There are people who measure their Torah stature compared to others around them, and take solace in the fact that their knowledge is much greater than theirs. This is like the rich person of the village who is sure he is ultimately wealthy. If he would go to the nearby town, he would find out that he is barely middle class, and if he would go to a big city he would find out that he is relatively a pauper. Similarly, when a person goes to the next world he will be compared to the talented minds of all generations and will be considered an ignoramus compared to what he could have achieved with the talents he received.
Talented people should be extra careful to utilize their talents in the right way and not waste them on vanities, as the Mishna says, ‘limit your financial business and invest your energies in Torah’.
