Shabbat 152a (קנב.) — the Talmud in English

Tears

of smoke, and of weeping, and

tears that come from suffering

of a privy—

bad

they are.

And tears

of a drug, and of laughter, and of

the scent of

sharp

fruits [such as the smell of mustard]—

good

they are.

It is written there, later in the passage:

“On the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble and the mighty men shall be bent,

and the grinders shall cease because they are few, and those that look through the windows shall be darkened.”

“On the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble”—

these are the flanks and ribs,

which guard the heart and the intestines of a person. For in the days of old age they tremble and shudder.

“And the mighty men shall be bent”—

these are the thighs,

upon which the body rests.

“And the grinders shall cease”—

these are the teeth.

these are the teeth.

“And those that look through the windows shall be darkened”—

—

these are the eyes.

All this will happen to a person in his old age.

The emperor said to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya: Why have you not come to the house of debate? The place of disputation between Israel and the Sadducees and Boethusians.

[the place of debate between the Jews and the Sadducees and Boethusians]?

He said to him: A mountain of snow the mountain—that is, my head—has turned white as snow.

[that is, my head has turned white like snow].

And its surroundings are covered with ice the area around the mountain has filled with ice; that is, my mustache and beard have also turned white.

[the area around the mountain has filled with ice; that is, my mustache and beard have also turned white].

Its dogs no longer bark my voice is no longer heard.

[my voice is no longer heard].

Its millstones no longer grind my teeth no longer grind. And since I have grown old, my strength is no longer suitable for debates.

[my teeth no longer grind]. Since I have grown old, I no longer have the strength for debates.

In the house of Rav they say,

in their old age:

“Until I have lost nothing, I search.”

That is: I am searching for an object that I have not lost. For I walk stooped and swaying, appearing like someone searching for an object he has lost.

It was taught: Rabbi Yosei bar Kisma says: Two are better than three.

For in the days of youth a person walks on two legs, and they are better than the three legs on which he walks in old age, namely, his two legs and his staff.

Woe to one thing that goes and does not return

again.

And

what is it,

that goes and does not return?

Rav Ḥisda said: Youth childhood.

[childhood].

When Rav Dimi came, he said:

Youth

is likened to

a wreath of roses a canopy of roses.

[a canopy of roses].

And old age is likened to

is compared to a

a wreath of thorns a type of thorn-bush. A rose is a valuable thing, but it does not last long; so too is youth. A thorn-bush is not valuable, but it lasts for a long time; so too is old age [Maharsha].

[a type of thorn]. A rose is valuable, but does not last long; so too, youth. A thorn is not valuable, but lasts a long time; so too, old age [Maharsha].

A tanna taught in the name of Rabbi Meir: “Examine your teeth, and you will find it in your steps.”

For if you grind and chew food with your teeth and eat much, the power of eating will become apparent in your steps, because eating will greatly strengthen you.

As it is stated: “And we were filled with bread and were well, and we saw no evil.”

Shmuel said to Rav Yehuda: Sharp one,

clever one,

untie your sack

open your mouth

and bring in

eat

your bread.

Because

until the age of forty, food is beneficial

to a person.

From then onward,

after he has reached forty,

drink is beneficial

to him.

A certain eunuch who was a Sadducee

[who was a Sadducee]

said to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa: From here to the bald place the place of baldness,

[to the bald place]

how

far a walk

is it?

He intended to mock Rabbi Yehoshua on account of his baldness.

He said to him,

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa replied:

As

long a walk as there is

from here to the eunuch-place.

He mocked him in return on account of his eunuch status, as “eunuch-place” is an expression referring to eunuchs.

And furthermore,

he said to him,

that

Sadducee:

A goat

is sold for four.

He intended to mock him on account of his baldness. Therefore he mentioned a goat, which is bald and has no wool like a ewe.

He said to him: A castrated ram a ram whose testicles have been removed

[a sheep whose testicles have been removed] is sold

is sold for eight.

He again mocked him on account of his eunuch status.

He saw

the Sadducee Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa

that he had not put on his shoes he had not put on his footwear.

.

The Sadducee mocked him

and said to him: One who

rides

a horse

is

a king,

and

one who

rides

a donkey

is

a free man. And

a person

who wears shoes on his feet is an ordinary person,

and one

who

does not have

either this or that,

and does not even have shoes, is not at the level of a person at all.

And one who is buried in the earth a dead person buried in the ground

[a dead person buried in the ground] is

is better than he.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa said to him,

:

Eunuch, eunuch,

castrated one,

you have said three things to me.

And three

things I shall answer you, and

you will hear.

The splendor of the face—

this is

old age.

The joy of the heart—

this is

a wife.

The inheritance of the Lord—

these are

children.

As it is written: “Behold, children are the inheritance of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward.”

Blessed is the Omnipresent

who castrated you,

for

through this He

prevented you from having them all.

The Sadducee said to him,

: You are

the bald one,

the bald man,

a quarrelsome one an expression referring to strife; have you come to quarrel with me?

[a word referring to dispute]? Have you come to quarrel with me?

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa said to him: Have you,

are you

a castrated ram eunuch, come to mock me and offer me

[eunuch], come to mock me and offer me

reproof?

Rabbi said to Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta: Why did we not receive your face during the Festival, as my forefathers received the faces of your forefathers?

