It's a story about perspective, gratitude, and maybe even a missed opportunity to usher in... the Messiah!

The passage begins with a verse from Song of Songs, "Look from the peak of Amana" (Song of Songs 4:8). The rabbis, in their beautiful way, see this verse as alluding to the patriarchs. "The peak of Amana" is Abraham, the man who "believed in the Lord" (Genesis 15:6). "From the peak of Senir" is Isaac. And here's a clever bit: just as Senir is hostile to plowing (soneh nir), Isaac only faced one major ordeal in his life – the Binding of Isaac. "And Ḥermon" is Jacob. The text emphasizes that all the good – priesthood, the Levites, the kingship – comes from Jacob. He was the culmination of the patriarchs.

Then the verse shifts to "the dens of lions" – Siḥon and Og, those mighty, haughty kings. Shir HaShirim Rabbah tells us they were so arrogant, they didn't even bother to help each other, despite being only a day's walk apart! And "the mountains of leopards" are the Canaanites, as brazen and shameless as leopards. The text even references Joshua 8:17, noting how the men of Ai all came out after Israel, showing their audacity.

Now, here's where the story takes an interesting turn. Rabbi Berekhya, quoting Rabbi Elazar, says it would have been fitting for Israel to sing a song of victory after defeating Siḥon and Og. And similarly, Hezekiah should have sung a song after the downfall of Sennacherib. But, as we read in II Chronicles 32:25, Hezekiah "did not reciprocate according to the reward bestowed upon him."

Why not? Because "his heart had grown haughty." Now, wait a minute! Hezekiah, a righteous king, haughty? The text clarifies: Hezekiah was too proud to sing a song! He thought his Torah study was enough.

Rabbi Abba bar Kahana explains that Hezekiah believed his Torah study atoned for the lack of song. Rabbi Levi adds that Hezekiah felt recounting God's miracles was unnecessary because they were already known throughout the world – after all, hadn't the sun stood still (II Kings 20:11), showcasing God's power to everyone?

Rabbi Yishmael ben Rabbi Yosei, citing Rabbi Abba, even brings in Pharaoh of Egypt and Tirhaka of Kush! They were involved in the miracle of the sun standing still and came to aid Hezekiah. Sennacherib sensed their presence and bound them, but an angel struck Sennacherib’s troops. In the morning, Hezekiah found the kings bound, released them, and they went on to spread the news of God's miracles. Isaiah 45:14 is then interpreted as referring to these events, with Egypt and Kush ultimately acknowledging God's greatness.

Isaiah, witnessing all this, cries out, "Indeed [akhen] You are God who conceals Himself" (Isaiah 45:15). The text plays on the word akhen, asking, "Where [ekhan] are You hiding, God?" It's a powerful moment of recognizing God's hidden hand even in the midst of miraculous events.

But here's the kicker. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says that if Hezekiah had sung a song after Sennacherib's defeat, he would have become the Messianic king, and Sennacherib would have been the equivalent of Gog and Magog! But he didn't. Instead, he recited Psalms 20:7–8, acknowledging God's power and anticipating a future king, "His anointed one [meshiḥo]," implying that he himself wouldn't be the Messiah.

Wow. So, what's the takeaway? Is it about the importance of singing praises? Is it about recognizing God's miracles, even when they seem obvious? Maybe it's about not letting our accomplishments, even righteous ones, blind us to the need for gratitude and humility. Perhaps Hezekiah’s story is a reminder that sometimes, the greatest acts of service are not enough if they are not accompanied by a song of the heart. And perhaps, just perhaps, sometimes singing the right song at the right time can change the course of history.