Another matter, “all the rivers go to the sea,” all the wisdom of a person is only in his heart. “Yet the sea is not full” – but the heart is never full. You might say that from the moment that a person removes wisdom from his heart, it will never return to him; the verse [therefore] states: “They go there again.”
Another matter, “all the rivers,” all the Torah that a person studies is only in the heart. “Yet the sea is not full” – but the heart is not full and the soul is never sated, as it is stated: “But the soul is not filled” (Ecclesiastes 6:7). You might say that from the moment that a person expresses his learning to another, it will never return to him; the verse [therefore] states: “They go there again,” as it is written: “These matters that I am commanding you today shall be upon your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:6). A certain noblewoman asked Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥalafta, she said to him: ‘What is that which is stated: “He granted wisdom to the wise [and knowledge to those with understanding” (Daniel 2:21)? The verse should have said: “He granted wisdom to the unwise, and knowledge to those without understanding.”’ He said to her a parable: ‘If two people come to you to borrow money from you, one of them wealthy and one of them poor, to which of them would you lend, to the wealthy one or the poor one?’ She said to him: ‘To the wealthy one.’ He said to her: ‘Why?’ She said to him: ‘Because if the wealthy man were to lose my money, he has [funds] with which to repay, but if the poor person were to lose my money, with what would he repay me?’ He said to her: ‘Don’t your ears hear what you utter with your mouth? Had the Holy One blessed be He granted wisdom to the foolish, they would be sitting and pontificating in its regard in bathrooms, theaters, and bathhouses. Rather, the Holy One blessed be He granted wisdom to the wise, and they sit and pontificate in its regard in synagogues and study halls. That is, “He granted wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those with understanding.”’