Eye of a needle
ואמר ר׳ יוחנן כשהיינו למדים תורה אצל ר׳ אושעיא (ברבי) היינו יושבים ד׳ ד׳ באמה. אמר רבי כשהייתי לומד תורה אצל ר׳ אלעזר בן שמוע היינו יושבים ו׳ ו׳ באמה. א״ר יוחנן ר' אושעיא ברבי בדורו כר׳ מאיר בדורו מה ר״מ בדורו לא עמדו חבריו על סוף דעתו אף ר׳ אושעיא (ברבי) לא עמדו חבריו על סוף דעתו. וא״ר יוחנן לבן של ראשונים כפתחו של אולם ושל אחרונים כפתחו של היכל ואנו כמלא נקב מחט סדקית. מאן ראשונים ר׳ עקיבא. אחרונים ר״א בן שמוע. א״ד ראשונים ר״א בן שמוע אחרונים ר׳ אושעיא ברבי. ואנו כמלא נקב מחט וכו׳. אמר אביי ואנן כי סיכתא בגודא לגמרא. אמר רבא ואנן כי אצבעתא בקירא לסברא. אמר רב אשי ואנן כי אצבעתא בבירא לשכחה:
R. Jochanan said: "For eighteen days I lived with R. Oshiya, the great and learned nothing from him except one thing concerning this Mishnah, namely: the Mishnah should be read Keitzad Me'abrin (how shall the boundaries of a town be extended), with an Alef." Is this so? Did not R. Jochanan say, "Twelve disciples had R. Oshiya, the great, and during the eighteen days I lived with them, I became thoroughly acquainted with the hearts of each and every one of them, and also the wisdom of every one." [Hence he learned more than one thing.] If you wish, you may say that he learned the hearts and the wisdom of each and every one, but he learned nothing in the Talmud; and if you wish, you may say that from the disciples he did learn many things, but from R. Oshiya, he learned only the one thing mentioned. If you wish, also, you may say he means that he learned but one thing concerning the Mishnah, but aside from that, he learned many other things. R. Jochanan said further: "When we were studying the Torah with R. Oshiya, the great, we sat four in number, four to one cubit." . Rabbi said: "When we were studying Torah with R. Elazar b. Shamua, we used to sit six in number, six to one cubit." R. Jochanan said further: "R. Oshiya, the great, was as great in his generation as was R. Meier in his generation. Just as the associates of R. Meier's generation could not foretell his final decision [regarding any Halacha,] so also the associates of R. Oshiya, the great, couJd not foretell his final decision." R. Jochanan said also: "The hearts of the first sages were as broad as the gate of the Ulam; and that of the latter sages were as broad as the gate of the Heichal; but our hearts are as narrow as the eye of a very fine needle." Who are called the first? R. Akiba [and all such as he]; and the last sages? R. Elazar b. Shamua [and all such as he]. Others say: "The first sages are [like] R. Elazar b. Shamua, and the last sages [like] R. Oshiya, the great; and we are as narrow as the eye of a very fine needle." Abaye said: "It is like driving a peg into a hard wall; thus are we, so far as the knowledge of the Talmud is concerned." Raba said: "We are like a finger pushed into a cake of wax so far as reasoning is concerned." R. Ashi said: "And it is as easy for us to forget what we learn as it is to put a finger in the opening of a cave."