In Sanhedrin 100B appears the following” "The mishna teaches that Rabbi Akiva says: Also one who reads external literature has no share in the World to Come. The Sages taught in a baraita: This is a reference to reading books of heretics." What exactly is the Halacha regarding this view? I’ve occasionally seen Divre Torah quoting from Sefer Yovelim, Maccabim 1 & 2, Yehudit, etc.. What can and cannot be studied and quoted from in Divre Torah and Torah classes? Thank You Chaim from Beit-El

ב"ה Shalom and מועדים לשמחה It seems to me that you've already answered you own question. R. Akiva interprets "Sefarim Chitzoniim"- external literature as literature of the "minim"- the heretics who commentate on the Torah from a perspective of heresy. Some interpret "sefarim Chitzoniim" as including also the book Ben Sira. The Ritva on Eruvin 65b finds difficulty with this since we find quotes from this book in different places in the Talmud. But this can be explained perhaps by what the Ritva says on Baba Batra 98b that when the Gemara says not to read the sefarim Chitzoniim" it implies that they only prohibited making it a fixed practice reading these books , but it is appropriate to recite it at times in order to learn wisdom and moral lessons from it. Unlike books of "minim" which are forbidden at all times. This would explain Rabbis quoting from these books. In the Hebrew counterpart of his website Rav Dov Lior says that one may read Sefer Ben Sira. Some say, that the problem of reading " Sefarim Chitzoniim" was when the canonization of Tanach was completed shortly beforehand and the Rabbis in the Talmud feared that people should not think these later written books are included in the Tanach and have the same holiness. I wrote you a concise answer for a more in depth view with sources in Hebrew see :פורטל דף יומי דף עירובין דך סה: And מרגליות הים סנהדרין דך ק: All the best