אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִתֶּן לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים, רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא עָאל לִכְנִישְׁתָּא וּשְׁמַע קָלֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי לֵוִי יְתִיב דָּרִישׁ הָדֵין פְּסוּקָא: אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִתֶּן לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים, עשֶׁר זֶה בַּעַל מִקְרָא, וּנְכָסִים זֶה בַּעַל מִשְׁנָה, וְכָבוֹד זֶה בַּעַל תּוֹסֶפְתָּא, וְאֵינֶנּוּ חָסֵר לְנַפְשׁוֹ מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר יִתְאַוֶּה אֵלּוּ מִשְׁנָיוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת, כְּגוֹן: מִשְׁנָתוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, וּמִשְׁנָתוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי חִיָּא, וְשֶׁל רַבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה, וְשֶׁל בַּר קַפָּרָא, וְלֹא יַשְׁלִיטֶנּוּ הָאֱלֹהִים לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ, שֶׁאָסוּר לְהוֹרוֹת מֵהֶם, כִּי אִישׁ נָכְרִי יֹאכְלֶנּוּ זֶה בַּעַל תַּלְמוּד, שֶׁמְטַמֵּא וּמְטַהֵר אוֹסֵר וּמַתִּיר. עָמַד רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא נְשָׁקוֹ עַל רֹאשׁוֹ, אָמַר לוֹ אִלּוּ לֹא עָלִיתִי אֶלָּא לִשְׁמֹעַ מִפִּיךָ הַטַּעַם הַזֶּה דַּי. רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר (משלי כח, יא): חָכָם בְּעֵינָיו אִישׁ עָשִׁיר זֶה בַּעַל תַּלְמוּד, וְדַל מֵבִין יַחְקְרֶנּוּ זֶה בַּעַל הַגָּדָה.
“A man to whom God gives wealth, assets, and honor, and he lacks nothing for his soul of everything that he desires, but God does not give him power to partake of it; rather a stranger partakes of it. This is vanity, and it is a grave disease” (Ecclesiastes 6:2). “A man to whom God gives” – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana entered a synagogue and he heard the voice of Rabbi Levi sitting and expounding this verse: “A man to whom God gives wealth” – this is one well-versed in Bible; “assets” – this is one well-versed in Mishna; “and honor” – this is one well-versed in Tosefta; “and he lacks nothing for his soul of everything that he desires” – like the mishna of Rabbi Akiva, the mishna of Rabbi Ḥiyya, of Rabbi Hoshaya, and of bar Kappara; “but God does not give him power to partake of it” – as it is prohibited to issue halakhic rulings on their basis; “rather a stranger partakes of it” – this is one well-versed in Talmud, who impurifies and purifies, prohibits and permits. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana rose and kissed him on his head. He said to him: ‘Had I entered only to hear this homily from you, it would have sufficed.’ Rabbi Yishmael says: “The wealthy is wise in his eyes” (Proverbs 28:11), this is one well-versed in Talmud; “and the impoverished one who understands will examine him” (Proverbs 28:11), this is one well-versed in aggada.