Sanhedrin

R. Johanan said: He who asserts that Manasseh has no portion in the world to come weakens the hands of penitent sinners. For a tanna recited before R. Johanan: Manasseh was penitent for thirty-three years, as it is written, Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem, and he made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel. How long did Ahab reign? Twenty-two years. How long did Manasseh reign? Fifty-five years. Subtract therefrom twenty-two, which leaves thirty-three. R. Johanan said on the authority of R. Simeon b. Yohai: What is meant by, And he prayed unto him, and an opening was made for him.  Should not 'and was entreated of him' rather have been written?  — This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, made him a kind of opening in the Heavens, in order to accept him with his repentance, on account of the Attribute of Justice. R. Johanan also said on the authority of R. Simeon b. Yohai: Why is it written, In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah;  and in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah:  were there then no kings until then? But [it teaches that] the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to hurl the world back into chaos  on account of Jehoiakim, but that He gazed at [the rest of] his generation, and His mind was appeased.  The Holy One, blessed be He, [also] desired to hurl the world back into chaos because of Zedekiah's generation, but that He gazed at Zedekiah [himself] and his mind was appeased. But in the case of Zedekiah too it is written, And he did that which was evil in the sight of God?  — [That denotes] that he could have stemmed [the evil of others], and did not. R. Johanan also said on the authority of R. Simeon b. Yohai: What is meant by, If a wise man contend with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest?  — The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'I was wrath with Ahaz, and delivered him into the hands of the kings of Damascus, whereupon he sacrificed burnt incense to their gods, as it is written, For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.  I smiled upon Amaziah and delivered the kings of Edom into his hand, so he brought their gods, and prostrated himself before them, as it is written, Now it came to pass, that after Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.  R. Papa commented: Thus men say, 'Weep for him who knows not his fortune, laugh for him who knows not his fortune. Woe to him who knows not the difference between good and bad.' And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate.  R. Johanan said on the authority of R. Simeon b. Yohai: It was the place where halachot are decided upon.  R. Papa observed: Thus men say, 'Where the master hangs up his weapons, there the mean shepherd hangs up his pitcher.' [Mnemonic: By the field, houses, nought shall befall.] R. Hisda said in the name of R. Jeremiah's b. Abba: What is meant by the verse, I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding,' And lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down?  — I went by the field of the slothful — this refers to Ahaz;  and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding — this denotes Manasseh;  And lo, it was all grown over with thorns, — to Amon;  and nettles had covered the face thereof — to Jehoiakim;  and the stone wall thereof was broken down, — this alludes to Zedekiah, in whose days the Temple was destroyed. R. Hisda also said in the name of R. Jeremiah b. Abba: Four classes will not appear  before the presence of the Shechinah, — the class of scoffers, the class of liars, the class of hypocrites, and the class of slanderers. 'The class of scoffers' — as it is written, He withdrew His hand from the scoffers.  'The class of liars' — as it is written, He that telleth lies, shall not tarry in my sight.  'The class of hypocrites' — as it is written, For an hypocrite shall not come before him.  'The class of slanderers — as it is written, For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee,'  [which means] Thou art righteous, and hence there will not be evil  in thy abode. R. Hisda also said in the name of R. Jeremiah b. Abba: What is meant by the verse, There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling?  'There shall no evil befall thee,' the Evil Impulse  shall have no power over thee; 'neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling' — thou wilt not find thy wife a doubtful niddah  when thou returnest from a journey. Another interpretation: 'There shall no evil befall thee' — thou wilt not be affrighted by nightmares and dread thoughts; 'neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling' — thou wilt not have a son or a disciple who publicly burns his food.  Thus far his father blessed him: beyond this, his mother blessed him:  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee in their hands etc. … Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the adder.  Thus far his mother blessed him, beyond this, Heaven blessed him: