Section: Tanach Category: Yirmiyahu | Yirmiyahu Part 4: The Enigma Of King Menashe | “And Hashem said to me, ‘If Moshe and Shmuel stand before Me, I have no desire for this people.” Even if Moshe and Shmuel would beg and daven that Hashem would save Yisrael, He will not relent. Instead Bnei Yisrael will be punished and some will be sent to death, some to the sword, some to famine, and some to captivity. Their punishment will be so severe that the other nations of the world will tremble when they hear what has befallen the Jews.
“And I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth due to Menashe the son of Chizkiyahu, the king of Yehudah on all that he has done in Yerushalayim." Menashe did not follow in his father’s righteous ways. He even had his own grandfather, Yeshayahu Hanavi, killed. His behavior was so evil that the destruction of Yerushalayim is mainly attributed to him, as he caused the worship of avodah zara to spread throughout Yisrael. Menashe actually did teshuvah in the later years of his life, and his teshuvah was accepted by Hashem, which was an incredible testimony to the power of teshuvah. A man who had spent most of his life rebelling against Hashem, committing the most grievous of sins, and causing his nation to sin, was welcomed by the Heavenly throne. Hashem Himself had to circumvent the malachim, who did not want to accept the teshuvah of such a sinful person, and closed all the gates of Shamayim to his tefillah. Unfortunately however, Bnei Yisrael did not follow his example of teshuvah, and continued to serve avodah zara.
It is beyond our grasp to understand the incredible pull of avodah zara in those days. The Gemara tells a story about Rav Ashi, who told his student that, “Tomorrow we will learn about our colleague, Menashe.” That night Menashe appeared to Rav Ashi in a dream, and asked him a difficult question in halacha. Rav Ashi did not know the answer. Menashe revealed the answer and then admonished Rav Ashi for referring to him as a colleague. Rav Ashi then asked Menashe why he had served avodah zara so fervently if he was so learned in Torah. Menashe answered him, “If you would have been there, you would have lifted up your coat to run and serve avodah zara” The next day, when R’ Ashi was teaching his students, he referred to Menashe as, “Our teacher.”
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