Mishnah 20 - Chapter 4 - Pirkei Avot

Elisha ben avuyah omer. Hallomed yeled lemah hu domeh, lidyo chetuvah al neyar chadash. Vehallomed zaken lemah hu domeh, lidyo chetuvah al neyar machuk. Rabbi yosei var yehudah ish kefar habbavli omer. Hallomed min hakketannim lemah hu domeh, le'ochel anavim kehot veshoteh yayin miggitto. Vehallomed min hazzekenim lemah hu domeh, le'ochel anavim beshulot veshoteh yayin yashan. Rabbi omer. Al tistakkel bakkankan, ella vammeh sheyesh bo. Yesh kankan chadash malei yashan, veyashan she'afillu chadash ein bo.

Elisha ben Abuyah said: He who learns when a child, to what is he compared? To ink written upon a new writing sheet. And he who learns when an old man, to what is he compared? To ink written on a rubbed writing sheet. Rabbi Yose ben Judah a man of Kfar Ha-babli said: He who learns from the young, to what is he compared? To one who eats unripe grapes, and drinks wine from his vat; And he who learns from the old, to what is he compared? To one who eats ripe grapes, and drinks old wine. Rabbi said: don’t look at the container but at that which is in it: there is a new container full of old wine, and an old [container] in which there is not even new [wine].

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.]