Metatron the scribe (1)

Text
The apostate cut down his own offspring. Of him scripture says: - “Do not let your mouth make your flesh sin” - (Eccl. 5:5) What is this about? He saw that Metatron happened to be granted authority to sit to record the merits of Israel; and he said: - “It is a tradition that on high there is no sitting and no strife, no division and no toil. (So) perhaps there are two supreme Powers.” Heaven forbid! Then they brought him to Metatron and they smote him with sixty bands of fire. They said to him (= Elisha ben Abuyah): - “When you saw him (= Metatron), why did you not stand up before him?” Then authority was granted (Metatron) to erase the merits of the apostate. An echoing voice went forth and said: - “Return you turncoat sons!” (Jeremiah 3:22) except for this apostate.

Sources (list of abbreviations) (source links will open in a new browser window)
Babylonian Talmud, Hagigah 15a
Ecclesiastes 5:5
Jeremiah 3:22

Amar Annus

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