Wisdom for the Wise? Matrona Question to Rabbi Yossi Ben Chalafta [๐ŸŽฅ]
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ByMenachem Drelich
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Midrash Theology, Philosoph and Ethics
ื“ื ื™ืืœ ื‘ืณ:ื›ืดื

(ื›ื) ื•ึฐึ ื”ึ ื•ึผื ืžึฐื”ึทืฉืึฐื ึตึคื ืขึดื“ึผึธื ึทื™ึผึธืึ™ ื•ึฐื–ึดืžึฐื ึทื™ึผึธึ”ื ืžึฐื”ึทืขึฐื“ึผึตึฅื” ืžึทืœึฐื›ึดึ–ื™ืŸ ื•ึผืžึฐื”ึธืงึตึฃื™ื ืžึทืœึฐื›ึดึ‘ื™ืŸ ื™ึธื”ึตึคื‘ ื—ื‡ื›ึฐืžึฐืชึธืึ™ ืœึฐื—ึทื›ึผึดื™ืžึดึ”ื™ืŸ ื•ึผืžึทื ึฐื“ึผึฐืขึธึ–ื ืœึฐื™ึธื“ึฐืขึตึฅื™ ื‘ึดื™ื ึธึฝื”ืƒ

Daniel 2:21

(21) He changes times and seasons,
Removes kings and installs kings;
He gives the wise their wisdom
And knowledge to those who know.

ืชื ื—ื•ืžื ื‘ื•ื‘ืจ, ืžืงืฅ ื˜ืณ:ืืณ

(ื)... ืฉืืœื” ืžื˜ืจื•ื ื ืœืจ' ื™ื•ืกื™ ื‘ืŸ ื—ืœืคืชื ืืžืจื” ืœื• ื”ืจื™ ื›ืœ ืฉื‘ื—ื• ืฉืœ ื”ืงื‘"ื” ืฉื”ื•ื ื ื•ืชืŸ ืœื—ื›ืžื™ื ื—ื›ืžื”, ืฉื ืืžืจ ื™ื”ื‘ ื—ื›ืžืชื ืœื—ื›ื™ืžื™ืŸ (ื“ื ื™ืืœ ื‘ ื›ื), ืœื ื”ื™ื” ืฆืจื™ืš ืœื•ืžืจ ืืœื ื™ื”ื‘ ื—ื›ืžืชื ืœื˜ื™ืคืฉื™ืŸ, ืืžืจ ืœื” ื™ืฉ ืœืš ืงื•ื–ืžื™ืŸ, ืืžืจื” ืœื• ื”ืŸ, ืืžืจ ืœื” ืื ื‘ื ืื“ื ืœืฉืื•ืœ ืงื•ื–ืžื™ืŸ ืฉืœืš, ืžืฉืืœืช ืืช ืื•ืชื ืœื•, ืืžืจื” ืœื• ืื ื™ื”ื™ื” ืื“ื ืื•ืงื ื•ืก (ืคื™' ืื“ื ื—ื›ื), ืื ื™ ืžืฉืืœืช ืœื• ืงื•ื–ืžื™ืŸ ืฉืœื™, ืืžืจ ืœื” ืงื•ื–ืžื™ืŸ ืฉืœืš ืื™ืŸ ืืช ืžืฉืืœืช ืืœื ืœืื“ื ืื•ืงื ื•ืก, ื”ืงื‘"ื” ื™ืชืŸ ืืช ื”ื—ื›ืžื” ืœื˜ื™ืคืฉื™ืŸ, ืœืคื™ื›ืš ืืžืจ ื™ื”ื‘ ื—ื›ืžืชื ืœื—ื›ื™ืžื™ืŸ, ืืžืจ ืืœื™ื”ื•ื ืœื ื›ืœ ืžื™ ืฉื”ื•ื ืžื‘ืงืฉ ื”ื•ื ื ื•ืชืŸ ืœื•, ื”ื•ื™ ืœื ืจื‘ื™ื ื™ื—ื›ืžื• [ืืœื ืื›ืŸ ืจื•ื— ื”ื•ื ื‘ืื ื•ืฉ.

Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Miketz 9:1

(1) ... A matron queried R. Jose ben Halafta. She said to him: Is it not true that all the glory of the Holy One consists in his giving wisdom to the wise? It is so stated (in Dan. 2:20-21): < LET THE NAME OF THE LORD BE BLESSED FOR EVER AND EVER, FOR WISDOM AND MIGHT ARE HIS >โ€ฆ. HE GIVES WISDOM TO THE WISE. Should it not rather have said: "He gives wisdom to the foolish"? He said to her: Do you have jewels? She said to him: Yes. He said to her: If someone comes to borrow your jewels, would you lend them to him? She said to him: If he were someone hikanos {i.e., someone wise}, I would lend him my jewels. He said to her. You would only lend your jewels to someone hikanos; should the Holy One give wisdom to the foolish? < Daniel > therefore said (in Dan. 2:21): HE GIVES WISDOM TO THE WISE. Elihu said: < The Holy One > does not give to everyone who asks. Ergo (in Job 32:9): IT IS NOT THE MANY WHO ARE WISE. [But (in vs. 8): SURELY IT IS THE SPIRIT IN A PERSON.