Parashat Ha’azinu – 5783
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites
In Parashat Ha’azinu, we read a short speech by Moses which is actually a poem more than a speech and is therefore called Shirat Ha’azinu. In this prophetic poem, Moses describes for the children of Israel what their future will be as a unique nation basking in G-d’s attention. He describes their future trials and tribulations when G-d will be disappointed in their behavior and the revenge G-d will take against the evil forces that act against the Jewish nation.
At the beginning of the poem, Moses calls the listeners’ attention back to when the Jewish nation was chosen by G-d, the years of wandering in the desert, and the imminent entry to the Land of Israel, the good land that G-d promised to give to the Jewish people. This is what Moses says:
Remember the days of old; reflect upon the years of [other] generations. Ask your father, and he will tell you; your elders, and they will inform you.
(Deuteronomy 32, 7)
These words serve as one of the Jewish sources for learning life wisdom: ancestral tradition. This concept is particularly important for us, now in the 21st century, bombarded with the exact opposite message that extols youth.
If we delve into the question of why so many people believe the world belongs to the young, we see that it stems from an idealistic approach. Youth represents the innocence of those who haven’t yet dealt with real life, haven’t been mired in politics, or gotten stuck in the “mud”. Youth are not yet bourgeois. They possess an ideology that is simple and full of good will. A young person represents the expression of all that is pure and untainted, as Bob Dylan wishes in his famous song, “May you stay forever young.”
To a certain extent, this is true. Those who have just discovered the light are purer. But is life wisdom ideologically pure, or does it exist more among those who have gone through ups and downs in life, who have experienced both disappointment and satisfaction, who know when it’s time for unity and when it’s time to fight, who recognize both peace and the considerations for war?
Judaism values old age. The Torah sees the elderly as sources of wisdom. Chazal have said that the Hebrew word for old – ZaKeN – stands for “he who acquired wisdom.” What we experience in life serves as a resource for wisdom, for profound understanding about our roles and purpose.
Old age undoubtedly presents its challenges. Both the worlds of medicine and of halacha deal with them. But when we ask ourselves how we should treat old age and the elderly, Judaism has a very clear answer: old age is worthy of respect and appreciation. Why? Because a person who lived a long life is settled and balanced. He can accommodate reality while learning from it instead of fighting it.
In his book, Sefat Emet, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Alter of Gur, among the leaders of Polish Jewry in the 19th century, wrote that youthful enthusiasm is positive, yet demands the moderation and deliberateness of the elderly as balance for it to be beneficial. “The advantage of the elderly is that they possess composure so that enthusiasm doesn’t go overboard.”
So, to whom does the world belong – to the young or to the old? The real answer is that the world belongs to G-d and He gives people different jobs. We must appreciate the authenticity, enthusiasm, and privilege of youth, and remember that it is no less important to balance those with the moderation and composure that comes with old age.
If we listen to the words of Moses – “Ask your father, and he will tell you; your elders, and they will inform you” – we will adopt a respectful attitude to old age, support the elderly, and learn from their mature wisdom.
