Sha’ar 2:9: Efforts & Results in a Tzaddik’s Old Age

Good morning, Rabosei. We're on Daf Hey towards the end of the Daf. Shehatzadikim misgavrim b'ziknosom, in their older years they fortify themselves. ויעזרו חיל ויחליפו כח לעבודת השם and with a renewed energy and vigor that they continue and intensify their avodas Hashem.

כמו שאמרו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה תלמידי חכמים כל זמן שמזקינים חכמה מתוספת בהם.

So Rabbeinu Hakadosh is telling us that when Chazal describe what the trajectory of a תלמיד חכם בימי זקנותו, even though the lashon Chazal is in the passive, the lashon Chazal is that misosefes bahem, it's not something which just happens automatically. It's not something that's assured and comes about memaila. The result of כל זמן שמזקינים חכמה מתוספת בהם is because of the misgavrim, is because of the ve'yazru chayil, is because of the veyachlifu koach, is because of the renewed vigor and the intensification of their efforts. ונאמר עוד ינובון בשיבה דשנים ורעננים יהיו. They'll continue to yield fruit even when they reach the age of seiva and beyond. D'sheinim v'ra'ananim yihyu, there's a freshness, there's a vitality that's retained.

והזכיר למעלה צדיק כתמר יפרח וגו' כי הצדיקים שתולים בבית השם.

In the same way a tree strikes roots, deep roots, so too the tzaddik is planted, plants himself b'veis Hashem m'nuareihem

וגדלים בבתי מדרשות מבחוריהם כתמר שיפרח וכארז שיגדל בלבנון. וכן אמרו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה.

Shetulim b'veis Hashem, eilu hatinokos. Shetulim means when it's still a young sapling. So that's what it means shetulim b'veis Hashem, it's a metaphor for from their youth.

וכן אמרו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה שתולים בבית השם אלו התינוקות על דרך מה שכתוב אשר בנינו כנטיעים מגודלים בנעוריהם.

That same metaphor of comparing the youth to netiim, to saplings. Ve'omar acharei chen that this metaphor doesn't continue, it doesn't extend beyond youth to yimei zikna v'seiva. However, בדבר הזה אינם נמשלים לאילנות in the following respect the metaphor is not. intended is not correct, כי האילנות בהזקינם לא יתנו חילם. When a tree ages, so it no longer produces. By contrast,

והצדיקים ינובון בשיבה. עוד אמר דוד המלך עליו השלום, וגם עד זקנה ושיבה אלוקים אל תעזבני, עד אגיד זרועך לדור לכל יבוא גבורתך.

You know, in Rabbeinu Yonah's, just backtracking a minute to what Rabbeinu Yonah quoted the Meimara d'Chazal, תלמידי חכמים כל זמן שמזקינין חכמה מיתוספת בהם, so in addition to his explaining that we not be, that we not misinterpret the lashon nif'al, another interesting element implied by Rabbeinu Yonah's citation is Rabbeinu Yonah is citing this as proof for a very broad statement that tzaddikim are מתגברים יעזרו חיל ויחליפו כוח לעבודת השם. The Meimara d'Chazal speaks more narrowly of chochmah, right? The Meimara d'Chazal is not explicitly speaking of avodas Hashem in that broader sense that Rabbeinu Yonah is, and yet Rabbeinu Yonah says, כמו שאמרו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה. So either what he means is that the same way we see the trajectory continues upward in the realm of Talmud Torah, so that's going to be true in every area of avodas Hashem and what Chazal say about Talmud Torah is representative and that just as כל זמן שמזקינין חכמה מיתוספת בהם, so too tefillasam becomes with greater kavanah, their middos continue to improve and continue to approach shleimus. Alternatively, the very fact that כל זמן שמזקינין חכמה מיתוספת בהם, it's not just that that illustrates the klal Rabbeinu Yonah says, but that actually expresses everything Rabbeinu Yonah says because genuine chochmah has to be mevia lidei ma'aseh. And if chochmah mitosefes bahem, so then that has to translate and be reflected in all other areas of avodas Hashem. There's no such thing as a chochmah which is or as genuine authentic chochmah which is compartmentalized, which is sterile, which doesn't express itself in all areas of behavior and action and avodas Hashem. So mameila, this Meimara d'Chazal actually, it's not just that in one area it's stating what Rabbeinu Yonah says more broadly. No, it's documenting everything Rabbeinu Yonah is telling us. The final pasuk that Rabbeinu Yonah quotes, David Hamelech's bakasha,

וגם עד זקנה ושיבה אלוקים אל תעזבני. עד אגיד זרועך לדור לכל יבוא גבורתך.

Don't don't forsake me Ribono Shel Olam עד אגיד זרועך לדור. So one havana in the posuk is that it means so that, so that I will be able to testify about your your greatness about your strength to the next generation. But but additionally, the ad takeh means until. And Dovid Hamelech's bakasha to Hakadosh Baruch Hu is that Ribono Shel Olam, everyone has a shlichus in life. Al taazveini ad until I fulfill my shlichus in life, until I'm able to bear witness to the next generation and generations about zroacha and gevurascha. If if a person wants to sort of compress all his bakashos into one bakasha, so itachen this would be the one bakasha that a person has that Ribono Shel Olam al taazveini ad until I accomplish what I was intended to accomplish, until I fulfill my shlichus. Sustain me Ribono Shel Olam so that I should have the zchus to to do that. Okay, we'll we'll stop here for now. בלי נדר אם ירצה השם we'll resume around 12:45. Have a good productive morning rabosai, everyone should be well be safe.