Avos 4:20-21

Avos 4:20

Elisha ben Avuya said that one who learns as a child is comparable to ink on new paper (i.e., clear and long-lasting) One who learns as an old man is comparable to ink on erased paper (blurrier and easier to remove). Rabbi Yosi bar Yehuda from Kfar HaBavli said that one who learns from young (i.e., inexperienced) teachers is like a person who eats unripe grapes and drinks wine straight from the winepress. One who learns from aged (experienced) teachers is like a person who eats ripe grapes and drinks aged wine. Rebbi said that we shouldn’t look at the container, we should look at its contents, because sometimes a new jar contains aged wine and an old jar doesn’t even contain new wine.

Avos 4:21

Rabbi Eliezer HaKapar says that envy, lust and a desire for honor remove a person from the world.