טוֹבָה צִפָּרְנָם שֶׁל רִאשׁוֹנִים מְכַרְסֵם שֶׁל אַחֲרוֹנִים

ביטוי (אנגלית)

The fingernail of the earlier generations is better than the belly of the later generations/ our forefathers were much wiser than we ("their finger-nail was worth more than the belly of later generations")

הגדרה (אנגלית)

By way of analogy: the earlier generations are far greater in stature than the later generations.

("For those of the earlier generations whose sin was revealed, their end was revealed; for those of the later generations whose sin was not revealed, their end was not revealed." Rabbi Yohanan said: "Better the fingernail of the earlier ones than the belly of the later ones." Reish Lakish said to him: "On the contrary, the later ones are preferable." - Yoma 9b)