דברי הימים ב, פרק ל״ד, פסוק כ״ב

Following the sudden discovery of a Torah scroll, an urgent mission is launched to seek guidance from God. The king commands the High Priest, along with a select group of ministers and attendants, to obtain prophetic counsel [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ, חומת אנך]. Strikingly, the delegation turns to a woman, the prophetess Huldah, for answers.

This choice naturally raises the question of why she was approached instead of other prominent prophets of the era, such as Jeremiah. Some suggest a practical reason, noting that the other prophets simply were not in Jerusalem at the time [מצודת דוד]. Others find deeper meaning in the decision, explaining that women possess a naturally compassionate character. The king hoped that Huldah would pray for the nation and awaken God's mercy [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. Furthermore, because Huldah was a relative of Jeremiah, he did not object to her sharing the prophetic duties and guiding the people in his region [חומת אנך].

Huldah was a woman of significant standing. Her husband, Shallum, held the important position of keeper of the wardrobe, a role that involved guarding either the royal garments [מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ] or the sacred priestly clothing [רש״י]. The location where she sat to receive the delegation carries both geographic and spiritual significance. Geographically, she lived in a newer, secondary district added to the City of David, situated between the two city walls [רש״י, מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ]. Spiritually, her location functioned as a house of study dedicated to Torah learning [רש״י, רד״ק]. A tradition notes that she had a special chamber right next to the hall where the high court, the Sanhedrin, convened. To maintain modesty, her room was open to the outside street to welcome the public seeking her guidance, but it was completely closed off from the sages of the court [רש״י].

Upon arriving at her chamber, the delegation faithfully delivers the king's exact message, sharing his profound worry and distress over the warnings read from the newly found scroll [מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ].