Micah's Idol the Open Table and Blaming the Already Blamed

"And there was a man of the hill country of Ephraim" (Judges 17:1). Why was Micah not counted among those who have no share in the world to come? Because his bread was available to passersby. "And he passed through the sea of distress" (Zechariah 10:11) - Rabbi Yochanan said: This refers to the idol of Micah. It is taught, Rabbi Natan says: From Gerav to Shiloh was three miles, and the smoke of the altar and the smoke of Micah's idol mingled with one another. The ministering angels sought to push him away. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: Leave him be, for his bread is available to passersby. And on account of this matter, the men of the concubine at Gibeah were punished. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: For My honor you did not protest, yet for the honor of flesh and blood you protested. "And there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, and he was a Levite" (Judges 17:7). "Of the family of Judah" - it appears he comes from Judah; "and he was a Levite" - it appears he comes from Levi. Rather, his father was from Levi and his mother from Judah, and Scripture calls him by the family of his mother, for the family of the mother is called a family. Alternatively, since he did the deed of Manasseh, who came from Judah, Scripture calls him "of the family of Judah," as it is written, "And Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the exile of the land" (Judges 18:30). Was he the son of Manasseh? Was he not the son of Moses, as it is written, "And the sons of Moses, Gershom and Eliezer" (1 Chronicles 23:15)? Rather, since he did the deed of Manasseh, Scripture attached him to Manasseh. As Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai: From here we learn that the fault is hung upon the faulty one. Rabbi Yose son of Rabbi Chanina said it from here: "And his father had never grieved him in his lifetime, saying, Why have you done so? And he too was very handsome, and his mother bore him after Absalom" (1 Kings 1:6). But is it not written that Adonijah was the son of Haggith, while Absalom was the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur? Rather, since he did the deed of Absalom, who rebelled, Scripture attached him to Absalom. So here too, since he did the deed of Manasseh, Scripture attached him to Manasseh. Rabbi Elazar said: A person should always cleave to good people, for Moses married the daughter of Jethro and from him came Jonathan, while Aaron married Elisheba daughter of Amminadab and from him came Phinehas. Was Phinehas not descended from Jethro, as it is written, "And Eleazar son of Aaron took for himself a wife from the daughters of Putiel" (Exodus 6:25) - does this not mean from the daughters of Jethro, who fattened calves for idolatry? No, from Joseph, who scoffed at his evil inclination [Putiel read as one who scoffed]. But did not the tribes scorn Phinehas, saying, Have you seen this son of Puti, whose mother's father fattened calves for idolatry, that he should kill a prince of a tribe in Israel? Rather, if his mother's mother was from Joseph, his mother's father was from Jethro; and if his mother's father was from Jethro, his mother's mother was from Joseph. The wording is also precise, for it is written "from the daughters of Putiel" - two [families]. Learn from this.