King Menashe: Various Questions
Question
do we know anything about menashes mother other than she was the daughter of Yeshaya Hanavi?
when the gemara says that Chizkiyahu knew “thru Ruach Hakodesh” how come we seem to understand it as he knew thru nevua when they are two different ways of coming to know things?
how can we hold Menashe responsible for his actions?
does the Gemara that describes Chizkiyahus wife serving wine at his meal with the babylonian messengers have what to do with why Menashe was who he was?
what is the meaning behind the story of Chizkiyahu throwing Menashe and Ravshakeh off his shoulders? (berachos 10, hagaos haBach)
Answers
1. Interestingly enough, except for the fact that she was the daughter of Yishayah HaNavi, I could not find any information about Menashe’s mother at all.
2. Chazal teach that Ruach HaKodesh is the “weakest” form of Nevuah. This means that as far as Chizkiyahu was concerned, whatever he was told, he was absolutely sure that what he was told was true.
3. Because he chose to become a Rasha. Menashe did not have to become what Chizkiyahu was told he would be. Chazal teach that Yiras Shamayim is the only commodity that is not in the Hands of Shamayim – rather it is entirely in the realms of the person to decide if they will have Yiras Shamayim. In effect, Chizkiyahu is being told that Menashe will become a Rasha unless he focuses on his Yiras Shamayim.
4. I am not familiar with such an idea.
5. There is not very much information. The Ben Ish Chai has a Kabbalistic explanation in Benayhu about Chizkiyahu forming the letters “shin dalet yud” on his shoulders with his two sons. In Ben Yehoyadah, the Ben Ish Chai writes that it was Menashe who said to cook the fish and it was Ravshokeh who was even worse and said to make Avodah Zarah on his head. It is clear from the Ben Ish Chain that Ravshokeh was far worse, and that he deserved to die because he had no future merits that could keep him safe. The Ben Ish Chai adds that Chizkiyahu did not throw them down in order to harm them. Rather, he was so shaken up by what he heard that he stopped supporting them and they fell. Menashe, who would eventually do Teshuvah, was saved from harm, and Ravshokeh, who was completely evil, died.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team