רַבִּי יוּדָן פָּתַח: כֶּסֶף נִבְחָר לְשׁוֹן צַדִּיק לֵב רְשָׁעִים כִּמְעָט (משלי י, כ). כֶּסֶף נִבְחָר לְשׁוֹן צַדִּיק, זֶה עִדּוֹ הַנָּבִיא. לֵב רְשָׁעִים כִּמְעָט, זֶה יָרָבְעָם. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: וְהִנֵּה אִישׁ אֱלֹהִים בָּא מִיהוּדָה בִּדְבַר ה' אֶל בֵּית אֵל וְיָרָבְעָם עֹמֵד עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לְהַקְטִיר, וַיִּקְרָא עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ בִּדְבַר ה' וַיֹּאמֶר מִזְבֵּחַ מִזְבֵּחַ שֶׁבְּבֵית אֵל וּמִזְבֵחַ שֶׁבְּדָן. מָה אָמַר? הִנֵּה בֵן נוֹלָד לְבֵית דָּוִד יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ שְׁמוֹ (מלכים ב כג, כ). וְזָבַח עָלֶיךָ אֶת כֹּהֲנֵי הַבָּמוֹת הַמַּקְטִרִים עָלֶיךָ וְעַצְמוֹת אָדָם יִשְׂרְפוּ עָלֶיךָ (מלכים א יג, ב). וְעַצְמוֹת יָרָבְעָם לֹא אָמַר אֶלָּא וְעַצְמוֹת אָדָם, מִכָּאן שֶׁחָלַק כָּבוֹד לַמַּלְכוּת. וַיְהִי כִשְׁמֹעַ הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת דְּבַר אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר קָרָא עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ בְּבֵית אֵל, וַיִּשְׁלַח יָרָבְעָם אֶת יָדוֹ מֵעַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֵאמֹר תִּפְשֻׂהוּ, וַתִּיבַשׁ יָדוֹ אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח עָלָיו וְלֹא יָכֹל לַהֲשִׁיבָהּ אֵלָיו (מלכים א יג, ד). R. Yudan opened the discussion with the verse: The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver; the heart of the wicked is little worth (Prov. 10:20). The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver alludes to the prophet Iddo. The heart of the wicked is little worth refers to Jeroboam. Scripture states: And behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Beth-el, and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to offer; and he cried against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said: “O altar, altar” (I Kings 13:1–2). Why is the word altar repeated twice? R. Abba the son of Kahana said: Because there were two altars, one at Bethel and one at Dan. Why did he say: Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he sacrifice the priests of the high places that offer upon thee, and man’s bones shall be burnt upon thee? (ibid., v. 2)? It does not say in the verse “the bones of Jeroboam” but rather man’s bones. You learn from this that he (the prophet) was respectful toward the government. And it came to pass, when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Beth-el, that Jeroboam put forth his hand from the altar, saying: “Lay hold on him.” And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back (ibid., vv. 4–5).
רַב הוּנָא אָמַר: יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, מַה סּוֹבֵל מִבְּרִיּוֹתָיו, וְכַמָּה חָס עַל כְּבוֹדוֹ שֶׁל צַדִּיק. עוֹמֵד וּמַקְרִיב לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְלֹא יָבְשָׁה יָדוֹ. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁפָּשַׁט יָדוֹ אֵצֶל אוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק, מִיָּד יָבְשָׁה יָדוֹ. R. Huna declared: Blessed be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, who endures much from His creatures, yet protects the honor of His righteous ones. When Jeroboam arose and sacrificed to idols, his hand did not shrivel up, but when he stretched forth his hand against the righteous man, his hand did shrivel up.
וַיַּעַן הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים חַל נָא אֶת פְּנֵי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְהִתְפַּלֵּל בַּעֲדִי (מלכים א יג, ו). תְּרֵין אָמוֹרִין, חַד אָמַר, אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְלֹא אֱלֹהַי. וְחַד אָמַר: בְּאֵיזֶה פָּנִים קוֹרֵא אוֹתוֹ אֱלֹהַי, עוֹמֵד וּמַקְרִיב לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְקוֹרֵא אוֹתוֹ אֱלֹהַי. אַף עַל פִּי כֵן, וַיְחַל אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת פְּנֵי ה' וַתָּשָׁב יַד הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵלָיו וַתְּהִי כְּבָרִאשׁוֹנָה (מלכים א יג, ו). מַה הוּא כְּבָרִאשׁוֹנָה? רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר סִימוֹן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי פָּתַח: אִם תִּכְתּוֹשׁ אֶת הָאֱוִיל בַּמַּכְתֵּשׁ בְּתוֹךְ הָרִיפוֹת בַּעֱלִי לֹא תָסוּר מֵעָלָיו אִוַּלְתּוֹ (משלי כז, כב). אֵין אַתְּ מוֹעִיל, מַה בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה עוֹמֵד וּמַקְרִיב לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, אַף בַּשְּׁנִיָּה כֵּן. And the king answered and said unto the man of God: “Entreat now the favor of the Lord thy God, and pray for me” (ibid., v. 6). Two amoraim13Talmudic authorities who lived after the final redaction of the Mishnah. discussed this verse. One commented that he said thy God and not “my God.” The other retorted: How could he call Him “my God” while he stood and sacrificed before an idol whom he addressed as “my god”? Nevertheless The man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored, and became as it was before (ibid.). What is meant by as it was before? R. Judah the son of Simon began the discussion with the verse in the name of R. Joshua the son of Levi: Though thou brayest a fool in mortar with a pestle among groats, yet will not his foolishness depart from him (Prov. 27:22). That is to say, it will have no effect (on the fool, he learns nothing). Likewise he had previously sacrificed to an idol, and he did so again.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, כֶּסֶף נִבְחָר לְשׁוֹן צַדִּיק, זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁהִכְתִּיר לְשׁוֹנוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה, וְאָמַר לוֹ כִּי תִשָּׂא. מַה כְּתִיב לְמַעְלָה מִן הָעִנְיָן, וְכִפֶּר אַהֲרֹן עַל קַרְנֹתָיו וְגוֹ' (שמות ל, י). כֵּיוָן שֶׁחָטְאוּ אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה: לֵךְ כַּפֵּר עֲלֵיהֶם. אָמַר לוֹ: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, לֹא כָּךְ אָמַרְתָּ לִי אַחַת בַּשָּׁנָה. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: לֵךְ זְקֹף רֹאשָׁן עַכְשָׁו. אָמַר מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם זְכוּת, הַנַּח לָהֶם. וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם זְכוּת, כִּבְיָכוֹל תִּשָּׂא לָהֶם פַּעַם אַחַת בַּשָּׁנָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּבוֹא יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים וִיכַפֵּר עֲלֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם (ויקרא טז, ל). Another comment on The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver (Prov. 10:30). This refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, who chose the tongue of Moses when he told him: When thou takest the sum (to obtain forgiveness). What is written above concerning this very matter? And Aaron shall make atonement upon the horns of it once in the year (Exod. 30:10). After Israel had sinned, the Holy One, blessed be said to Moses: Go, atone for them. Whereupon Moses replied: Did You not say to me once in the year? The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: Go lift up their heads (obtain forgiveness) now. Then Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe, when they do good let them be at rest, but when they are without merit, as though that were possible, let them be forgiven once a year in order that the Day of Atonement may come and atonement be made for them, as it is said: For on that day shall atonement be made for you (Lev. 16:30).