Because of his humility, Rabbi inverted his wording. He intended to ask: Why did you not come to receive my face during the Festival?

Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta said to him:

:

Stones

that were small

have become high; near places have become far away.

I have grown old and no longer have the strength to come to you, and a place that I once considered near now appears distant to me.

And from two

legs on which I used to walk,

they have become three

legs, for I need a support in addition to my two legs.

And the one who makes peace in the home the organ of marital relations

[the organ of marital relations]

has ceased

from its power.

He returned to expound the verses of Ecclesiastes that were stated concerning old age.

It is written: “And the doors shall be shut in the marketplace, when the sound of the mill is low; and he shall rise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song shall be bowed down.”

“And the doors shall be shut in the marketplace”—

—

these are a person’s orifices,

which become closed.

“When the sound of the mill is low”—

because of

the

gizzard, which

again

does not grind

the food properly.

“And he shall rise at the sound of the bird”—

for

when a person grows old,

even a bird,

with its chirping,

shakes him from his sleep.

“And all the daughters of song shall be bowed down”—

for even the voices of male and female singers seem to him like mere conversation mere speech, because the hearing of the elderly is impaired.

even the voices of male and female singers seem to him like mere conversation, because the hearing of the elderly has become impaired.

And Barzillai the Gileadite likewise said to David: “I am eighty years old today; can I distinguish between good and evil?”

From here it follows that the opinions their opinions

it follows

of the elderly change.

And he further said to David:

“Can your servant taste what I eat and what I drink?”

From here it follows that the lips of the elderly become cracked split.

[split].

And he further said:

“Can I hear any more the voice of male and female singers?”

From here it follows that the ears of the elderly become heavy,

and their hearing deteriorates.

Rav said: Barzillai the Gileadite was a liar a liar

[a liar]

he was.

For old age is not a reason that a person should be unable to taste food and drink.

For

this

certain maidservant who was in Rabbi’s household

who was

ninety-two years old, and she could taste the contents of a pot.

Rava said: Barzillai the Gileadite was steeped in licentiousness.

And for that reason he said what he said,

for anyone steeped in licentiousness is overtaken by old age.

It was taught: Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosei, says: As Torah scholars grow older, wisdom is added to them, as it is stated: “With the aged is wisdom, and with length of days understanding.”

But as ignoramuses grow older, foolishness is added to them, as it is stated: “He removes speech from the trusted, and takes away the sense of the elders.”

It is further written there: “They shall fear also that which is high, and terrors shall be in the way; the almond tree shall blossom, the grasshopper shall drag itself along, and the caperberry shall fail; for man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about in the marketplace.”

“They shall fear also that which is high”—

for

in a person’s old age,

even a small mound

in the road

appears to him like mountains,

and he is afraid of it.

“And terrors shall be in the way”—

for when he walks on the road, his heart becomes “perplexed.”

His heart is afraid of everything.

“The almond tree shall blossom shall bloom

[will flower]

”—

—

this is the hip joint.

It is the bone into which the thigh is inserted. In old age that bone protrudes and emerges, like the shoot of a tree, which protrudes.

“And the grasshopper shall drag itself along”—

—

these are the buttocks.

His buttocks seem to him like the burden of a heavy load.

“And the caperberry shall fail”—

—

this is desire.

At that time the desire and longing for marital relations cease.

Rav Kahana was reciting the order of the verses arranging the passages of the verses

[arranging the verses of the passage]

before Rav. When he reached this verse

“And the caperberry shall fail,”

Rav sighed and groaned sighed.

[sighed].

Rav Kahana said:

Since Rav sighed,

infer from this that his desire has ceased his longing

[his longing]

of Rav.

Rav Kahana said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “For He spoke, and it came to be”—

this

is

a woman.

For had it not been for the decree of the Holy One, blessed be He, she would not have been worthy of being desired, since she is like a vessel filled with repulsiveness.

“He commanded, and it stood firm”—

these are children.

these are children.

A tanna taught: A woman

is

a vessel filled with excrement, and her mouth is filled with blood. And

nevertheless,

everyone runs after her.

What is the meaning of that which is written there:

“For man goes to his eternal home”—

?

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: This teaches that each and every righteous person is given a dwelling according to his honor. This is analogous to a king who enters a city, he and his servants: when they enter, they all enter through one gate; but when they lodge, each one is given a dwelling according to his honor.

Since it is not written “to the house of eternity,” but rather “to his eternal home,” infer from this that each and every person has a dwelling of his own.

And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “For childhood and youth are vanity”—

this teaches that

the things a person does in his youth, they

are

what darken his face in his old age.

For excessive marital relations during his youth weaken his strength in old age.

And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The worm is as painful to the dead as a needle in living flesh

as it is stated: “But his flesh upon him shall ache.”

Rav Ḥisda said: A person’s soul mourns for him throughout the seven

days following his death.

As it is stated: “And his soul shall mourn for him.”

And mourning lasts seven days,

as it is written: “And he made mourning for his father seven days.”

Rav Yehuda said: In the case of a dead person who has no comforters relatives who will mourn for him and receive condolences on his account,

[relatives who will mourn for him and receive condolences for him],

ten people go and sit in the place where he died

and receive condolences on his account.

There was a certain person who died in the neighborhood in the vicinity

[in the vicinity]

of Rav Yehuda, and he had no comforters.