Chayei Sarah 5773

By Rabbi Rami Pavolotzky
B´nei Israel Congregation. San José, Costa Rica


Old Age and Wisdom

After burying his wife, Sarah, Abraham decides to find a wife for his son Isaac.  Between these two events, the Torah tells us that “Abraham was now old, advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things” (Gen. 24:1)

Since the Torah does not usually dwell on personal descriptions, when they do appear, as in this verse, commentators try to explain the reason.  As those knowledgeable in traditional commentaries would have expected, there are those who relate the Torah saying that Abraham was old with the text that precedes this fact, while others relate it with the paragraph immediately following.  That is why some believe (for example, Midrash Tanhuma) that old age overpowered Abraham after his partner died, while others (for example, Sforno, Rambam, Ramban, etc) believe that when he realized his advanced age, Abraham understood that it was time to find a wife for his son, when it was still possible for him to do it.

Two more details make this verse stand out:  on the one hand, the Torah had already told us that Abraham and Sarah were “old, advanced in years,” just after they were told that God would grant them a son (Genesis 18:10).  In this case, the purpose of the Torah is absolutely clear, aimed at comparing the advanced age of the patriarchs with the good news meant by the divine blessing of descendants.

The second point is that although Abraham died at an advanced age, many men before him (according to the biblical genealogies) got to live hundreds of years more than him, and we were never told of their being old/aged nor advanced in years.  What is so particular in Abraham’s life that pushes the Torah to explain that he was elderly?

Jewish tradition considers old age to be related with wisdom; according to the midrash, the Hebrew word zaken (old, elderly) is actually an acrostic of the phrase ze kanah hochmah, that is, “this person has achieved wisdom”. Perhaps we should assume that Abraham is the first man in biblical history whose wisdom increases as he grows older.

The Torah also states that “You shall rise before the aged and show deference to the old…” (Lev. 19:32).  The sages understood that here, the Torah specifically refers to the man who has achieved wisdom.  In fact, if we look for the mitzvah associated with this verse in the Sefer ha-Chinuch (a famous medieval compendium of the laws of the Torah), we find that it is directly called “respect for the wise”.  Once again, old age related with wisdom.

However, when we hear today a description of a person beginning with “he/she is old…” or “he/she is elderly…”, we usually give the phrase a negative connotation, as if that meant that the person lacks physical strength, has some kind of mental and/or communication problem, etc.  So, something has truly changed in our perception of age.

While in the millenary Jewish tradition the elderly are honored, it would seem that in our society they are set aside or, in the best of cases, offered our sympathy and even a little bit of pity.  Whereas in ancient times people yearned to reach old age, in order to occupy positions of social leadership and earn the esteem and respect of the entire community, today it is almost a stage in life which we try to avoid as long as possible, to the point of concealing its appearance as much as we can. When did this tremendous change occur, regarding the social value of old people?

According to contemporary sociologists, the industrial revolution, the accelerated changes in culture, economy and society, as well as the technological maelstrom in which we are immersed today, all have changed the social perception of old age from wise leader to someone who can even be considered a “bother”, because they are unproductive and sometimes needy.

The modern worship of youth and innovation in all areas of life, have radically changed our valuation of young and old people.  Young people have changed from being those men and women who lack experience and yearn to learn from their elders, to the members of society who produce more, look better, and naturally adjust better to the technological and scientific changes which surprise us every day.  Old people, for their part, have gone from being the proud owners of the experience and knowledge only achieved through the passing of the years, to become people who find it hard to keep up with the accelerated modern rhythm and unable to face a world that changes itself from year to year, where traditional knowledge is no longer as valuable as it used to be.

Does Judaism have something meaningful to contribute, to correct this social injustice?  I’m sure it has and should do it.  The wisdom of our people, our texts and our traditions, teach us how to live a better and wiser life; to value every moment of our lives; to be amazed by the powerful mystery that envelops our existence; to face life with dignity and courage.  Our Torah is hora’ah, “instruction”, apart from being Torat Chaim, a Torah of life.  The path in this life is marked by the mitzvot, which are regulated in the halachah, which literally means “to walk”, the path to follow.

Even though millennia of love and devotion to study have prepared us to be ready to research the different areas of human knowledge (as shown by the statistics that reflect how Jews stand out in the arts and sciences), the essence of Jewish wisdom lies in its continuous inquiry concerning the meaning of life, the nature of humanity, the divine reality, and the relationship between human beings and their creator.  And it is precisely in this field that “our elderly” continue to be extremely wise, with that wisdom only achieved through the experience of life.  As Jews, we continue to respect and admire grey hair and wrinkles, slow movements, a thoughtful gaze and live memory.

I want to believe we still do, and that we could set a social example in this field.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Rami Pavolotzky

B´nei Israel Congregation, Costa Rica