מלכים ב, פרק כ״א, פסוק ו׳

King Manasseh of Judah led the nation into the most severe Canaanite practices, driven by a direct and calculated desire to rebel against God. He engaged in a series of grave sins centered around idolatry and witchcraft.

He actively participated in the worship of Molech by passing his son through fire [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. While this account mentions a single son, other biblical records indicate he sacrificed multiple sons. This reveals a twisted and sophisticated strategy. According to Jewish law, a person who gives all his children to Molech is exempt from punishment. To ensure he remained fully liable and actively rebellious, Manasseh first had the priests of Molech pass one son through the fire. Later, he personally passed another son through the fire in the Valley of Hinnom, bypassing the priests entirely. This method allowed him to continue his defiance without triggering the legal exemption [מלבי״ם].

Beyond idolatry, Manasseh immersed himself in various forms of sorcery [מצודת דוד]. He attempted to predict the future by reading the clouds and observing the changing seasons. He also consulted mediums and spiritists, seeking to raise the spirits of the dead to uncover what was to come [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

None of these acts were committed out of sudden temptation, physical desire, or ignorance. Rather, Manasseh acted with a deliberate and purposeful goal to provoke and anger God [מלבי״ם]. A clear demonstration of this intentional defiance was his removal of the heavenly fire. This sacred fire had descended from heaven and burned continuously on the altar since the days of King Solomon, yet Manasseh deliberately removed it [רד״ק, חומת אנך].