ארבע מדות ביושבים לפני חכמים: ספוג , ומשפך, משמרת, ונפה.
- ספוג, שהוא סופג את הכל.
- משפך, שמכניס בזו ומוציא בזו.
- משמרת, שמוציאה את היין וקולטת את השמרים.
- ונפה, שמוציאה את הקמח וקולטת את הסלת.
The concluding words refer to school children, from the time of the regulation of Joshua b. Gamla of whom Rab Judah has told us in the name of Rav: Verily the name of that man is to be blessed, to wit Joshua ben Gamla, for but for him the Torah would have been forgotten from Israel. For at first if a child had a father, his father taught him, and if he had no father he did not learn at all. By what [verse of the Scripture] did they guide themselves? — By the verse, And ye shall teach them to your children. laying the emphasis on the word 'ye'. They then made an ordinance that teachers of children should be appointed in Jerusalem. By what verse did they guide themselves? — By the verse, For from Zion shall the Torah go forth. Even so, however, if a child had a father, the father would take him up to Jerusalem and have him taught there, and if not, he would not go up to learn there. They therefore ordained that teachers should be appointed In each prefecture, and that boys should enter school at the age of sixteen or seventeen. [They did so] and if the teacher punished them they used to rebel and leave the school. At length Joshua b. Gamla came and ordained that teachers of young children should be appointed in each district and each town. and that children should enter school at the age of six or seven. Rav said to R. Samuel b. Shilath: Before the age of six do not accept pupils; from that age you can accept them. and stuff them with Torah like an ox. Rav also said to R. Samuel b. Shilath: When you punish a pupil, only hit him with a shoe latchet. The attentive one will read [of himself]. and if one is inattentive. put him next to a diligent one.