מדרש על שופטים 5:7

(Ib. b) R. Juda said, in the name of Rab: "Whoever is arrogant, if he be a sage, his wisdom will depart from him: and if he be a prophet, his prophecy will depart from him. That his wisdom will depart from him, if he be a sage, can be inferred from the case of Hillel, for the master said [above] , 'he began to reproach them,' and immediately after, when they asked him a law, he said, 'I heard, but I have forgotten it.' If he be a prophet, his prophecy will depart from him; this may be gathered from the case of Deborah [the prophetess]; for it is written (Jud. 5, 7) Desolate were the open towns in Israel; they were desolate, until that I arose, Deborah, thus I arose a mother in Israel; and it is written (Ib. ib. 12) Awake, awake, Deborah, awake, awake, utter a song, [which signifies that the prophecy left her and she had to awaken herself]." R. Simon b. Lakish said: "A man who becomes excited, if he be a sage, will have his wisdom depart from him; and if he be a prophet, will have his prophecy depart from him. That his wisdom will depart from him, if he be a sage, we infer from Moses, concerning whom it is written (Num. 31, 41) And Moses was excited against the officers of the host; and [after this] it is written, And Elazar the Priest said, etc. From this it may be inferred that the law escaped Moses' memory and therefore Elazar had to say it. That his prophecy will depart from him, if he be a prophet, we infer from Elisha, concerning whom it is written (II Kings 3, 14) Were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee; and [after this] it is written. But now bring me a musician; and it came to pass, when the musician played, and the inspiration of the Lord came upon him, [which shows that he had to seek the inspiration]." R. Mani b. Patish said: "A man who becomes excited will be removed from greatness even if it had been predestined for him by Heaven. Whence do we deduce this? From Eli'ab concerning whom it is written (I Sam. 17, 28) And Eli'ab's anger was incited against David, and he said, etc.; and when Samuel went to anoint a king, from among the sons of Jesse, concerning all others [who were rejected] it is written (Ib. 17, 8-10) This one hath the Lord not chosen [in the past tense]. But concerning Eli'ab, it is written (Ib. ib., 7) But the Lord said unto Samuel, 'Regard not his appearance, nor the height of his stature, because I have rejected him,' [in the present tense]. From which it may be inferred that I rejected him now although I had intended to choose him."