Why God Gave No Wisdom to Journalists . . .I mean fools

From A Treasury of Jewish Folklore by Nathan Ausubel.

Why God Gave No Wisdom to Fools

A woman of high rank once asked Rabbi Yose bar Halaftah, “Why is it written in the Book of Daniel that God bestows wisdom on the wise? Rightly, shouldn’t God instead have bestowed wisdom on the fools who really need it?”

“Let me explain this matter to you with a parable,” answered Rabbi Yose. “Imagine that two people wish to borrow money from you. If one is rich and the other poor, to which of the two will you lend the money?”

To the rich, of course,” the woman answered.

“Why so?” asked Rabbi Yose.

The woman answered, “If the rich man loses the money I lend him he’ll find some way to return it to me. But where will the poor man get the money to repay me?”

“May your ears hear what your lips are saying!” exclaimed Rabbi Yose. “Were the Almighty to bestow wisdom on the fools, what do you think they would do with it? They would only sprawl themselves licentiously in the theatres and at the baths and play at being clever the livelong day. That’s why He gave His wisdom to the wise who seek after wisdom in the Houses of Study.”