Bread Is Not for the Wise

Shimon Bar-Va was a skilled craftsman and expert in precious stones and jewels and in many other fields as well, but still he was very poor. In fact, he barely earned enough to buy bread to eat. Rabi Yochanan asserted that the passuk in Koheles (9:11), “And also not to the wise will be bread,” applied to Shimon.

(Based on Yerushalmi, Maseches Bikkurim, 3:3)