Wer Viele zur Gerechtigkeit führt, der wird nicht in Sünde geraten; wer aber Viele zur Sünde verleitet, dem wird nicht die Gelegenheit geboten, Busse zu tun. Moses war gerecht und führte Viele zur Gerechtigkeit; so wird das Verdienst der Vielen ihm angerechnet, denn es heißt (Deut. 33,21): „Die Gerechtigkeit des Ewigen hat er geübt und seine Rechte mit Israel. “ Jerobeam, Sohn Nebats, aber sündigte und verleitete Viele zur Sünde, so wird die Sünde der Vielen ihm angerechnet, denn es heißt (1. Kön. 15, 30): Wegen der Sünden Jerobeam’s, die er begangen und wozu er Israel verleitet.
Duties of the Heart
Likewise, my brother, if one rectifies only himself, he will have a small merit. But if one rectifies himself and many other people, he will have his merit multiplied according to the merits of all the people who he rectified to G-d, as our sages said: "Whoever brings merit to the masses will not come to any sin" (Avot 5:18), and they said: "Moshe was righteous and caused the multitude to become righteous, the merit of the multitudes is attributed to him, as written 'he performed the righteousness of G-d and His judgments with Israel", and the wise man said: "But to them that rebuke shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them" (Mishlei 24:25), and "The law of truth was in his mouth - and turned many away from iniquity" (Malachi 2:6), and "those who bring merit to the multitudes will be like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3).
11. One for who repentance will be extremely hard for him: he who enticed people with a false religion that he invented and influenced them to believe in it. He sinned and caused others to sin, the more people join his false beliefs, the more his sin will increase and be multiplied over, as the sages said: "Whoever leads the masses in the right path will not come to any sin, but whoever leads the masses astray will not be able to repent for all the wrong he commits.. Yeravam ben Nevat, sinned and caused the multitude to sin, and so the sin of the masses is ascribed to him as it is written (I Kings 15:30) 'Because of the sins of Yeravam that he committed and that he caused Israel to commit.' " (Avos 5:18)