Yad LaKashish: Honoring the Elderly

(ד) וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אַבְרָ֗ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֤ר אֵלָיו֙ יְהוָ֔ה וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ אִתּ֖וֹ ל֑וֹט וְאַבְרָ֗ם בֶּן־חָמֵ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ וְשִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה בְּצֵאת֖וֹ מֵחָרָֽן׃

Genesis 12:4

(4) Abram went forth as the LORD had commanded him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

What support systems were in place to help Abram make this move at such an advanced age?

בראשית כ״ג:א׳

וַיִּהְיוּ֙ חַיֵּ֣י שָׂרָ֔ה מֵאָ֥ה שָׁנָ֛ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים שְׁנֵ֖י חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽה׃

Genesis 23:1

Sarah’s lifetime—the span of Sarah’s life—came to one hundred and twenty-seven years.

מדרש אגדה, בראשית כ״ג:א׳:ב׳

ד"א ויהיו חיי שרה וגו'. בת מאה שנים כבת עשרים לחטא, ובת עשרים כבת שבע ליופי, ולכך אמר מאה ועשרים שנה ושבע שנה:

Midrash Aggadah, Genesis 23:1:2

As it was taught; And the life of Sarah....

When she was 100, she was like 20 in sin, and when she was 20 she was like a 7 year old in beauty. Therefore, they said 100 and 20 and 7 years.

What can we learn from Sarah about aging?

משנה אבות ד׳:כ׳

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:

Pirkei Avot 4:20

Elisha ben Abuya says: One who learns as a child is compared to what? To ink written on new parchment. And one who learns as an elder is compared to what? To ink written on scraped parchment. Rabbi Yose bar Yehuda, man of Kfar HaBavli, says: One who learns from young ones is compared to what? To one who eats unripe grapes and drinks wine from its press. And one who learns from elders is compared to what? To one who eats ripe grapes and drinks aged wine. Rebbi says: Do not look at the jug but rather at what is in it. For there are new jugs full of old, and old that do not have even new within them.

משנה תורה, הלכות תלמוד תורה ו׳:ט׳

מִי שֶׁהוּא זָקֵן מֻפְלָג בְּזִקְנָה אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ חָכָם עוֹמְדִין לְפָנָיו. וַאֲפִלּוּ הֶחָכָם שֶׁהוּא יֶלֶד עוֹמֵד בִּפְנֵי הַזָּקֵן הַמֻּפְלָג בְּזִקְנָה. וְאֵינוֹ חַיָּב לַעֲמֹד מְלֹא קוֹמָתוֹ אֶלָּא כְּדֵי לְהַדְּרוֹ. וַאֲפִלּוּ זָקֵן כּוּתִי מְהַדְּרִין אוֹתוֹ בִּדְבָרִים וְנוֹתְנִין לוֹ יָד לְסָמְכוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יט לב) "מִפְּנֵי שֵׂיבָה תָּקוּם" כָּל שֵׂיבָה בְּמַשְׁמָע:

Mishneh Torah, Torah Study 6:9

We should stand up before a very old man even if he is not a scholar. Even a scholar who Is young should rise before a very old man. He is not obliged, however, to rise to his full height but as much as is required to show him respect. Even a non-Jewish old man should be shown respect in words and be given a hand to support him, for it is written: "You shall stand up in the presence of the aged," which implies every old man.

ויקרא י״ט:ל״ב

מִפְּנֵ֤י שֵׂיבָה֙ תָּק֔וּם וְהָדַרְתָּ֖ פְּנֵ֣י זָקֵ֑ן וְיָרֵ֥אתָ מֵּאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ (פ)

Leviticus 19:32

In the presence of the elderly, you shall rise and you shall respect an elder; you shall have fear of your God, I am Adonoy.

What do these texts teach us about the importance of elderly in Jewish tradition?

תהילים ע״א:ט׳

אַֽל־תַּ֭שְׁלִיכֵנִי לְעֵ֣ת זִקְנָ֑ה כִּכְל֥וֹת כֹּ֝חִ֗י אַֽל־תַּעַזְבֵֽנִי׃

Psalms 71:9

Do not cast me off in old age; when my strength fails, do not forsake me!

What examples can you think of in Jewish text or in your own life of people casting off the old aged?

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov

Gauge a country's prosperity by its treatment of its aged.

How would you gauge your country's prosperity based on the way it treats the elderly? What about Israel?