Halakhah sa Ezekiel 14:19: Sefer Chasidim

And if you ask, since it is written (Exodus 20:5), “He visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and fourth generations,” then why did the punishment of the sons of Eli extend for many generations? After all, Rabba and Abaye lived many generations later, and moreover, they did not persist in the sinful ways of their ancestors. Rather, if a person sins once, punishment is exacted from him for four generations. If he repeats the sin or commits a different sin, punishment is exacted for eight generations. If he sins three times or commits three different sins, he is punished for twelve generations. The sons of Eli sinned multiple times, increasing their guilt, and so their punishment extended through many generations. And if you ask why should the sin affect the righteous descendants who did not follow in their ancestors’ ways, an even greater question arises. For it is said, “One born on Shabbat will die on Shabbat,” but what sin did the child commit that Shabbat was desecrated for his birth? After all, they said, “You are born against your will.” Rather, they explained that idolatry brings punishment before and after, just as they expounded from the verse, “And he pursued them until Dan.” All the more so, this applies to goodness that a person does, that it has effects before and after. If the child later becomes righteous, why did his future merit not retroactively prevent him from being born on Shabbat? Similarly, why did the merit of the righteous descendants of the sons of Eli not retroactively prevent the original decree against them, and the same question applies to all people from the first man. And further, if they did not persist in the sins of their ancestors, why are they punished? Because it was said, “The righteous who suffers is a righteous person, the son of a wicked person,” but he does not follow in his ways. Rather, if there is a righteous person who benefits from his father or covers up for him, he is like one who robs for the sake of his children, and it is possible that his children will bear his sin. But if the father committed a different sin for his own bodily pleasure, and there is no way to say that he did it for the sake of his child, then why should the children receive punishment? After all, they said, “One who has relations with a non-Jewish woman, his children will not become Torah scholars.” And if he sinned, what sin did his children commit? You must therefore understand that every person merits for his children in five ways, as they said, “One who honors Torah scholars,” etc. Therefore, when a wicked father rejoices, his children are led to stumble. Why did Rabba and Abaye, who were descendants of Eli, die young? Because a decree had been issued, and unless they had great merits, they would not be saved, even though they were personally righteous. As it is said (Ezekiel 14:19), “Or if I send a plague upon that land and pour out My wrath upon it in blood to cut off from it man and beast—Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it—by My life, says the Lord, they would save neither son nor daughter; they would save only themselves by their righteousness.” Thus, even the most righteous can only save themselves. As it is written, “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they did not harm me, because I was found innocent before Him.” Unless a merit is found, even if one has not sinned, it will not help. And so, Jeremiah was commanded not to take a wife and not to have children in that place, because a harsh decree had been issued to kill the sons and daughters, fathers and mothers. And Jeremiah did not say, “But I am righteous, why should my children not live?” Rather, when a decree has been issued, unless there is great merit, they will not be saved. Therefore, do not be surprised about the generation of the flood and the people of Sodom, where even the small children died. What sin did they commit that they perished? But it was a decree, that unless there was overwhelming and great merit, they would not be saved, even for their own sake.