As the Mishnah (Kinim 3:6) states, “For hedonistic people, the more they age, the more their minds wane; but for Torah scholars, the more they age, the more their minds become sharpened.”
Many gedolim suffered greatly in their old age, especially with regards to their mental abilities and awareness, and we don’t understand Hashem’s thoughts and calculations; however, there are a great number of our Torah leaders who remain sharp until their dying days. Such a phenomenon seems way out of proportion when contrasted with the general populace.
We want to have our full mental faculties when we get old. What can we do now toward this goal? “Watch your thoughts. Thoughts become words, words become actions, actions become habits, and habits become who you are.” If we don’t create good habits when we are young, if we don’t train ourselves to value wisdom when we are youthful and vigorous, if we live unsatisfied, unfulfilled lives, we significantly reduce our chances to make the most of wisdom during our old age. By living meaningfully and wisely now, we will enhance and sharpen our life’s purpose as senior citizens.
We all want to get old. The alternative – dying young – is on nobody’s wish list. But we need to live productively in our youth, which will lead to a wise embracing of the aging process.
Rav Shalom Schwadron, zt”l, the Magid of Yerushalayim, would tell the following story. He once visited a nursing home and saw some old men sitting on the bench arguing about something. One said, “It was number 24,” while the other countered, “It was not! It was 25!” Rav Shalom asked them what they were arguing about and why they were so passionate. The men told him that they have nothing to do all day so they sit outside and count the buses that go by. Inevitably, one of them loses count and they begin to argue. “At least it gives us something to live for, something to get excited about, right rabbi?”
Rav Shalom would tell his audience, “So, the choice is yours. Do you want to be counting and arguing about buses when you are older? Or perhaps you would rather argue with your chavrusa about Rashi and Tosafos? The choices you make today will form what you will become and how you will want to spend your days when you are retired.”
And these are some of the happenings in this week’s haftarah.