תלמוד על תהילים 36:2
Avot D'Rabbi Natan
He would also say: The righteous have their desire for evil taken away and are given a desire for good, as it says (Psalms 109:22), “My heart has been hollowed out inside of me.” The wicked have their desire for good taken away and are given a desire for evil, as it says (Psalms 36:2), “Sin speaks to the wicked in his heart. There is no fear of God in his sight.” Those who are not entirely righteous or entirely wicked [beinomim] are given both, and those who move toward their evil desires are judged by them, while those who move toward their good desires are judged by them, as it says (Psalms 109:31), “For he who stands at the right of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.”
Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar would say: See, it says, “[My spirit] shall not judge,” for the Holy Blessed One said: ([I will not judge [the wicked] until I pay the righteous their reward. How long will this last? During the time [of the wicked] in this world. But in the World to Come, the verse says (Psalms 146:46), “His spirit leaves him, and he returns to the ground.”
Rabbi Akiva would say: See, it says (Genesis 6:3), “My spirit shall not judge human beings forever,” for the Holy Blessed One said:]) They cannot judge themselves, for they are just flesh and blood. Rather, their spirit is taken upward and says to God, Turn away from this one.
Rabbi Meir would say: See, the verse says, “[My spirit] shall not judge,” for the Holy Blessed One said: They have declared in this generation that God will not judge them, that there is no Judge in the world, for God has abandoned the world.
Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi would say: See, it says, “[My spirit] shall not judge,” for the Holy Blessed One said: They did not institute a court for themselves on earth, so I will institute a court for them on High.”
Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar would say: See, it says, “[My spirit] shall not judge,” for the Holy Blessed One said: ([I will not judge [the wicked] until I pay the righteous their reward. How long will this last? During the time [of the wicked] in this world. But in the World to Come, the verse says (Psalms 146:46), “His spirit leaves him, and he returns to the ground.”
Rabbi Akiva would say: See, it says (Genesis 6:3), “My spirit shall not judge human beings forever,” for the Holy Blessed One said:]) They cannot judge themselves, for they are just flesh and blood. Rather, their spirit is taken upward and says to God, Turn away from this one.
Rabbi Meir would say: See, the verse says, “[My spirit] shall not judge,” for the Holy Blessed One said: They have declared in this generation that God will not judge them, that there is no Judge in the world, for God has abandoned the world.
Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi would say: See, it says, “[My spirit] shall not judge,” for the Holy Blessed One said: They did not institute a court for themselves on earth, so I will institute a court for them on High.”
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