Midrash sa 1 Mga Hari 13:1: Pesikta DeRav Kahana, Midrash Tanchuma & Sifrei Devarim

Rabbi Yudan opened: "Choice silver is the tongue of the righteous; the heart of evildoers is worth little" (Prov. 10:20). "Choice silver is the tongue of the righteous" -- this is the testimony of the prophet. "The heart of evildoers is worth little" -- that is Jeroboam. Thus it is written, "And behold, a man of God came from Judah with the word of Hashem [to Beth El; and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense]" (1 Kings 13:1). "And [the man of God] called out on the altar by the word of Hashem, and he said, 'Altar! O altar!'" (1 Kings 13:2). And why [did he call out] "Altar! O altar!" two times? Said Rabbi Abba bar Kahana, [he was calling out to] the altar that was in Beth El, and the altar that was in Dan (see 1 Kings 12:29). What did he call out on it? "Behold, a son is born to the House of David, [and] Josiah is his name. And upon you he shall slaughter the priests of the high places that burn incense upon you" (1 Kings 13:2). "And the bones of Jeroboam will be burned upon you" is not written here; rather, "and the bones of a man will be burned upon you" (ibid.). It teaches that he paid homage to the kingship, as it is written, "And it was that when the king heard the word of the man of God, who had called out on the altar in Beth El, that Jeroboam stretched out his arm above the altar and cried, 'Seize him!'" (1 Kings 13:4). Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Idi, the Place takes greater pity on the honor of the righteous than on His own honor -- [Jeroboam] was standing and sacrificing to an idol and his hand did not wither, but the moment he stretched out his hand against a righteous man, his hand withered. Thus it says, "And the hand withered that he had stretched out against [the man of God]" (ibid.). "And the king answered and said to the man of God, 'Entreat please on my behalf to the face of Hashem your God, and pray for me'" (1 Kings 13:6). Two [amoraim] commented [on this verse]. One said, [it is notable that Jeroboam said,] "your God" and not "my God." And the other said, how could he call Him "my God" when he was standing and sacrificing before an idol, and he was calling it "my god"? Nevertheless, "the man of God entreated the face of Hashem, and the king’s hand was restored, and became as it was before" (ibid.). What is "as it was before"? Rabbi Berachya, Rabbi Yuda bar Simon in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: "Though thou shouldst grind a fool in a mortar among crushed grain with a pestle, yet will his foolishness not depart from him" (Prov. 27:22, Koren tr.). Just as before he would stand and sacrifice to an idol, so too afterwards he would stand and sacrifice to an idol. Another interpretation: "Refined silver is the tongue of the righteous" (Prov. 10:20) -- that is the Holy One Blessed be He, who chose the tongue of Moses, and said, "When you take a census of the Children of Israel " (Ex. 30:12; see Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 6:4).

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).

When the Holy One, blessed be He, desires it, even one’s hands are not under man’s control. When did this occur? At the time that the prophet Iddo visited Jeroboam the son of Nabat: 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, thus saith the Lord: Behold, a son shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he sacrifice the priests of the high places that offer upon thee, and men’s bones shall they burn upon thee” (I Kings 13:1–2). Why is the word altar repeated in this verse? Because of the two altars, one at Beth-El and the other at Dan, at which golden calves were erected. And men’s bones is stated rather than “Jeroboam’s bones,” to emphasize that the prophet was respectful toward the government. Jeroboam said immediately: “This man is a fool.” Whereupon the prophet replied: This is the sign … Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out (ibid., v. 3). And the altar was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given (ibid., v. 5)