Avot 4:20
Elisha ben Avuyah 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 haBavli 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.
Rebbi 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].
This Mishna is unique within Avot, as Professor Nahem Ilan points out. It is the only Mishna with three separate speakers quoted, and it is the only one that has an explicit disagreement. The three ideas revolve around important messages for learning and teaching, focusing on the moderating role that age plays in these essential endeavors. The Mishna is also fascinating as its opening comment is made by Elisha ben Avuyah, infamously known from other sources as a rabbi-turned-heretic.
Elisha ben Avuyah said…
Learning, according to Elisha, is much more effective and efficient when the learner is young. According to Maimonides, the reason is related to memory, while according to Rabbi Israel Lipschitz, it is based on mental acuity. While we aren’t a “blank slate” as Elisha’s writing sheet metaphor may imply, children’s brains are generally able to learn information quicker than adults’ brains. This is attributed to their abilities to make quick neural connections and even adapt the connections more easily. While adult brains are also capable of neuroplasticity, it is a much more laborious and difficult process to make or change neural connections. When adults are learning new content or trying to internalize values, they are often working against previously stored information. Cognitive psychology refers to Elisha’s metaphor of trying to write on a “rubbed writing sheet” as “proactive interference.” It is often difficult to form new memories because older memories get in the way.
Yet as we know from educational psychology, it is not just cognitive ability that impacts learning. Emotional and motivational factors are essential as well. Midrash David writes that the younger student benefits because
His analytical skills are fresh; he is full of vigor; he has enough patience to learn; he has a desire to learn; and whenever he learns something new, he is happy and wants to learn more. He will constantly toil, ask questions, and repeat everything that he has grasped many times… [Translation by Rabbi Yehoshua Berdugo.]
Abarbanel elaborates on the emotional angle, which aligns with insights from positive psychology. The reason why children learn more effectively, he suggests, is because they experience less stress and more positive emotions while learning. Older learners are often burdened by negative stressors that interfere with effective learning. The fact that positive emotions can enhance the learning process is the underlying assumption of Barbara Fredrickson’s broaden and build theory of positive emotions, although I am unaware of research to date that distinguishes between younger and older learners that would yield Abarbanel’s conclusion.
Importantly, even if we take Elisha ben Avuyah’s insight at face value, he does not provide a specific lesson or provide practical advice. Rabbeinu Yonah writes that even though it is true that it is harder to learn when one is older, that should not be the determining factor in deciding whether one should learn. Even if one can’t remember content because of age or other legitimate mitigating factors, he or she should still learn. Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin goes further and suggests that knowing that it is harder to learn and remember puts the burden on the older learner to do a better job at reviewing to compensate for the difficulties.
One implicit message from the Mishna is that the earlier one starts to learn content and proper methodologies, the more ingrained the learning becomes, enabling more efficient learning later. Older learners who are building on a strong foundation aren’t writing over a rubbed writing sheet, but are deepening, expanding, and infusing color into their previously internalized content.
Rabbi Yose ben Judah a Man of Kfar haBavli said….
While learning may be emphasized for the young, teaching, according to Rabbi Yose ben Judah, should be reserved for the old. Rabbi Yose cautions the learner in being strategic and selective in whom he or she turns to for information and guidance. Rabbi Yose suggests that younger teachers lack the wisdom, insight, and life experience to provide effective instruction. It is the older and seasoned teacher that one should approach for knowledge.
While older people tend to have a decline in fluid intelligence, which is the type of thinking that focuses on problem-solving and analytical skills, their crystallized intelligence, or knowledge accumulated over time, increases. They are also more likely to demonstrate wisdom in their application of ideas. Personality factors also change with age. Older teachers are likely more agreeable, conscientious, and less neurotic than younger teachers. With better emotion regulation, they have more patience and understanding, leading to more empathy for students.
Rebbi said…
Rabbi Judah HaNasi, known in the Mishna just as “Rebbi,” may agree in principle that we should be discerning in choosing a teacher and mentor, but disagrees that age should be a primary factor in making that decision. There are many younger teachers who personify these idealized teacher traits, and many older ones who do not. We should not judge our criteria by outward appearances.
Presumably, Rebbi’s message transcends the choice of teacher and is a lesson for all scenarios and situations. Despite general trends and probabilistic impressions, we should be hesitant to make conclusions based on stereotypes. Instead of focusing on external markers, we should train ourselves to be keen observers of internal qualities and character.
