Daily Tanach Wednesday Sefer Melachim 1 Chapter 15: The reign of Asa the son of Aviyam

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1.      The reign of Asa the son of Aviyam:

  • In the twentieth year of the reign of Yeravam, king of Israel, Asa ruled over Judah.
  • His years of reign: Asa ruled in Jerusalem for forty one years.
  • His mother: His [grand[1]] mother’s name was Maachah, and she was the daughter of Avishalom [and mother of Aviyam].
  • His righteousness: Asa followed the ways of Hashem, as had done David his father. He abolished the adulterers from the land, and he removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
  • Removal of Maachah from royalty and destruction of her idol monument: Asa removed his mother Maachah from her royalty status, as she had constructed a structure by an Asheira tree [which was used for idol worship[2], and which contained male genitals which she had intercourse with on a daily basis[3]]. Asa cut off this structure from the tree and burnt it in the Kidron Valley.
  • The Bamos were not destroyed: [Despite Asa’s righteousness] the Bamos which were used to offer sacrifices to G-d were not removed [even though once the temple was built in Jerusalem, bringing an offering in another area carried a penalty of excision[4]].
  • Despite the above, Asa’s heart remained faithful to G-d throughout all of his days.
  • Filling up the treasury of the temple: Asa brought his father’s consecrated items and his own consecrated items into the temple. This included both silver and gold and vessels.

[1] See Radak and Metzudos Dovid 15:10

[2] See Radak 15:13

[3] See Rashi 15:13; Avoda Zara 44a

[4] Rashi 15:14

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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