Midrasch zu Jeschijahu 46:7

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20. Alternately, (Deuteronomy 4:25) "When you have begotten children..." This accords with what the verse says (Proverbs 10:16) "The labor of the righteous man makes for life; The produce of the wicked man makes for want." "The labor of the righteous man makes for life"- Rabbi Tanchum says: This refers to Eliphaz, who grew up in Isaac's bosom. "The produce of the wicked man makes for want"- This refers to Amalek, who grew up in Esav's bosom. Alternately, "The labor of the righteous man makes for life"- All that David and his son Shlomo did, for life for Israel. Then what is meant by "The produce of the wicked man makes for want ("chatat")"? Through one act of entrance ("biah"), when Menashe went inside the Holy of Holies, all of Israel experienced a misdirection ("chataya"), since he made an image with four faces and placed it inside the Temple. Where is the source for this? As it is said, (Ezekiel 8:5) "And there, north of the gate of the altar, was that infuriating image on the approach ("biah")." Rabbi Acha says: What a great travesty ("biya") for the world that the visitor cleared out the master of the house. And why did he make an image with four faces? To parallel the four Chayot who carry the throne of the Holy Blessed One. Alternately, why four faces? To parallel the four directions in the world, as if to say: Anyone who comes from the four directions of the world will bow to this image. And what did the Holy Blessed One do to him? He gave him over to the hand of his enemies. Where is the source for this? As it is said (II Chronicles 33:11) So the LORD brought against them the officers of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh captive in manacles, bound him in fetters." They made for him a mule of copper and put him inside it, and they would light a fire underneath it and he would be burned inside it. At that hour, Menashe called out to every deity in the world that he had sacrificed to, and not one of them answered him. As it is said, (Isaiah 46:7) "If they cry out to it, it does not answer; It cannot save them from their distress." When Menashe saw that his distress was distressing, that not one of them had answered him, he began to call out to the Holy Blessed One. He said before Him, "Master of the world, behold I have called out to every deity in the world, and I realize that there is nothing real to them. Master of the world, You are God over all gods, and if You do not answer me, I will say, Heaven forbid, that all of the options are the same [i.e. that you are not real either]." The Holy Blessed One said to him, "Oh wicked person! According to the rules, I should not answer you, since you angered Me. But in order not to lock the door before those who repent, so they do not say, 'Behold Menashe tried to repent and was not accepted,' for this reason I will answer you." As it is said, (II Chronicles 33:13) "He prayed to Him, and He granted ("ye'ater") his prayer." He tunneled ("yachtor") for him. This teaches that the ministering angels would close the windows of the firmament so that his [Menashe's] prayer would not rise up to the Heavens. What did the Holy Blessed One do? He tunneled through the firmament below the Throne of Glory and accepted his prayer. (II Chronicles 33:13) "And He returned him to Jerusalem to his kingdom." Rabbi Shmuel bar Onya says citing Rabbi Acha: He returned him through wind, as you say, "Who makes the wind blow (literally 'return')." At that hour, (II Chronicles 33:13) "Manasseh knew that the LORD alone was God." Alternately, (Proverbs 10:16) "The labor of the righteous man makes for life;" These are the righteous people who lived at the time of Moshe. "The produce of the wicked man makes for want." (Deuteronomy 4:25) "When you have begotten children and children’s children and are long established in the land..."

(20:3) "There shall not be unto you any other gods before My presence": What is the intent of this? An analogy: A king of flesh and blood enters a province and his servants say to him: Make decrees for them. He: When they accept my rule, I will make decrees for them. For if they do not accept my rule, they will not accept my decrees. Thus did the L rd say to Israel: "I am the L rd your G d. There shall not be unto you, etc.": Am I He whose rule you have accepted? They: Yes. He: Just as you have accepted My rule, accept My decrees — There shall not be unto you any other gods before My presence. R. Shimon b. Yochai says: As stated elsewhere (Leviticus 18:2) "Am I the L rd (whose rule you accepted on Sinai)? They: Yes. He: You accepted My rule? Accept My decrees — (Ibid. 3) "As the deeds of the land of Egypt in which you dwelt you shall not do, etc." And so here: Am I the L rd your G d who took you out of the land of Egypt, whose rule you accepted? — Accept My decrees. "There shall not be unto you": What is the intent of this? (Ibid. 4) "You shall not make for yourself a graven image or the likeness, etc." would imply only that it is forbidden to make it. Whence do we derive that you may not keep what is already made? It is, therefore, written "There shall not be unto you." "other gods": Now are there other gods? Is it not written (Isaiah 37:18) "and placed their gods into fire, for they are not gods"? What, then, is the intent of "other gods"? That others call "gods." Variantly: "elohim acherim"? They "delay" ("me'achorim") good from entering the world. Variantly: "elohim acherim": They are "others" (i.e., indifferent) to those who serve them. And thus is it written (Ibid. 46:7) "He cries out to it, but it does not answer; it does not save him from his affliction." R. Yossi says: Why "other gods"? Not to give a pretext to the nations of the world to say: If they were called by His name, they would be effectual. Behold, they were called by His name and they remained ineffectual! And when were they called by His name? In the days of Enosh the son of Sheth, viz. (Genesis 4:26) "Then (men and images) were called profanely in the name of the L rd, (being rendered deities)" — whereupon Oceanus rose and flooded a third of the world, the L rd, as it were, telling them: You did a new thing and "called"; I, too, shall do a new thing and I shall "call" (to the waters of the sea), as it is written (Amos 5:8) "He 'calls' the waters of the sea, etc." R. Eliezer says: "elohim acherim": They "renew" gods for themselves every day. How so? If one had a golden god and he needed gold, he make it of silver. If he needed that, he made if of copper. If he had a copper god and he needed copper, he made it of iron or of lead. And thus is it written (Devarim 32:17) "new ones (gods), newly come." R. Yitzchak says: If we were to write down all the names of their gods, all the hides in the world would not avail, (wherefore, perforce, they must be referred to generically as "gods." R. Chanina b. Antignos says: (in confirmation of the above) Witness the Torah's denomination of (the god) Molech — anything (is called "a god") that you make a king ("melech") over you, even a chip or a shard. Rebbi says: "elohim acherim": They (these "gods") are the last (achronim) of the creations (i.e., men). And who is the "last" of the creation? One who calls them "gods."

Variantly: Why are they called "other gods"? For they are "others" (i.e., "strangers") to their worshippers. And thus is it written (Ibid. 46:7) "He will also cry out to him (his god) and he will not answer. From his trouble he shall not save him."