Why does it say "va'Yavo Elisha Damesek" (without the prefix Lamed)?
Malbim: He came to the Ibur (outskirts) of the city, but did not enter the city itself. This is why they says that he came "Ad Henah", and the king told Chaza'el to go out to greet him. Also "bi'Hyos Yehoshua bi'Yricho" (Yehoshua 5:13) means that he was in the Ibur of the city. Sotah 47a says that he went to get Gechazi to repent; Gechazi sat outside the city due to his Tzara'as. 1
Bartenura (Kelim 1:7): A Metzora is forbidden only in walled cities in Eretz Yisrael. (Perhaps the Nochrim did not want a leper among them, even though he was not forbidden. - PF)
Why did he come to Damesek?
Rashi (from Sanhedrin 107b): It was to get Gechazi to repent 1 . Radak, Malbim - Gechazi went to Damesek to ask Na'aman to do good to him, since Na'aman's Tzara'as clung to Gechazi through Elisha's curse 2 .
Radak: It was to anoint Chaza'el, like Hashem told Eliyahu, like I explained above (refer to 19:15:2:1).
Radak citing Sanhedrin 107b: Gechazi refused. He said, you taught me that if one sins and makes others sin, Hashem does not allow him to repent. Some say that he used magnets to suspend Yarav'am's idols in mid-air (making people think that they have power). Some say that he carved a name of Hashem on the idol's mouth, and it would say the first two utterances. (Also refer to 6:1:1:2.)
This is no reason for Na'aman to benefit him. Na'aman was cured before Gechazi sinned and received his Tzara'as! Perhaps Gechazi lied, and said that Elisha could cure Na'aman only if the Tzara'as would cling to someone else, and Gechazi accepted it on himself. However, Na'aman saw that it had not yet come on Gechazi when he requested money from Na'aman after Na'aman was cured! (PF)
