Daily Tanach Monday 3rd Adar Sefer Melachim 2 Chapter 11 Part 2: Ataliah is assassinated and Yoash becomes king

* The article below is an excerpt from the above Sefer
  • Yehoash is crowned king: They brought out the king’s son, Yehoash, and placed the crown on his head and gave him the special Torah scroll of the king, and they proclaimed him as king and anointed him. They clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!”
  • Ataliah arrives at the Temple to check out the commotion: Ataliah heard a commotion of people who were running, coming from the temple, and so she decided to come to the temple to see what was going on. She saw that a new king had been appointed and was standing by the special area designated for kings in the temple, and the officers and the trumpet blowers were standing before the king. Everyone there was rejoicing and sounding the trumpets. When Ataliah saw all this, she tore her garments and proclaimed that a rebellion has begun against her.
  • Ataliah is taken and killed: Yehoyada, the priest, instructed the military leaders to take Ataliah out of the temple into the house of the king in order so she not be killed there, and that anyone who comes to help her should be slain by the sword. So, they made space for her to leave the temple and she entered the king’s palace through the horses’ entrance and she was executed there.

 

  1. The king is reinstated to his position and the new order that ensued:
  • A pact of loyalty: Yehoyada enacted a pact between Hashem and the king and the nation, and between the king and the people, that they be loyal to each other.
  • The people destroy the Baal: The people came to the temple of the Baal and tore it down. They destroyed its altars and sculptures. Matan, who was the priest of the Baal, was slain in front of the altar.
  • Reinstating the shifts at the temple: After the above events, Yehoyada the priest reinstated the shifts of priests in the temple, [as was done prior to the days of Ataliah, and became nullified due to her [1]].
  • The king is reinstated onto his throne in his palace: The officers, ministers, and military leaders together with all the people brought the king down from the temple to the king’s palace, and he sat on the throne of the kings.
  • The nation rejoices: The people of the land rejoiced, and the city settled back down to its peaceful state. As stated earlier, Ataliah had been put to death in the king’s palace.

[1] Rashi 11:18

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