Rabbi Marc D. Rudolph

During the Festival of Succoth, the Rabbis ordained that we are to read the Book of Ecclesiastes—Kohelet, in Hebrew. It is a rather curious choice. Succoth is called “Zman Simchateinu”, the “Time of our Rejoicing”. It is the only Festival where we are commanded to be happy. The Book of Kohelet, on the other hand, is …… sobering. Tradition holds that it was written by King Solomon, toward the end of his life. After a life of plenty – wisdom, power, wealth, women, King Solomon “had it all” — King Solomon looks back on his life and declares, “Vanity of Vanities, Vanity of Vanities, all is Vanity!”

According to the way the Rabbis count them, there are seven vanities in this verse. (“Vanity” = 1, “Vanities” = 2) Long before Shakespeare delineated his “Seven Ages of Man” the Rabbis describe seven ages that correspond to the “seven vanities” of King Solomon.

Rabbi Shmuel the son of Rav Yizchak taught in the name of Rabbi Shimon the son of Elazar that the seven vanities correspond to the seven ages of man. A one-year-old is like a King who is carried on a covered litter. Everyone wants to hug him and kiss him. A two- and three-year-old is like a pig reaching into a sewer. A ten-year-old jumps like a goat. A twenty-year-old is like a neighing horse who preens himself and seeks a wife. When he marries he is like a donkey. When he has children he is like an audacious dog who brings home food to his family. When he is elderly, he is like a monkey.

Ouch! One would think the Rabbis don’t think highly of humanity. According to Rabbi Shmuel and his teacher, as we go through life, we are predominantly narcissistic, filthy, impulsive, self-absorbed, overburdened, acquisitive and foolish, depending on what stage of life we are in. But there is a silver lining. The teaching concludes:

This teaching applies to those who are unlearned in Torah, but of those who acquire Torah learning it is written, “And King David was old“. This teaches, “Even though he was old, he was still a King”.

Now there is no evidence whatsoever in the story of David’s life as related in the Book of Samuel that King David was a learned man. But perhaps because of the many psalms attributed to him, the Rabbis ascribe to him great piety. Shakespeare describes the final stage of life as a “second childishness and mere oblivion, sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything”. In our own time, the image of the elderly is not much better. (I suggest reading Louise Aronson‘s 2018 book, Elderhood, for a commentary on this and other important matters related to aging). But according to Rabbi Shmuel, if we Jew lives our lives according to the teachings of the Torah, as did King David, life, including our senior years, can be lived with dignity and wisdom, well-being, and joy.

Now that is something to be happy about!