoram killed his brothers (above, 21:4). Achazyahu followed his mother's counsel to do evil (Melachim II, 8:26). Yo'ash killed Zecharyah and became an idolatry (above, 24:22). Amatzyah bowed to the idols of Se'ir (25:14). Uziyah entered the Heichal to burn Ketores (26:19). Achaz went in the way of Malchei Yisrael, and made Matzevos to Ba'alim (Melachim II, 16:3). Chizkiyah became haughty, and there was anger against him (below, 32:25); Chachamim disagreed with three of the things he did (Pesachim 4:9). Menasheh was evil in Hashem' eyes (Melachim II, 21:2). Yoshiyah did not heed the Nevu'ah from Hashem (below, 35:22). Tzidkiyah did evil in Hashem's eyes, (Melachim II, 24:19), and incarcerated Yirmeyah (Yirmeyah 32:2-3). Yosam had no sin! 1
Rashi (45b): He was more humble than the others, and exemplified "Ben Yechaved Av" (Mal'achi 1:6). When his father was a Metzora and Yosam judged the nation, he never took the crown, and every judgment he gave was in the name of his father.
R. Chananel (45b): Yosam, R. Shimon and his son did not receive any reward in this world for their merits 2 .
Our verse concludes "v'Od ha'Am Mashchisim!" "Veha'Bamos Lo Saru" (Melachim II, 15:35)! This requires investigation. (PF)
Even though Hashem did miracles for R. Shimon and his son, e.g. He created a spring and carob tree for them in the cave (Shabbos 33b), that was to enable them to learn; it was not reward for their merits. (PF)
