27. Rabbi Aba said: It has been explained that even a sword of peace SHALL NOT "GO THROUGH YOUR LAND," as in the case of Pharaoh Necho, WHO WANTED TO PASS THROUGH THE LAND OF YISRAEL, BUT THE KING JOSIAH DID NOT PERMIT IT. THE MEANING of, "neither shall the sword go through your land," alludes to her companions, WHO COME FROM THE SIDE OF THE SAID KLIPAH. "I will remove evil beasts out of the land," means that THE KLIPAH ITSELF shall not have dominion over the land, nor shall it even go through - not the sword of the other nations, and not even one armed person shall pass you.

28. This is what king Josiah asked for WHEN HE DID NOT ALLOW THE SOLDIERS OF PHARAOH NECHO TO GO THROUGH THE LAND. It has been explained that he was caught in the sins of Yisrael AND WAS THEREFORE KILLED, as it is written, "The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Hashem, was taken in their pits" (Eichah 4:20). We must examine this, for we learned that if the leader of the people is good, the whole world is saved due to his merit. If the leader of the people is not honest, the whole people are caught for his sin. Yet why was Josiah, who was a worthy leader of honest deeds, caught in Yisrael's sins?