Kinim 3:6
The silver lining of aging and death
讛讗砖讛 砖讗诪专讛 讛专讬 注诇讬 拽谉 讻砖讗诇讚 讝讻专, 讬诇讚讛 讝讻专, 诪讘讬讗讛 砖转讬 拽谞讬诐, 讗讞转 诇谞讚专讛 讜讗讞转 诇讞讜讘转讛. 谞转谞转诐 诇讻讛谉, 讜讛讻讛谉 爪专讬讱 诇注砖讜转 砖诇砖 驻专讬讚讬诐 诪诇诪注诇谉 讜讗讞转 诪诇诪讟谉, 诇讗 注砖讛 讻谉, 讗诇讗 注砖讛 砖转讬诐 诇诪注诇谉 讜砖转讬诐 诇诪讟谉 讜诇讗 谞诪诇讱, 爪专讬讻讛 诇讛讘讬讗 注讜讚 驻专讬讚讛 讗讞转 讜讬拽专讬讘谞讛 诇诪注诇谉, 诪诪讬谉 讗讞讚. 诪砖谞讬 诪讬谞讬谉, 转讘讬讗 砖转讬诐. 驻专砖讛 谞讚专讛, 爪专讬讻讛 诇讛讘讬讗 注讜讚 砖诇砖 驻专讬讚讬诐, 诪诪讬谉 讗讞讚. 诪砖谞讬 诪讬谞讬谉, 转讘讬讗 讗专讘注. 拽讘注讛 谞讚专讛, 爪专讬讻讛 诇讛讘讬讗 注讜讚 讞诪砖 驻专讬讚讬诐, 诪诪讬谉 讗讞讚. 诪砖谞讬 诪讬谞讬谉, 转讘讬讗 砖砖. 谞转谞转诐 诇讻讛谉 讜讗讬谉 讬讚讜注 诪讛 谞转谞讛, 讛诇讱 讛讻讛谉 讜注砖讛 讜讗讬谉 讬讚讜注 诪讛 注砖讛, 爪专讬讻讛 诇讛讘讬讗 注讜讚 讗专讘注 驻专讬讚讬诐 诇谞讚专讛, 讜砖转讬诐 诇讞讜讘转讛, 讜讞讟讗转 讗讞转. 讘谉 注讝讗讬 讗讜诪专: 砖转讬 讞讟讗讜转. 讗诪专 专讘讬 讬讛讜砖注: 讝讛 讛讜讗 砖讗诪专讜 讻砖讛讜讗 讞讬 拽讜诇讜 讗讞讚, 讜讻砖讛讜讗 诪转 拽讜诇讜 砖讘注讛. 讻讬爪讚 拽讜诇讜 砖讘注讛, 砖转讬 拽专谞讬讜 砖转讬 讞爪讜爪专讜转, 砖转讬 砖讜拽讬讜 砖谞讬 讞诇讬诇讬谉, 注讜专讜 诇转讜祝, 诪注讬讜 诇谞讘诇讬诐, 讘谞讬 诪注讬讜 诇讻谞讜专讜转. 讜讬砖 讗讜诪专讬诐: 讗祝 爪诪专讜 诇转讻诇转. 专讘讬 砖诪注讜谉 讘谉 注拽砖讬讗 讗讜诪专: 讝拽谞讬 注诐 讛讗专抓, 讻诇 讝诪谉 砖诪讝拽讬谞讬谉, 讚注转谉 诪讟专驻转 注诇讬讛谉, 砖谞讗诪专 (讗讬讜讘 讬讘) 诪住讬专 砖驻讛 诇谞讗诪谞讬诐 讜讟注诐 讝拽谞讬诐 讬拽讞. 讗讘诇 讝拽谞讬 转讜专讛 讗讬谞谉 讻谉, 讗诇讗 讻诇 讝诪谉 砖诪讝拽讬谞讬谉 讚注转谉 诪转讬砖讘转 注诇讬讛谉, 砖谞讗诪专 (砖诐) 讘讬砖讬砖讬诐 讞讻诪讛 讜讗专讱 讬诪讬诐 转讘讜谞讛.
Rabbi Joshua teaches: There is a saying that when [an animal such as a ram] is alive, it has one voice, but when it dies it has seven voices. How does it have seven voices? Its two horns become two trumpets; its two thigh-bones become two flutes; its hide becomes a drum [head]; its intestines are used for wind instruments; its sinews for string instruments. Some say: its wool is also used for tekhelet.
Rabbi Shimon ben Akashya teaches: The elderly among the common folk grow senile as they age, as it says, 鈥淸God] removes language from the faithful and takes sense from the elderly鈥� (Job 12:20). But it is not so with the elders of Torah. Rather, as they age their sense remains with them, as it says, 鈥淲ith the elderly is wisdom, and with long days is insight鈥� (Job 12:12).
Comments
This volume deals primarily with birds designated for sacrifice, for example, by women who have given birth. The final mishnah ends with several apparent non sequiturs. The organizing principle seems to be that aging and even death need not be viewed as the diminution of capacity for either animals or people. Animals are understood to have a 鈥渧oice鈥� both in life and in death. The precise use of various animal body parts to construct ancient musical instruments is unknown, but the care to avoid wasting these materials is apparent. The claim made here that Torah wisdom fends off senility may seem wistful, yet it is true that maintaining an active mind through life-long study can preserve vigor into old age. In the realm of Seder Kodashim that this mishnah concludes, animals are valued not only for their physical utility but also for the spiritual power that their life and death conveys to the Temple and its worshippers.
Questions
- Is the ritual use of animal bodies as sacrifices or even sacred musical instruments dignifying, or simply primitive?
- Does contemporary culture cultivate elder-wisdom or diminish it?
