Sanhedrin 10:2-3
Sanhedrin 10:2
Three kings and four common people have no share in the Next World. The three kings are Yeravam, Achav and Menashe (Jeroboam, Ahab and Manasseh). Rabbi Yehuda says that Menashe does have a share in the Next World, as per II Chronicles 33:13, “He (Menashe) prayed to Him (God) and He was receptive to him. He heard his plea and brought him back to Jerusalem and his kingdom.” The Sages replied that God may have brought Menashe back to his kingdom but He didn’t restore him to life in the Next World. The four common people without a share in the Next World are Balaam, Doeg, Achitophel and Gechazi.
Sanhedrin 10:3
The generation of the flood has no share in the Next World, nor will they stand in judgment (at the time of the revival of the dead) as per Genesis 6:3, “My spirit will not remain in man forever.” (The word translated “remain” – yadon – has the same root as the word din, meaning judgment, from which it is inferred that this generation will have neither judgment nor spirit.) The generation of the tower of Babel has no share in the Next World, as per Genesis 11:8, “God scattered them from there across the entire face of the earth” – “God scattered them” in this world, “God scattered them from there” in the Next World. The people of Sodom have no share in the Next World, as per Genesis 13:13, “The people of Sodom were evil and grievous sinners against God” – “evil” in this world and “sinners” in the Next World. They will, however, stand in judgment (at the revival of the dead). Rabbi Nechemiah says that neither the generation of the flood nor the people of Sodom will stand in judgment, as per Psalms 1:5, “Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” “The wicked will not stand in the judgment” refers to the generation of the flood and “nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous” refers to the people of Sodom. The Sages replied that the people of Sodom will not stand in the congregation of the righteous, they will stand in the congregation of the wicked. The spies have no share in the Next World, as per Numbers 14:37, “Also those men who brought an evil report of the land died from the plague before God.” They “died” in this world, “from the plague” in the Next World. The generation of the wilderness has no share in the Next World, nor will they stand in judgment, as per Numbers 14:35, “They will be consumed in this wilderness, and there they will die”; this is the opinion of Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Eliezer says that regarding the generation of the wilderness, Psalms 50:5 says, “Gather My pious ones to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me through sacrifice.” The assembly of Korach are not destined to ascend (from the earth, which swallowed them) as per Numbers 16:33, “The earth closed upon them” meaning in this world, “and they perished from among the congregation” in the Next World; this is the opinion of Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Eliezer says that regarding Korach’s assembly, I Samuel 2:6 says, “God kills and makes live; He brings down to the grave and brings up” (suggesting that they do, in fact, have a share in the Next World). The ten “lost” Tribes are not destined to return, as per Deuteronomy 29:27, “cast them into another land, as it is this day.” Just as this day leaves, never to return, the ten Tribes have gone, never to return; this is the opinion of Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Eliezer says that just as a day grows dark and then grows light again, so it is with the ten “lost” Tribes – just as it grew dark for them, it is likewise destined to grow light for them.