אֱלִישָׁע בֶּן אֲבוּיָה אוֹמֵר, הַלּוֹמֵד יֶלֶד לְמַה הוּא דוֹמֶה, לִדְיוֹ כְתוּבָה עַל נְיָר חָדָשׁ. וְהַלּוֹמֵד זָקֵן לְמַה הוּא דוֹמֶה, לִדְיוֹ כְתוּבָה עַל נְיָר מָחוּק. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַר יְהוּדָה אִישׁ כְּפַר הַבַּבְלִי אוֹמֵר, הַלּוֹמֵד מִן הַקְּטַנִּים לְמַה הוּא דוֹמֶה, לְאֹכֵל עֲנָבִים קֵהוֹת וְשׁוֹתֶה יַיִן מִגִּתּוֹ. וְהַלּוֹמֵד מִן הַזְּקֵנִים לְמַה הוּא דוֹמֶה, לְאֹכֵל עֲנָבִים בְּשֵׁלוֹת וְשׁוֹתֶה יַיִן יָשָׁן. רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, אַל תִּסְתַּכֵּל בַּקַּנְקַן, אֶלָּא בְמַה שֶּׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ. יֵשׁ קַנְקַן חָדָשׁ מָלֵא יָשָׁן, וְיָשָׁן שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ חָדָשׁ אֵין בּוֹ:
One who learns as a child, to what can he be compared? To ink written on new paper, [which endures. So, the learning of childhood is not forgotten], and one who learns in old age, to what can he be compared? To ink written on smudged paper. R. Yossi beRabbi Yehudah Ish Kfar Habavli says: One who learns from the young, to what can he be compared? To one who eats dull grapes [i.e., grapes which are unripe and which dull the teeth. (Analogously, the wisdom of a child has not sufficiently matured and his words do not "sit well" on the heart)], and to one who drinks wine from his vat, [which is intermixed with lees. (Analogously, the wisdom of a child is intermixed with doubts.)] And one who learns from the old, to what can he be compared? To one who eats ripe grapes and drinks old wine. Rabbi says: Do not look at the vessel, but at what it contains. There is a new vessel full of old wine, and an old vessel which does not contain even new wine! [Rabbi disagrees with R. Yossi beRabbi Yehudah, saying that just as there is a new vessel full of old wine, so there can be a child whose "flavor" is like that of the old; and there are old men inferior in wisdom to children.]
אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: מַאי דִּכְתִיב ״אַל תִּגְּעוּ בִּמְשִׁיחָי וּבִנְבִיאַי אַל תָּרֵעוּ״, ״אַל תִּגְעוּ בִּמְשִׁיחָי״ — אֵלּוּ תִּינוֹקוֹת שֶׁל בֵּית רַבָּן, ״וּבִנְבִיאַי אַל תָּרֵעוּ״ — אֵלּוּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים. אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה נְשִׂיאָה: אֵין הָעוֹלָם מִתְקַיֵּים אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל הֶבֶל תִּינוֹקוֹת שֶׁל בֵּית רַבָּן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב פָּפָּא לְאַבָּיֵי: דִּידִי וְדִידָךְ מַאי? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אֵינוֹ דּוֹמֶה הֶבֶל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ חֵטְא לְהֶבֶל שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ חֵטְא. וְאָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה נְשִׂיאָה: אֵין מְבַטְּלִין תִּינוֹקוֹת שֶׁל בֵּית רַבָּן אֲפִילּוּ לְבִנְיַן בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ. וְאָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ לְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה נְשִׂיאָה: כָּךְ מְקּוּבְּלַנִי מֵאֲבוֹתַי, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ מֵאֲבוֹתֶיךָ: כׇּל עִיר שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ תִּינוֹקוֹת שֶׁל בֵּית רַבָּן מַחֲרִיבִין אוֹתָהּ, רָבִינָא אָמַר: מַחְרִימִין אוֹתָהּ.
Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Do not touch My anointed ones and do My prophets no harm” (I Chronicles 16:22)? “Do not touch My anointed ones,” these are the schoolchildren, who are as precious and important as kings and priests (Maharsha); “and do not harm My prophets,” these are Torah scholars. Reish Lakish said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda Nesia: The world only exists because of the breath, i.e., reciting Torah, of schoolchildren. Rav Pappa said to Abaye: My Torah study and yours, what is its status? Why is the Torah study of adults worth less? He said to him: The breath of adults, which is tainted by sin, is not similar to the breath of children, which is not tainted by sin. And Reish Lakish said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda Nesia: One may not interrupt schoolchildren from studying Torah, even in order to build the Temple. And Reish Lakish said to Rabbi Yehuda Nesia: I have received from my ancestors, and some say that he said to him: I have received from your ancestors as follows: Any city in which there are no schoolchildren studying Torah, they destroy it. Ravina said: They leave it desolate.