The story of Micah is, frankly, a wild ride. It all starts with Delilah. Yes, that Delilah – the one who betrayed Samson. According to the Legends of the Jews, Delilah took some of the money she got from the Philistine lords for revealing Samson's secret and gave it to her son, Micah. And what did Micah do with this blood money? He used it to make an idol.

Talk about a bad investment! But the truly unbelievable part? Micah owed his very existence to a miracle, a miracle performed by Moses himself!

Ginzberg, in his masterful retelling of Jewish lore, paints a vivid picture: During the harsh years of Egyptian oppression, the Israelites were forced to produce a quota of bricks. If they failed, their children were used as building material – literally incorporated into the walls. This was Micah’s destined fate. He was to be entombed alive.

Can you imagine?

But then, a miracle happened. Moses, in his compassion, intervened. He wrote the ineffable Shem HaMeforesh – the explicit Name of God – and placed it on Micah’s lifeless body. The boy miraculously came back to life! Moses then pulled him from the wall, rescuing him from a horrific death.

And how did Micah repay this incredible gift? By creating an idol. The Legends of the Jews emphasizes the sheer audacity of it.

According to some traditions, Micah’s transgression went even further back. As we find in various Midrashic sources, including some interpretations of Midrash Rabbah, he wasn't just a run-of-the-mill idol-maker; he was the one who fashioned the Golden Calf! The one that led the Israelites astray in the desert while Moses was receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!

Later, during the time of Othniel, one of the Judges of Israel, Micah set up shop – his idol, that is – not far from the sanctuary at Shiloh. He even managed to persuade a grandson of Moses to serve as a priest before his idol. It's a truly bizarre and disheartening image.

So, what are we to make of Micah? Was he simply a bad seed? Or is there a deeper lesson here? Perhaps his story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of ingratitude. About forgetting the miracles in our own lives and straying from the path of righteousness. About the enduring human capacity to, despite everything, choose the wrong path. It's a story that makes you wonder: what miracles have we received, and how are we using them?