Can a Wicked Person Be Born from a Righteous One?
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Question
Hello and blessings, my question is: How could a wicked son, an idol worshiper, be born from a righteous king like King Jotham?
Answer
Hello and blessings
One of the most important foundations of Jewish faith is that every person has free choice, for good or for bad.
Every person, regardless of the family they were born into or the place they were raised, can be as righteous as Moses our teacher or as wicked as Jeroboam the son of Nebat who led Israel to sin.
Source
Rambam, Teshuva, Chapter 5, Halacha 2
Do not let this thought enter your mind, as the foolish among the nations and most ignorant among the children of Israel say, that the Holy One, blessed be He, decrees upon a person at the time of their creation to be righteous or wicked. This is not so, but every person is capable of being as righteous as Moses our teacher or as wicked as Jeroboam.