Q&A: What blessing is recited over Jewish sages who are not God-fearing?
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
What blessing is recited over Jewish sages who are not God-fearing?
Question
Do we recite the blessing instituted for the sages of Israel, “Who has given of His wisdom to those who fear Him,” or the blessing instituted for the sages of the nations, “Who has given of His wisdom to flesh and blood,” since they are not among those who fear Him?
Answer
I didn’t understand the question. Is this a provocation?
Discussion on Answer
Simply speaking, over such a person you recite a blessing for his wisdom, not for his fear of Heaven and his Torah. Like a wise non-Jew.
On second thought, maybe you wouldn’t even recite that. Perhaps this is corrupted wisdom and one should not recite a blessing over it (figuratively speaking, like a commandment that comes through a transgression).
After I sent the question, I was sure you’d think it was a provocation. I couldn’t manage to phrase it in a more serious way than that.
But the question is serious. Do we recite “Who has given of His wisdom to those who fear Him” over Jewish sages who are not considered, even in their own eyes, to be “those who fear Him”? After all, in the end there is an obligation to recite a blessing over a wise person.