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The Old-Young Nation

Rabbi Yitzchak Nissenbaum hy”d

nd Avraham was old, advanced in years” (Bereishit princes, tens of thousands of their servants and innumerable
24:1). Old age overtakes a person for four reasons. servants of servants.
Yehoshua, for example, grew old because of the
“A many battles he fought, while Eli the Kohen grew Our children have distanced themselves from their nation and
old because of the evil reports he heard about his sons – “he from holiness; their whole desire is to be like the sons of Eli, to
heard all that his sons did to the people of Israel” (Shmuel I, 2:22). grab a good, fat slice of meat with their forks. Our wives are for-
David grew old because of his fear of the sword, while Shlomo eigners to their people and their culture, bringing the idols and
grew old because of the gentile wives he brought into his home culture of other nations into our homes. We have been “blessed”
(Tanchuma, Chayei Sarah). with “everything,” “לֹ ּ כ ָּ ב,” with daughters who possess all the vir-
tues and talents, who know seventy languages and how to sing,
But why did Avraham grow old? He did not fight many wars, play music and dance (particularly at non-Jewish weddings!).
nor did he hear evil reports about his children, for “Yishmael “How beautiful are your steps in sandals, O prince’s daughter!”
repented during his lifetime” (Bereishit Rabbah 59) and his grand- (Shir HaShirim 7:2), daughter of Avraham Avinu! There is only
son Esav did not rebel in his lifetime (ibid., 63). He did not live in one thing these perfect daughters do not know: all that belongs to
fear of the sword and women did not turn his heart away from their nation! The language of their people embarrasses them, its
Hashem. So why did he grow old? wisdom is scornful in their eyes, and when they are reminded
According to the view that says: “And Hashem blessed Avraham that they are Jewish women, it arouses within them disgust.
with everything (לֹ ּ כ ָּ ב),” this means that “Avraham had a daughter Even one of these things is enough to bring old age upon a nation,
whose name was ba-kol (לֹ ּ כ ָּ ב)” (Bava Batra 16b), then it is possible or even to bring a people to its grave, and it is only more likely
that Avraham grew old from the challenges of raising a daugh- when all these things and more descend upon a nation from
ter… But according to those who interpret the verse differently, every side. And so we should not wonder at our nation’s old age,
why did he grow old? but rather we should wonder that we are still alive!
The truth is that Avraham prayed that old age should come to Perhaps, however, there is a silver lining to our old age. Perhaps,
the world, so that people would be able to distinguish fathers like Avraham, we need old age! Until the Hebrew nation arose,
from sons and the old from the young. “Until Avraham there there were no old nations in the world. A nation would live for a
was no old age in the world… Avraham came and prayed for old few hundred or a thousand years, and then disappear from the
age” (Bava Metzia 86a). world. Go and look at the histories of the nations of the world
Am Yisrael is old, advanced in years. We are certainly advanced and see how long they have existed. How many years have passed
in years, being over 3,200 years old! Compared to the nations since they were formed as nations with their own cultures and
among whom we dwell, we are extraordinarily old. Yet we are national life? Are they not like children compared to the Hebrew
also an eternal nation; our days are like those of the heavens and nation? Am Yisrael brought old age, the agedness of nations, to
the earth. Compared to eternity we are like young children! Why, the world. If we show some signs of age today, so be it! On the
then, has old age sprung upon us? Why do we exhibit the surest contrary, let everyone recognize our nation’s extraordinary lon-
sign of age: “The old one is like a monkey” (Kohelet Rabbah 1:2), gevity; let them appreciate the nation that left Egypt and stood
copying the actions of others, as if we have lost our own identity? at Mount Sinai, the nation that conquered its land and produced
prophets and poets; prophets and poets who have illuminated
It is easy to explain our old age, for we have suffered from all the entire world!
four causes of aging, alongside many others that have dried the
marrow of our bones and dimmed our vision. For two thousand Ultimately, these signs of old age are only one side of the “coin of
years, the swords of destructive angels have been waved before Avraham Avinu” (Bava Kamma 97b), the revealed side of the coin of
our eyes. We have fought many painful wars that threatened the Hebrew nation in our time. The other side of the coin, though
our very survival against thousands of kings, ministers and it has been hidden for a long time, is our freshness of youth, the

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