פְּעֻלַּ֣ת צַדִּ֣יק לְחַיִּ֑ים תְּבוּאַ֖ת רָשָׁ֣ע לְחַטָּֽאת׃
Jerih payah orang benar membawa kepada kehidupan, tetapi hasil yang diperoleh orang fasik membawa kepada dosa.
Devarim Rabbah
Another matter: “When you will beget children” – this what the verse said: “The act of the righteous brings life; the yield of the wicked is sin” (Proverbs 10:16). “The act of the righteous brings life” – Rabbi Tanḥum said: This is Elifaz, who grew up on Isaac’s lap.39Elifaz was a son of Esau. Because of the influence of his grandfather Isaac, Elifaz did not kill Jacob even though Esau commanded him to do so (see Rashi on Genesis 29:11). “The yield of the wicked is sin” – this is Amalek, who grew up on Esau’s lap.
Another matter: “The act of the righteous brings life” (Proverbs 10:16) – everything that David and Solomon his son did was to give life to Israel. What is “the yield of [tevuat] the wicked is sin” (Proverbs 10:16) – with one entry [bevia] that Menashe made into the Holy of Holies, he brought about sin for Israel, as he crafted a four-faced idol and took it into the Sanctuary. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “And behold, north of the gate of the altar was this image of infuriation in the entrance [babia]” (Ezekiel 8:5). Rabbi Aḥa said: This is a great cry of injustice [biya] for the world; the temporary resident ousts the landlord.40The idol, as it were, ousted God’s Presence. Why did he craft a four-faced idol? It was corresponding to the four beasts that bear the throne of the Holy One blessed be He.41See Ezekiel 1:5–10. Another matter: Why four faces? It was corresponding to the four directions of the world. Anyone who would come from the four directions of the world would prostrate himself to this idol.
What did the Holy One blessed be He do to [Menashe]? He delivered him into the hand of his enemies. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “The Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria. [They captured Menashe…] and bound him with fetters” (II Chronicles 33:11). They crafted for him a bronze cauldron, placed him inside it, and they kindled a fire beneath it, and he was being burned in it. At that moment, Menashe cried out to all the deities in the world to whom he would sacrifice, but not even one of them answered him, as it is stated: “Even if one will call to it, it will not answer, it will not save him from his trouble” (Isaiah 46:7).
When Menashe saw that his trouble was severe, as not even one of them answered him, he began crying out to the Holy One blessed be He. He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, I cried out to all the deities in the world, although I knew that they lacked substance. Master of the universe, You are the God over all gods, and if You do not answer me, I will say: Perhaps, God forbid, that all beings are alike.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Wicked one, by right I should not answer you, as you have angered Me; however, in order not to slam the door before penitents, so they will not say: Menashe sought to repent and was not accepted, I will answer you.’ From where is this derived? As it is stated: “He prayed to Him, and He acceded to his entreaty [vaye’ater lo]” (II Chronicles 33:13) – He excavated on his behalf [vayaḥtor lo].42The Midrash elsewhere (Vayikra Rabba 30:3) explains this with the following statement: Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Shimon said: In Arabia, they call digging [ḥatirata] atirata. This teaches that the ministering angels were sealing the windows of the firmament so that his prayer would not ascend to Heaven. What did the Holy One blessed be He do? He excavated beneath the Throne of Glory and accepted his prayer. “And returned him to Jerusalem to his kingdom” (II Chronicles 33:13) – Rabbi Shmuel bar Unya said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: He returned him with the wind, just as it is said: He causes the wind to blow. At that moment, Menashe acknowledged that the Lord is God.
