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How Old Is Old?
How Young Is Young?

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Shabbat Noach:
Genesis 6:9-11:1;
Numbers 28:9-15;
Isaiah 66:1-24.

3'

A

only tzaddik — righteous man living
s the baby-boomer gen-
during his time — Noah looks at the
eration in America reaches
world and the society around him and
retirement age, America
faces a conundrum. No, I'm not speak- realizes that God will one day destroy
such a wicked and evil civilization.
ing about Social Security. Rather,
What then, he wonders, is the point of
I'm wondering how our country will
having children?
thrive and prosper while supporting
Yet, much later in life
tens of millions of healthy
he changes his mind and
and productive citizens
decides that he must have
who think that their work-
children. "After all, God
ing lives should be over.
commanded man to pro-
How old is old? Or better
create — so I should die
yet, how young is young?
without children?" So, at
At what point do we cross
the young age of 500, Noah
that great divide from
begins his family.
young to old? Fifty? Sixty?
Curiously, Noah begins
(after all, 60 is the new
Rabbi R euven
life an old man, and grows
50, or so people tell me.)
Spo Iter
younger — at least men-
In reality, old and young
Special to the
tally — as he ages. As a
depend much more on
Jewish News
young man, he could only
mentality than any par-
look backwards. The best of
ticular age.
the world had already passed him by,
Psychologists teach us that at a
and there was nothing to look forward
certain point in life, we change our
to in the future.
orientation from young to old. By
Only when he reaches a seem-
this I mean: Are you planning for the
ingly old age does he allow himself to
future or reminiscing about the past?
imagine a positive future for the world
In our youth, we focus our energies
— and takes on a youth and vigor in
and efforts on the future. We look
the process.
forward to growth and development,
What about us? Are we old or
as we mature and develop. In our old
young? In truth, that depends on our
age, our focus shifts to the past as we
reminisce about accomplishments and mentality. Have we built our families
and businesses, and we're now happy
achievements and lament our failures
to rest on our laurels? Do we focus
and mistakes. When does that mental
primarily on the past? Or are we grow-
shift take place? At 50? Sixty? What
ing and learning and creating, looking
about 500?
forward with the understanding that
When the Torah recounts the gen-
the best is yet to come?
erations that live between Adam and
Unlike Noah, most of us won't have
Noah, we find an interesting anomaly.
until 500 to change our minds.
Most of the generations wait only
(only!) 70 or 80 years before bringing
Reuven Spolter is rabbi of Young Israel of
children into the world. Yet, when we
Oak Park.
read about Noah, we learn that Noah
only begins to build his family at the
age of 500. (Try to imagine changing
Conversations
diapers, midnight feedings, driving
The Torah tells us that the flood
carpool, and parent-teacher confer-
lasts for 40 days and 40 nights.
ences at 500.) Why does Noah wait so
Where else do we find the num-
much longer than the rest of his gen-
ber 40 in the Torah? Can you
eration to raise his family?
connect that 40 with the flood?
The Midrash explains that as the

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October 11 • 2007

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