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It is widely recognised that the average life-span in contemporary
western society is increasing dramatically, largely as a result of
advances in medicine, nutrition and working conditions. This has led
gerontologists to speak in terms of a "grey population explosion".
For the Jewish population, in Great Britain and elsewhere, these
trends are even more pronounced than in the general population, due
to such factors as a relatively low birth rate and delayed marriages
related to the pursuit of higher education.
Such societal patterns may call for us, and for other Jewish
communities as well, to re-examine the allocation and priorities of
our resources, be they financial, personnel or programmatic. Row
often we hear that our children and our youth represent our future
and must, accordingly, be given the very highest consideration. But
we would do well to consider also those on the other end of the age
spectrum, who represent not only an increasing proportion of our
population, but also personify our history, our tradition and our
collective memory, upon which the Jewish faith has always relied.
Biblically and theologically, Judaism perceives old age as the
natural outcome of the divine scheme of human life. The commandment
to "Honour your father and mother" (Exodus 20:12) was
understood by Jewish tradition as calling for honour and deference
toward all older adults. This general attitude is most clearly
enunciated in the holiness code of Leviticus, which exhorts us to
"rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the
old" (19:32). The venerable title of zekenim or
"elders" was based on the concept that with age there will
often arise the practical wisdom that emerges only from experience.
It is also apparent from a variety of biblical passages that the
elders of ancient Israelite society were often among its prophets,
judges and other leaders. The expressly stated longevity of the
patriarchs and Moses was meant to exemplify the benefits and
superiority of age as a qualification in sound leadership.
However, in spite of that ideal, the Hebrew Scriptures also include
the recognition that old age may be accompanied by physical
infirmities. In this connection, the imagery of Ecclesiastes (12:1-5)
is noteworthy:
In so speaking, the author of Ecclesiastes recognised such physical
infirmities as loss of vision, hearing impairment, propensity to
falling, and tremors in the limbs, which sometimes afflict the aged.
The psalmist's fear of loneliness and rejection also continues to
have poignant meaning for some in our own day, namely, "Cast me
not off in the time of old age; when my strength fails, forsake me
not" (Psalm 71:9).
In the classical rabbinic literature, we also find evidence of great
respect for the aged. This regard, held by the early rabbis, was not
only for the learned elderly, but also for those who were not
learned; not only for the Jew, but also for the non-Jew.
For example, the Talmud relates that Rabbi Yochanan used to rise up
before the non-Jewish aged, saying, "How many troubles have
passed over these old people!" (Kiddushin 33a).
In the midrash to the Book of Genesis, B'reshit Rabbah (63:6), it is
asserted that: "He who welcomes an elder, is as if he welcomed
the divine presence."
Even those whose intellectual faculties have deteriorated were to be
treated with the same dignity as an elderly scholar. Thus, Berachot
8b: "Be careful to honour the old who have forgotten their
learning because of advancing years. Remember that the broken
fragments of the first tablets were also kept in the Ark of the
Covenant alongside the new tablets."
On a sadly realistic note, the Talmud includes this observation:
"People often say, 'When we were young, we were considered
adults in wisdom, but now that we are old, we are considered as
babies"' (Baba Kamma 92b).
Today there is a distinct need for revision of attitudes which should
include our returning to the attitude of the Torah toward the
elderly. In the very first chapter of the Book of Genesis the
essential goodness of human nature is posited, of man and woman in
God's image (1:27). Nowhere does the Torah suggest that that
essential goodness, that divine image, is in any way diminished with
age. Nor should we.
In Exodus 19:5, God promises Israel that "You shall be my own
treasure from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; and you
shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation." In the
very next verse, we are informed that the first of the people to hear
of their covenantal role were none other than the zekenim, the
elders. In our own day, that function of Moses must be ours. We, too,
must assure our older adults of their enduring, treasured status,
irrespective of age or infirmity. We must minister to them and,
whenever possible, encourage them to minister to others and to us. The synagogue has a long and proud history as a genuinely caring institution. What might we, as Liberal Jewish congregations, offer to enhance the quality of life for our older members? Here is a suggested action list:
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