Another matter: “The act of the righteous is life” (Proverbs 10:16) – these are the righteous ones who came into the land, who had lived in the days of Moses. “The yield of the wicked is sin” (Proverbs 10:16) – “when you will beget children, and children’s children, and you will have been long in the land…”
Another matter: “The act of the righteous brings life” (Proverbs 10:16) – everything that David and Solomon his son did was to give life to Israel. What is “the yield of [tevuat] the wicked is sin” (Proverbs 10:16) – with one entry [bevia] that Menashe made into the Holy of Holies, he brought about sin for Israel, as he crafted a four-faced idol and took it into the Sanctuary. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “And behold, north of the gate of the altar was this image of infuriation in the entrance [babia]” (Ezekiel 8:5). Rabbi Aḥa said: This is a great cry of injustice [biya] for the world; the temporary resident ousts the landlord.40The idol, as it were, ousted God’s Presence. Why did he craft a four-faced idol? It was corresponding to the four beasts that bear the throne of the Holy One blessed be He.41See Ezekiel 1:5–10. Another matter: Why four faces? It was corresponding to the four directions of the world. Anyone who would come from the four directions of the world would prostrate himself to this idol.
What did the Holy One blessed be He do to [Menashe]? He delivered him into the hand of his enemies. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “The Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria. [They captured Menashe…] and bound him with fetters” (II Chronicles 33:11). They crafted for him a bronze cauldron, placed him inside it, and they kindled a fire beneath it, and he was being burned in it. At that moment, Menashe cried out to all the deities in the world to whom he would sacrifice, but not even one of them answered him, as it is stated: “Even if one will call to it, it will not answer, it will not save him from his trouble” (Isaiah 46:7).
When Menashe saw that his trouble was severe, as not even one of them answered him, he began crying out to the Holy One blessed be He. He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, I cried out to all the deities in the world, although I knew that they lacked substance. Master of the universe, You are the God over all gods, and if You do not answer me, I will say: Perhaps, God forbid, that all beings are alike.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Wicked one, by right I should not answer you, as you have angered Me; however, in order not to slam the door before penitents, so they will not say: Menashe sought to repent and was not accepted, I will answer you.’ From where is this derived? As it is stated: “He prayed to Him, and He acceded to his entreaty [vaye’ater lo]” (II Chronicles 33:13) – He excavated on his behalf [vayaḥtor lo].42The Midrash elsewhere (Vayikra Rabba 30:3) explains this with the following statement: Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Shimon said: In Arabia, they call digging [ḥatirata] atirata. This teaches that the ministering angels were sealing the windows of the firmament so that his prayer would not ascend to Heaven. What did the Holy One blessed be He do? He excavated beneath the Throne of Glory and accepted his prayer. “And returned him to Jerusalem to his kingdom” (II Chronicles 33:13) – Rabbi Shmuel bar Unya said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: He returned him with the wind, just as it is said: He causes the wind to blow. At that moment, Menashe acknowledged that the Lord is God.
Another matter: “The act of the righteous is life” (Proverbs 10:16) – these are the righteous ones who came into the land, who had lived in the days of Moses. “The yield of the wicked is sin” (Proverbs 10:16) – “when you will beget children, and children’s children, and you will have been long in the land…”
Sifrei Devarim
Variantly: "For if you keep, keep, all of this mitzvah": Lest you say: I shall learn (only) this formidable section and leave this simple one, it is, therefore, written (Ibid. 32:47) "For it is not an empty thing from you." Something that you call "empty" is empty only from (i.e., because of) you. What you are calling "empty" is (Ibid.) "your lives" and length of days. Do not say "I have learned the halachoth; that is enough for me." It is, therefore, written "if you keep, keep, all of this mitzvah." Learn all of the mitzvah — midrash (Sifra and Sifrei), halachoth, and aggadoth. And thus is it written (Ibid. 8:3) "to make it known to you that not through bread alone shall a man live": "bread" is midrash. (Ibid.) "but by all that issues from the mouth of the L-rd shall a man live": These are halachoth and aggadoth. And thus is it written (Proverbs 27:11) "Grow wise, my son, and rejoice my heart, and I will answer my shamers in kind," and (Ibid. 23:15) "My son, when your heart becomes wise, then my heart, too, will rejoice." R. Shimon b. Yochai says: This tells me only of his father on earth. Whence do I derive (that this holds true also for) his Father in heaven? From "my heart, too, shall rejoice" — to include his Father in heaven.