Leviticus 19:31
Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19:32
Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD.
Ibn Ezra says the connection is associative, that while we're talking about death, you should rise for the elderly who are close to death. Which is hilarious.
Arnold Ehrlich, 19th century koifer who wrote Mikra Kipshuto, actually has a beautiful answer here.
He says that scientific change makes what seemed like science in days of old just folky superstition now. What used to be magical is now explained easily by laws of nature. It's easy for us to look at our elderly people and declare them no longer with it, out of date, superstitious.
We look at a law that forbids us from practices of long ago that was based on false beliefs of the nature of the soul and the world. And we might think that means that people who believe in the old systems of belief are not fit to be honored.
The Torah tells us that we are still obligated to honor our elderly, still obligated to look back at tradition for guidance even as we move forward. We shouldn't treat those wizened by years of experience lightly.
No comments:
Post a Comment