Midrash su Ezechiele 18:24

Our Rabbis taught that "Simon Happekuli has arranged the Eighteen Benedictions before Rabban Gamaliel at Jamnia, according to their present arrangement. Rabban Gamaliel said to the sages: 'Is there not anyone who knows how to compose a prayer concerning the Sadducees?' Thereupon Samuel the junior, came down and composed it. The following year he (Samuel the junior) forgot it (Fol. 29a) and for two or three hours he tried to recollect [but did not succeed]; still the congregation did not remove him [from the reader's place]." Why not? Has not R Juda in the name of Rab said: "If one errs in any part of the Eighteen Benedictions he should not be removed, but if he errs in the section referring to heretics he should be removed, in the apprehension that he is a heretic." Samuel the junior is different, since he himself composed it [therefore he shows no cause for suspicion]. But why should we not apprehend that perhaps he reconsidered it? Abaye said: "We have a tradition that a righteous person never becomes wicked." Is this so? Behold, it is written (Ez. 18, 24.) But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness. This is said of a man who was wicked in the beginning, but if one is righteous from the very beginning, it does not happen so. Is this so? Are we not taught: "Do not rely upon thyself [that thou art righteous] even until the last day of thy death; for R. Jochanan the High Priest served in the High Priesthood for eighty years and at last became a Sadducee." Abaye said: "Janai (the King) and Jochanan are the same person" [hence he was wicked in his early years]. Raba said: "Janai and Jochanan are two different persons; Janai was wicked from the very beginning, and Jochanan righteous from the very beginning." It is quite right according to the opinion of Abaye, but according to the opinion of Raba [who said that Jochanan was righteous from the very beginning], how should the question be answered? Raba may explain that a righteous person from the very beginning should also [not be relied upon] lest he become wicked. And if so., then why did not the Rabbis remove Samuel the junior? With Samuel the junior it is different; for he commenced to say it, and erred in the middle of it. For R. Juda in the name of Rab, and according to some in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi, said: "The above quotation [of Rab regarding the suspicion] refers only to him who has not even commenced to say it, but if he commenced the benediction and erred in the middle of it he may be allowed to finish it [without any suspicion]."