Rabbi
Doniel Staum, LMSW
Rabbi,
Kehillat New Hempstead
Rebbe/Guidance
Counselor – ASHAR
Principal
– Ohr Naftoli- New Windsor
STAM
TORAH
PARSHAS
KEDOSHIM 5776
“PURITY OF EXPERIENCE”
Elderly woman breaks student's nose for failing to give up bus seat
Julian Ryall in Tokyo
Tamiko Masuta, 66, the manager
of an apartment complex, was arrested after assaulting a teenager on a bus with
her umbrella. According to witnesses, she flew into a rage when the student did
not stand up and offer her his place, designated as a "silver seat"
for elderly passengers. As well as striking him with an umbrella, the pensioner
kicked the 18-year-old student and inflicted bruising as well as the broken
nose.
Police said she has refused to
either admit or deny the charges against her, but added that she has been
questioned previously over assaults on students in buses in the city and been
given verbal warnings about her conduct.
The incident in Nagasaki is symptomatic of the widening chasm between the
generations in Japan
The Torah demands that we honor and show respect
to the elderly and to one who has attained laudable levels of wisdom. “In the
presence of an old person you shall rise, and you shall honor the presence of a
zakain (sage).”[1]
The gemara[2] explains that ‘zakain’
refers to ‘zeh shakana chochma – this (one) who has acquired wisdom’.
The word zakain only hints to ‘zeh shakanah’; how does the gemara
know it refers to wisdom?
Chasam Sofer explains that by the world’s
standards the more current or contemporary something is the more valuable and
accurate it is. This is true in virtually all facets of knowledge - including
science, medicine, technology and political science. What was once new and
exciting quickly becomes archaic and outdated.
The notable exception is Torah. We make it our
mission to try to understand the Torah as closely to its pristine form as
possible. All of the explanations advanced in the last three thousand years,
are only to gain deeper insight and understanding to the Torah as taught to
Moshe Rabbeinu on Har Sinai. In fact, the greatest encomium is for one to say
that a Torah thought is “Toras Moshe MiSinai”.
This is how Chazal derived that this pasuk must be
referring to a Torah sage. The beginning of the pasuk refers to the honor that
must be accorded to an older person. The next clause states that one must honor
“one who has acquired”. What has he acquired? It must be referring to someone
who has acquired something which, the older it is the more respect it deserves.
That can only refer to the eternal wisdom of Torah.
In Parshas Vayigash, after Yosef reveals his true
identity to his shocked brothers, he instructs them to hurry back to Canaan to
bring Yaakov Avinu to Egypt Egypt
Rav Shmuel Rozovsky zt’l explained[5] that as people age they feel
their vitality wane. They don’t have the energy they once had, and they lack
the agility of their youth. In the words of Koheles[6]: “The years will arrive when
you will say ‘I have no pleasure in them’.”
It is for this very reason that the elderly have particular
pleasure from aged wine. Unlike other foods and beverages which decay with
time, the taste and value of wine only improves with age.
Yosef sent Yaakov a tremendous amount of aged wine
to symbolize how invaluable Yaakov would be for Yosef, his family, and for all
of Egypt. Yaakov would be the “aged wine” of all of Egypt.
Why there is such a breakdown of respect in our
society is the subject of much discussion and debate. One component has to do
with what we idolize and revere. In a society which venerates youth and
external appearance, those who possess wrinkles and are no longer physically
fit do not possess the value of athletes and celebrities. That’s a consequence
of a superficial society, more interested with external appearances than
attainment of depth and meaning.
The Torah however, supremely values wisdom and its
pursuit. The gemara[7]
relates that Rav Yochanan would stand up for every elderly person – even
non-Jews because living life entails learning its lessons and gaining life
experience, and that itself makes them worthy of respect.
Another reason for the breakdown of respect is that
we are raising a generation who feel a strong sense of entitlement.
Psychologist, Dr Aric Sigman noted that, “Authority is a basic
health requirement in children's lives. Children of the spoilt generation are
used to having their demands met by their parents and others in authority, and
that in turn makes them unprepared for the realities of adult life…This is
partly the result of an inability to distinguish between being authoritative
versus authoritarian, leaving concepts such as authority and boundaries
blurred.”
The fact is that many children today lack proper boundaries, which
leads to a lack of respect.
One of the fundamental ideas in the Torah is to be thankful for
those who help us in any way. One who is humble and thankful is respectful as
well.
The gemara[8] states that in the generation
prior to the advent of Moshiach chutzpah will be prevalent. That surely does
not mean that we should succumb to it. Rather, we must invest more effort to be
respectful, and to teach our children that the Torah obligates us to be
respectful.
There is no other country in the world besides
Eretz Yisroel where the public transportation busses have a little sticker
behind the driver on which is written the words of the pasuk, “In the presence
of an old person you shall rise”. It is more than one of the commandments, it
represents a basic value for Torah living – respect for wisdom and those who
have attained it, even if only from life experience.
We owe
great respect for those who, through their wisdom and years, connect us to our
illustrious past. Those connections are vital in our desire and effort to
connect ourselves with the greatest even of all – Kabbolas HaTorah.
“You
shall honor the presence of a zakain”
“Laden
with the best of Egypt
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