Wouldn't you know it, the ancient rabbis grappled with this too. In fact, they found some pretty profound answers hidden within the verses of the Torah.
We begin with a seemingly straightforward passage in Leviticus (15:2): "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: Any man, when he has a discharge from his flesh, his discharge is impure." What does this have to do with the big questions? Well, stick with me.
Vayikra Rabbah 18, a Midrash – a collection of rabbinic interpretations and stories – takes this verse as a springboard to contemplate life, death, and everything in between. It all starts with a quote from Ecclesiastes (12:1): “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.”
The sage Akavya ben Mahalalel, in Mishna Avot (3:1), distills this idea into three sobering thoughts: "Consider three matters and you will not come to sin: Know from where you came – from a putrid drop; where you are going – to dust, maggots, and worms; and before Whom you are destined to give a reckoning – before the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He." Cheerful. But there's a powerful message here.
What’s fascinating is how the rabbis then unpack this idea. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana, in the name of Rav Pappi, and Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, quoting Rabbi Levi, find all three of Akavya's points embedded within that single verse from Ecclesiastes! "Remember your Creator [bore’ekha]" – they cleverly interpret that as referencing "your well [be’erekha]", a putrid liquid. "Your pit [borekha]" becomes maggots and worms. And finally, "Your Creator [bore’ekha]" points to none other than the King of Kings, before whom we must give account. It's a brilliant piece of drash, of finding hidden meanings within the text.
The Midrash doesn't stop there. It continues to dissect Ecclesiastes, verse by verse, painting a vivid, and sometimes unsettling, picture of aging and mortality. “Before the sun, the light, [the moon, and the stars] will darken” (Ecclesiastes 12:2) becomes a meditation on the fading of our senses: the sun being one’s countenance, the light one's forehead, the moon the nose, and the stars, the cheekbones. It's a poignant reminder of the physical decline that awaits us all.
And it gets even more detailed. "On the day that the guards of the house will tremble..." (Ecclesiastes 12:3)? That's our knees giving way! "The valiant men will be bent?" Those are our ribs. The grinders ceasing? That's our stomach slowing down. It's a stark and unflinching look at the realities of growing old.
Even Hadrian, the Roman emperor (may his bones be crushed, as the text pointedly adds), gets in on the act. He asks Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya where the Holy One will cause man to blossom in the future, at the resurrection of the dead. The answer? From a tiny nut-sized bone attached to the spine. And to prove it, Rabbi Yehoshua demonstrates the bone's incredible resilience – it can't be dissolved, ground, burned, or even broken by a hammer and anvil! It's a powerful image of the enduring spark of life within us.
But amidst all this talk of decay and mortality, there's also a glimmer of hope. The Midrash assures us that "the eternal home" isn't just a single place, but "his eternal home" – meaning each righteous person has a world to himself. It's a beautiful analogy to a king entering a province with his entourage, each person accommodated according to their standing. Even in death, there's a sense of individual dignity and reward.
And what about the soul? Rabbi Abba son of Rav Pappi and Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, again in the name of Rabbi Levi, teach that for the first three days after death, the soul hovers over the body, hoping to return. But when it sees the face changing, it departs.
Ultimately, the Midrash returns to its starting point, the verse in Leviticus about bodily discharges. Why? Because all this – the aging, the decay, the eventual return to dust – is what awaits us if we don't "remember our Creator in the days of our youth." If we don't strive to live a life of purity and righteousness, we risk facing these afflictions in our old age.
So, what's the takeaway? Perhaps it’s this: Life is fleeting, our bodies are temporary vessels, and we will be held accountable for our actions. Remember where you came from, where you're going, and before Whom you stand. It's a sobering thought, but also a powerful motivation to live each day with intention and purpose. It’s a reminder to cherish the gift of life and strive to return the soul to its Creator as pure as it was when it was given to us. A challenging, but ultimately hopeful, message from our ancient sages.
