{"id":61608,"date":"2019-08-20T21:52:04","date_gmt":"2019-08-20T18:52:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=61608"},"modified":"2023-03-13T15:41:56","modified_gmt":"2023-03-13T13:41:56","slug":"aging-is-a-state-of-mind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/aging-is-a-state-of-mind\/","title":{"rendered":"Aging Is A State Of Mind"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We read today’s chapter as the <\/span>haftarah<\/span><\/em> (additional reading for Sabbaths and festivals)<\/span> of the weekly portion of Hayyei Sara. The two present two pictures of aging \u2013 of Abraham and David.<\/span><\/p>\n

We All Age Differently<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

In Hayyei Sara, Abraham’s aging is perfect. He is old and blessed “and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things” (Gen.24:1)<\/span><\/p>\n

In contrast, King David becomes weak as he ages: “King David was now old, advanced in years; and though they covered him with bedclothes, he never felt warm” (I Kings 1:1).<\/span><\/p>\n

We are told that “the king was very old” (v.15), but in reality, he was nearing 70, half the age of Abraham, who was 140 years old when he was described as “old, advanced in years” (Gen.24:1).<\/span><\/p>\n

The Moment We Become Old<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

For me, the defining moment of the onset of old age is when younger people exchange glances over an elderly person’s head as they grasp the finer details of a situation, while the elderly person does not. My heart goes out to the elderly person.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s chapter describes how the prophet Nathan and Bathsheba intervene. I feel sorry for the King who has become old in the eyes of those close to him.<\/span><\/p>\n

David requests of God: “Do not cast me off in old age; when my strength fails, do not forsake me” (Ps.71:9). He begs Him: My God and the God of my fathers, when I grow old, do not relate to me as human beings do. Ignore my frail body, my poor eyesight and my failing memory. Look at my vibrant soul and help me not to feel rejected or deserted.<\/span><\/p>\n

I learnt a great lesson in aging from my deceased father and mentor, Professor Eliezer Jaffe z”l: To be old is not just a question of chronological age, but also \u2013 and perhaps mainly \u2013 a question of one’s approach to life. We feel old if we focus on the difficulties in life, on past mistakes and on our physical aches and pains. To a certain extent, we decide when to become old and how to live our lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Inclusion not Exclusion<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Recently, I attended a wedding in which the mother of the bride brought her elderly, wheelchair-bound mother into the middle of the circle and danced in front her with so much joy, reminding me of David who danced before the Holy Ark. The bride joined in, showering her grandmother with love and respect.<\/span><\/p>\n

We should not follow Bathsheba and Nathan’s example and treat individuals or sectors of the population as if they are elderly and exclude them from daily life.\u00a0 Whether it be a new immigrant, our parents, the elderly, people with special needs \u2013 let us <\/span>include not exclude<\/em> them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Translated by: Chava Wilschanski\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":61629,"id":61629,"title":"1kings1-aging","filename":"1kings1-aging.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings1-aging.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/aging-is-a-state-of-mind\/1kings1-aging\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"1kings1-aging","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":61608,"date":"2019-08-20 18:51:54","modified":"2019-08-20 18:52:02","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1920,"height":1439,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings1-aging-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings1-aging-300x225.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":225,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings1-aging-768x576.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":576,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings1-aging-1024x767.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":767,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings1-aging.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1151,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings1-aging.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1439,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings1-aging-1200x899.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":899,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/1kings1-aging-560x420.jpg","home_baner-width":560,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"Aging Is A State Of Mind","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"As is our attitude to the aged. 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