Musar for Sanhedrin 204:9
א"ר יוחנן מפני מה זכה אחאב למלכות כ"ב שנה
R. Johanan said: Why did Omri merit sovereignty? Because he added a region to Palestine, as it is written, And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill Samaria,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XVI, 24. ');"><sup>13</sup></span> R. Johanan said: Why did Ahab merit royalty for twenty-two years? — Because he honoured the Torah, which was given in twenty-two letters,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. ');"><sup>14</sup></span>
Mesilat Yesharim
Rabbi Yochanan said: Why did Achav merit royalty for twenty-two years? - Because he honored the Torah, which was given in twenty-two letters, as it is written (I Kings 20:9), "And he sent messengers to Achav... it shall be, that whatever is the desire of your eyes, they shall put in their hand, and take it away... And he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, Tell my lord the king, all that you did send for to your servant at the first I will do; but this thing I may not do." Now what is meant by 'whatever is the desire of your eyes'? Surely the Scroll of the Torah!" (Sanhedrin 102b).
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