“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: Any man, when he has a discharge from his flesh, his discharge is impure” (Leviticus 15:2). “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: Any man, when he has a discharge from his flesh…” That is what is written: “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). We learned, Akavya ben Mahalalel says: Consider three matters and you will not come to sin: Know from where you came – from a putrid drop; where you are going – to dust, maggots, and worms; and before Whom you are destined to give a reckoning – before the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He.1Mishna Avot 3:1. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rav Pappi, and Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi: Rabbi Akiva expounded all three of them from a single verse. “Remember your Creator [bore’ekha]” – your well [be’erekha], putrid liquid. Your pit [borekha], this is maggots and worms. Your Creator [bore’ekha], this is the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He, before Whom you are destined to give a reckoning. “In the days of your youth,” in the days of your youthfulness, when your strength is still with you. “Before the evil days will come” (Ecclesiastes 12:1), these are the days of dotage. “And the years arrive when you will say, I have no desire in them” (Ecclesiastes 12:1), these are the messianic days, in which there is neither merit nor liability.2Some commentaries prefer the version of the text found in Kohelet Rabba (12:1): “this is suffering” (see Maharzu). Others explain that in the messianic era there will be no poor people, and therefore no ability for the rich to earn merit through charity or to incur liability by refusing to contribute to charity (Etz Yosef). “Before the sun, the light, [the moon, and the stars] will darken” (Ecclesiastes 12:2). “The sun,” this is [a person’s] countenance.3A person’s countenance changes in old age. “The light,” this is the forehead. “The moon,” this is the nose. “And the stars,” these are the cheekbones. “The clouds will return after the rain” (Ecclesiastes 12:2). Rabbi Levi said two [explanations], one for the scholars and one for the ignoramuses. One to the scholars: When someone comes to weep, his eyes shed tears [copiously]. One to the ignoramuses: When someone comes to urinate, feces precede it. “On the day that the guards of the house will tremble, [the valiant men will be twisted, the grinders will cease because they have dwindled, it will be dark for the gazers through the windows]” (Ecclesiastes 12:3). “On the day that the guards of the house will tremble,” these are one’s knees. “The valiant men will be bent,” these are one’s ribs. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Naḥman said: These are one’s arms. “The grinders will cease,” this is the stomach. “Because they have dwindled,” these are the teeth. “It will be dark for the gazers through the windows,” these are the eyes. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Naḥman said: These are the nodes of the lungs from which the voice emerges. “The doors to the street will be shut” (Ecclesiastes 12:4), these are a person’s orifices that are like a door that opens and closes. “With the fading of the noise of the mill (Ecclesiastes 12:4), because the stomach no longer grinds. “And one will arise to the voice of a bird” – this elderly man, when he hears the sound of birds chirping, he says in his heart: Robbers are coming to overwhelm me. “And all the sources of music will be lowered” (Ecclesiastes 12:4), these are his lips. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Neḥemya said: These are the kidneys, which think and the heart concludes. 4The midrash presents thought as being initiated by the kidneys and concluded by the heart, before it is expressed by the lips. “They will also be fearful of heights, [and obstacles on the way; the almond tree will blossom, but the grasshopper will be burdened; the caper berry will fail. For the man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners will circle in the streets]” (Ecclesiastes 12:5). “They will also be fearful of heights,” this is the elderly man to whom they call: ‘Go to such and such place,’ and he says: ‘Are there ascents there, are there descents there?’5He is loathe to travel if he will have to go uphill or downhill. “And obstacles [veḥatḥatim] on the way,” Rabbi Abba bar Kahana and Rabbi Levi, Rabbi Abba bar Kahana: The fear [ḥitita] of the way descends upon him. The other said: He begins to delineate [matve] routes [teva’im]. He says until such and such place I can go, to such and such place I cannot go. “The almond tree will blossom,” these are the ankles. “But the grasshopper will be burdened,” this is the nut-sized bone attached to the spine. Hadrian, may his bones be crushed, asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya, he said to him: ‘From where will the Holy One blessed be He cause man to blossom in the future?’6When a person comes back to life at the resurrection of the dead. He said to him: ‘From the nut-sized bone attached to the spine.’ He said to him: ‘From where can you prove this to me?’ He brought one before him. He placed it in water, but it did not dissolve. He ground it in a mill, but it was not ground. He placed it in fire, but it did not burn. He placed it on an anvil and began striking it with a hammer. The anvil divided and the hammer split, but it was to no avail. “The caper berry will fail,” this is the desire that promotes harmony between a man and his wife.7The desire for marital relations. Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta would ascend and greet Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] each and every month. When he grew old, he sat and was unable to ascend. One day he ascended. [Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi] said to him: ‘With what are you occupied, that you do not ascend to me in the manner that you were accustomed?’ He said: ‘The far have become near, the near have become far, two have become three, and the promoter of harmony in the house is abolished.’ . “For the man goes to his eternal home” – “the eternal home” is not stated, but rather “his eternal home.” This teaches that each and every righteous person has a world to himself. This is analogous to a king who enters the province, and with him are generals, governors, and soldiers. Even though they all enter a single gate, each and every one is accommodated according to his standing. So, too, even though everyone tastes the taste of death, each and every righteous person has a world to himself. “And the mourners will circle in the streets,” these are the worms. “Before the silver cord will be severed” (Ecclesiastes 12:6), this is the spinal column. “The golden bowl will be shattered” (Ecclesiastes 12:6), this is the skull. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Neḥemya said: This is the esophagus that finishes the gold and expends the silver.8A glutton spends much of his resources, represented here as gold and silver, on food. “The pitcher will be broken at the spring” (Ecclesiastes 12:6); Rabbi Ḥiyya son of Rabbi Pappi and Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi: Three days after [death], a person’s stomach bursts and passes [its contents] to the mouth and says to it: ‘Take for yourself what you robbed and pilfered and gave to me.’ Rabbi Ḥagai in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak cited it from this verse: “I will scatter dung upon your faces, the dung of your festive offerings” (Malachi 2:3). Rabbi Abba son of Rav Pappi and Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi: For the first three days, the soul hovers over the body, thinking that it will return to it. When it sees that the aura of the countenance has changed, it goes on its way, as it is written: “But his flesh [on him is painful, and his soul mourns over him]” (Job 14:22). Bar Kappara said: The full intensity of mourning remains for three days. Why? Because the form of the face is recognizable, as we learned: One may testify only regarding the countenance of the face with the nose…and one may testify only up to three days.9Mishna Yevamot 16:3. The point is that one can testify that someone has died only if one sees the entire face of the corpse while it is intact, including the nose, and only if one sees it within three days of the person’s death. “The wheel will be smashed into the cistern” (Ecclesiastes 12:6). Two amora’im, one said: Like those wheels of Tzippori.10Tzippori was located in the mountains, and its wells extended deep into the ground. Water was drawn using a long rope attached to a wheel. This is representative of a corpse being lowered into a grave (Etz Yosef). One said: Like the clods in Tiberias, as it is stated: “The clods of the stream are sweet to him” (Job 21:33).11Tiberias is located in an area with many streams of water that flow into the nearby Sea of Galilee. These streams carry with them stones, which are smoothed by the running water and were used to cover graves. Thus, the wheel [galgal] of the verse is understood as referring to the stones covering a grave [golel]. “The dust returns to the earth as it was, [and the spirit returns to God who bestowed it]” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Rabbi Pinḥas and Rabbi Ḥilkiya [said] in the name of Rabbi Simon: When will the spirit return to God who bestowed it? It is when the dust returns to the earth as it was.12If the body, made from the dust of the earth, returns to it free of sin, as it was before the person lived his life, i.e., if the person was righteous and died free of sin. If not, “may He cast away the souls of your enemies …” (I Samuel 25:29).13God will cast away the souls of the sinners. Rabbi Yishmael bar Naḥman taught in the name of Rabbi Avdimi of Haifa: [This is analogous] to a priest who was meticulous regarding ritual purity, who gave a loaf of teruma bread to a priest who was negligent regarding ritual purity. He said to him: ‘Look, I am pure, my house is pure, and the loaf that I gave you is pure. If you give it [back] to me in the manner that I gave it to you, fine. If not, I will cast it before you.’ So too, the Holy One blessed be He says to each person: ‘Look, I am pure, My abode is pure, My attendants are pure, and the soul that I placed in you was pure. If you return it to me in the manner that I give it to you, fine. If not, behold, I will cast it before you.’ All this befalls him in the days of his dotage. But in the days of his youth, if he sins he is afflicted with discharges and leprosy. Therefore, Moses cautions Israel and says to them: “Any man, when he has a discharge from his flesh.”
