Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Chaye Sarah Genesis 23:1-25:18

By Shlomo Riskin

Efrat, Israel - “And Abraham was old, he came into his days; and the Lord blessed Abraham with everything” (Genesis 24:1).

The progress of medical science has thankfully challenged every community with providing proper care for its aged. I remember very well the weeping and the cries during the High Holy Day services when congregants would recite the ancient prayer, “Do not cast us aside O’ G-d at the time of our old age” My maternal grandmother would always interpret the words to mean, “do not throw me into old age”, do not make me suddenly sick and dependent, get me used to the aging process slowly, gracefully and graciously. And although we all pray of old age, we also fear those twilight years and the discomfort that they often bring. What can we gleam from this week’s Torah reading about the Biblical view of old age?

The Ramban (Nahmanidies) explains that Abraham goes on to administer an oath to a servant Eliezer that he go to Abraham’s birthplace to bring back a suitable wife for Isaac. It is necessary for him to send a messenger – agent for this most sensitive task because the Patriarch himself was frightened that he might die before completing the task if he were to have gone himself. This is how the Ramban explains the phrase “he came into his days”; Abraham was already marking time in terms of days, sensing that the end of his life was approaching. Between the lines of this commentary lies a picture of an old age devoid of strength, devoid of anticipation and devoid of the excitement of future plans. Indeed, old age has all the poignancy of a setting sun, of the closing curtain on the last act of a play.

The Sacred Zohar gives another spin to the words “came into his days” as a description of old age. After a human being’s sojourn on earth, his soul ascends to heaven along with each of the days he has spent on this world. Those days comprise the garment in which his soul is clad. The days that he sinned cannot serve as a covering for the soul; “Woe unto that individual’s soul whose garment has gaping holes, or – even worse – has no garment whatsoever with which to be covered.” In Abraham’s case, the Bible testifies that “he came into his days (in the other world)” since G-d blessed him with every day of righteousness and with a fully completed garment awaiting him in the world to come. (Zohar Vayechi 124)

This interpretation urges each of us to live our lives in such a way so as not to be embarrassed when we arrive at the true and eternal world of souls. The Talmud records an incident in which a number of captive women were freed from their captivity and a place had to be found for them until a ship would come to bring them home. The community placed them in the attic of the home of Rabbi Natan, a great Sage who lived alone but was known for his piety and scholarship. In the middle of the night, the rabbi awoke with a start and excitedly began to climb the ladder to the attic. Suddenly he began to scream, “fire, fire”. All of his neighbors and students came to the rescue, thoroughly confused when they found not even a hint of smoke “Aren’t you ashamed to have gotten us up for no reason in the middle of the night”, the fire chief asked. “The fire was within me”, responded the rabbi. “It is far better for me to be ashamed before you in this world than in the world to come.”

I would like to suggest a third interpretation, one which emphasizes the positive and even glorious aspect of old age. The Midrash Tanchuma comments on the Biblical verse we have cited that Abraham actually prayed for old age. A young individual does not live a life of days; he thinks ahead in terms of a career and a sizable bank account, utilizing days as a means to an end which is almost palpable and within reach, but actually lives in that future time when his dreams will be realized. An elderly individual has the luxury of truly living in the present, of trying to enjoy each day not as a means to an end but rather as an end in itself. He can allow himself to benefit from the present, to look upon what has been positively accomplished, to enjoy the present day relationships from which he can still benefit. He can even correct past transgressions and heal hurt feelings. Indeed he has an opportunity to repair that which has been broken. Often when we only look ahead we have neither the time nor the energy to look behind and pickup what has fallen by the wayside; during the twilight years, when one lives day by day it becomes possible to pick up many fallen pieces. “Fortunate is the old age which makes repair upon the sins of our youth.” (B.T. Sukkah 53a)

May the Almighty grant us the wherewithal and the wisdom to make the most out of every stage of life, and rather than count the days that have left us, make the most of each day which we have left.

Shabbat Shalom.