Midrash su Proverbi 14:33

R. Juda said in the name of Rab: (Jer. 9, 11-12) Who is the wise man that may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken, that he may declare it; for what is the land destroyed? (Ib. b) The beginning of the verse was questioned by the sages, but in vain. The continuation of the verse was questioned by the prophets, also without any result, until the Holy One, praised be He, explained it Himself in the succeeding verse. And the Lord said: "Because they forsook my law, which I had set before them." R. Juda said in the name of Rab: "This signifies [that even when they did study the Torah], they did not pronounce the prescribed benediction for it." R. Nachman said: What is the meaning of the following passage (Pr. 14, 33) In the heart of the man of understanding resteth wisdom, but in the bosom of the fools it is made known; i.e, In the heart of the man of understand resteth wisdom, refers to a scholar, the son of a scholar; but [the little which is] in the bosom of fools is made known, refers to a scholar the son of a commoner." Ulla said: "This is what people say: 'A single coin in a bottle cries kish-kish, " (clangs). R. Jeremiah said to R. Zera: "What is the meaning of the passage (Job. 3, 19) The small with the great is there, and the servant free from his master. Do we not know then that the great and small are there? It must therefore be interpreted thus: He who makes himself little for the purpose of studying the Torah in this world, will become great in the future world; and also he who hires himself for a slave to the Torah in this world, will become a free man in the future world."