According to the legends, death had been decreed against him. Seriously. But Hezekiah, being the resourceful and pious king that he was, wasn't about to take that lying down. He prayed. He pleaded with God. He asked to be kept alive.
And what was his argument? What did he say that could possibly sway the Divine will? He invoked the merits of his ancestors, those who had built the Temple and brought converts into the Jewish faith. He reminded God of his own good deeds, declaring, "I searched out all the two hundred and forty-eight members of my body which Thou didst give me, and I found none which I had used in a manner contrary to Thy will." Now, the number 248 is significant, corresponding to the number of positive commandments in Jewish law, as well as, in Kabbalistic thought, the number of "limbs" or components of the body. He was saying he used every part of himself for good.
And it worked! God heard his prayer and granted him fifteen more years of life. But, as Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg) makes clear, there was a caveat. God made it known to Hezekiah that this mercy was due to the merits of his ancestor, David, not to his own, as Hezekiah seems to have believed. It's a humbling reminder that even our best efforts often stand on the shoulders of giants who came before us.
Now, enter Isaiah, the prophet. God instructed him to return to the king and announce his recovery. But Isaiah, understandably, had some reservations. He had just recently predicted Hezekiah's imminent demise! Would the king trust him this time around? God reassured him. He knew that in his modesty and piety, the king would not doubt the prophet's trustworthiness.
The healing itself is interesting too. The remedy Isaiah employed was a cake of figs applied to Hezekiah’s boil. A cake of figs! It seems almost… counterintuitive. The text states that this would more likely aggravate the malady rather than alleviate it. According to the legends, this seemingly strange cure only increased the wonder of Hezekiah's recovery.
What are we to make of all this? Was it truly Hezekiah's prayer, or the merit of David, or even the improbable figs that saved him? Perhaps the answer lies in the interplay of all these things. The power of prayer, the legacy of our ancestors, and even the unexpected interventions that can sometimes change the course of our lives. It is a fascinating story that reminds us of the delicate balance between destiny and free will.