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231 in which youth is eomparcil with Old Age, there is the somewhat eiiigiiiatic statement. "Two are better tlian three " (i^liah. 1-V2< an exjjression strangely similar to the so-called "riddle ot the S]>hinx." The fact that Abraham is the first person mentioned in the Hible as aged gave rise to the following Haggadah: "L'ntil Abndiam's time the young and the old were not distinguishable from each other; couse(iU(ntly, young i)eople would jest with Abraham, taking him for their companiun.whereas the old addressed Isaac in a manner becoming a man of jcars. This iniluced Abraham to pray to Uo<l frjr an outward token of dignity and honor for those advanced in years; and the Lord, granting his wish, said. 'Thou shalt be the first iijion whose head the silver crown of old age shall rest '" (Tan.. Havye Sandi, ed. IJuber, 4-."); Gen. H. l.w.; 15. ."I. IST-c iSaiih. IDTi). Old Age iini)liesa state of inactivity hence its helplessness entailed upon the young the duty of ju-oviding for the sup]i(irt and <<)mfort of the "old (Ruth, iv. l.j). The Essersonal care anil wise forethought"

Talmud,

—



(I'hilo.

Agape Ageda

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

231

ed.Mangey.

ii. 4.")!t).

During he .'Middle Ages I

the aged who lacked support found shelter in houses established by the .lewisli community, called hckdesh (see HkivDKsh and 1{i;xi-:v(>i.i-;nt Institi tioxs). Most marked are the teachings of Hililiciil imd Talmudical ethics in regard to the respect due to Old Age. Age as such is regarded as venerable and deserving of consideration from the young. In Respect for Lev. .ix. :ii the attitude of the young Old Age. toward the old is expressed in no uncertain tone: "Thou shalt rise up before till- hoary hiad. anil honor the face of the old man." The respect entertained for Old .ge is indicated in a number of expressions in Biblical and rabbinical literature, such as the following: "The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it shall i)e found in the way of righteousness" (Prov. .xvi. 31); "Despise not thy mother when she is old" (Prov. xxiii. '2'i) "The beauty of old men is the gray head "(Prov. x.x. 20). When Kliliu is introduced as one of the s|iiakers in the liook of .!ol). we read that "Elihu

had waited

till

.lob

had spoken because

thev

were

elder than he" (,Iob. xxxii. 4). The Talnuid also has numerous expressions of a similar tenor. Of ISabbi Meir it is told thai he arose whenever he saw even an ignorant old man; for. sjiid he, "the verjfact that he has grown old must be due to some merit" (Yer, I5ik. iii. (i.'xi. Habbi .loliaiian always arose before an aged lieathen, becatise, as he said, of the sulTerings the heathen must have endured in the " Uespect even the «ourse of a long life iKid. :i:i.O. old man who has lost his learning" is found in the Talmud; "for there were placed in the ark of the covenant not oidy the two perfect tablets of the Law. l)ut also the fragments of the tablets that Moses sliallered when he .saw the peoi)le dancing before the golden calf" (l!cr. VJi). In sevend passages of the Bible (Deut. x.viii. 50; Isji. iii. xlvii. (i; Ijun. v. 12) disrespect for the aged is considered as one of the marks of Age Sjm- evil times; and in the Talmud it is onjrmous stated that a sign of the troubled davs with preceding the coming of the Messiah Wisdom. will be the lack of respect and courtesv shown by the yoinig towanl IheiV elders (Sotah. AWi). The reason foi the respect shown to Old .gc lay chielly in the circuinstance that .">.

advanced years were supposed

to bring experience

and wisdom.

The old man, having passed through the tiials of life, was looked upon as a source of counsel, and as being tilled w itli the spirit of discretion and knowledge (.lob, xii. 12; xv. 10). Hence, the term zaken came to be used for wise man (counselor), and also for elder in the .sense of ruler. Expres.sive of this is the definition of zaljen which we find in the Talmml. "The zakeu is he who has acquired wisdom" (Kid. 'i'ih). Compare the pun in Kedoshim,

vii. 12 n03n ni^'C HT N^N [pt pX— obviously the older form,. other indication of it is the story told by Eleazar ben Azariah, who, having been elected iiresiilent of the Sanhedrin at the age of eighteen, was considered too young. But a wondrous thing happened: his beard "turned white, so that he had the appearance of an old iium ("Lo! I am like a man of seventy " Ber. 2y<0. In accordance with this thought, there is a strain running throughoil the literature of the .lews, indicating that the exiHiHence of years is the best guide for deciding vexed i|Ue.stions. After the death of Solomon, his son Hehoboam. by disregarding the advice of the elders and following the counsel of young inen, brought about the division of the kingdoiu (I Kings, xii. VA. 14). A similar incident is ircorded in the Talmud. In the days of Hadrian, when the enthusiastic young men advised the rebuilding of the Temple of Jerusalem, .some wise nun reminded the people of the event that occurred in Hehoboam's time, and .sjiid. "If young people advise you to build the Tem|de, ami old men .Siiy destroy it, give ear to the latter: for the building of the young is

Sifra.

which

is

—

destruction; and the tearing down of the old is construction" (Tosef.. -.Vb. Zarah i. 19). The classic passii.ge on Old .Vge in the Book of Ecclesiasticus (Sirach, xxv. 4-6) lays .stress upon the insight that comes with years: "How beautiful a thing is judgment for gray hairs, and for elders to know counsel Howbeautifid is the wisdom of old men. and thought and coun.sel to men that are in honor. Much experience is the crown of old men; and their glorying is the fear of the Lord." Hence. "He who learns from the old is like one who eats ripe grapes and drinks old wine" (.Vb. iv. 2(1). Of the wise who have begun to acquire learning in early youth and continued to devote thein.selves to .stuily after they have grown old. it is said. "The older scholars grow, the greater their wisdom becomes " (Shab. 1.52'0- Bui there are statements iu the Bible and the Talmud to the elTirt that mere length of years offers no claim to reverence (Job. xxxii. (W)). The Psjdmist exclaims. "I understand more than the aged, becau.se I have kept thy precepts" (Ps. cxix. 100) and the Preacher declares. "Better is a poor and wise child than an old and foolish king"(Eccl. iv. IH). .More einplialic is the author of the Book of Wi.sdom when he says: " Honorable old a.ire is not that which standetii in length of time, norisils measure given by nuiidier of years: I



but understanding is gray hairs unto men. and an unspotted life is ripe old age" (iv. S. it), .*^imilarly. Habbi Judah ha Nasi advised. "Look not upon the ves,sel. but at what is in it. for there are new vesof old w inc. and there an- old vess«'ls which do not contain even new wine" (Ab. iv. 207). In the Midrash, too, it is well said, "There is i old age without the glory of long life; and there is long life wiilii>ut the ornament of aire: perfect is lull old age .sels full

t

whirli

lialli

lioth" (Cell,



Ii

i

D.

V

AGEDA, ALLEGED CONFERENCE OF; In an Liigli>h panqiblet. entitled " . Narrative of the Proceedings of a (Jreat Council of Jews .Vs.setnbled on the Plain of .Vgeila in Hungary, about Thirty