Sanhedrin 94 - Chizkiah and Sancheiriv

Why is Chizkiah called by this name? Because he strengthened (chizek) the heart of Israel toward their Father in Heaven. What did he do? He thrust a sword near the entrance to the study hall and said, "Whoever does not engage in Torah study will be pierced by this sword." He then supplied the oil for lighting the study halls. They searched in all of Israel and could not find one unlearned person not well versed in Torah. Then they searched within the territory of Judah, and could not find even a young boy or girl, man or woman, who was not well-versed in the most intricate laws of ritual purity. In this generation people neglected their most valuable land because of the Torah study.

Sancheiriv understood the prophecy of Isaiah as referring to him conquering Jerusalem. His army then made a ten-day journey in one day. When Sancheiriv reached Jerusalem, they built an observation platform for him, and he was amazed how small the city was, compared to the ones he had previously conquered. He told his soldiers to go to sleep, rest, and be ready to take the walls of Jerusalem apart on the morning. During the night, the angel of God came and burned the soldiers.

Art: Godfried Schalcken - A woman reading by candlelight