“It was after the plague…” (26:1)

While Sir Mick Jagger is lithely running up and down the stage at the age of 80, President Joe Biden is tripping over his tongue, let alone his feet. True, it’s a lot to do with genes: Jagger’s father was a physical education instructor and he looks after himself, and — let’s face it — being Joe Biden and running one of the largest countries in the world is somewhat more stressful than running up and down the stage belting out “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” But age is an obsession in the modern world, as gallons and gallons of Botox and billions of dollars of plastic surgery attest to.

In Hebrew, the word of ‘old’ is zaken: zayn, koof, nun, which is an acronym for ‘’mi sh’kana chochma,” meaning “the one who has acquired wisdom.” In the secular vernacular, ‘old’ is an unpardonable sin remedied only by extensive plastic surgery.

Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetzky, one of the great sages of the previous generation, was once sitting in an airplane next to the head of the Histadrut, the Israeli Labor Federation. As Reb Yaakov was of advanced age, his children insisted that he travel in Business Class to minimize the rigors of the journey from America to Israel. The rest of his family traveled in Economy.

As soon as the "fasten seat belt" sign went off, one of his grandchildren bounded forward and said, "Zeide, would you like a drink?" Not long afterwards, another grandchild appeared and said, "Zeide, are you comfortable? Would you like another pillow?" This grandchild was followed by another and yet another. This monotonous procession of doting grandchildren did not escape the notice of the head of the Histadrut.

After the fifth grandchild made his exit, the man turned to Reb Yaakov and said, "Forgive me, Rabbi, but may I ask you a question?" "Of course," replied Reb Yaakov. Said the man: "I couldn't help but notice the tremendous respect your grandchildren give you. I'm lucky if I get a birthday card from my grandchildren. What's your secret? Why is it that your children and grandchildren give you such respect?"

Reb Yaakov replied, "You see, we believe that we are descended from people whose spiritual greatness is almost impossible for us to imagine: Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe. My rebbe (Torah teacher) used to say, without false modesty and in total sincerity that he didn't come to the ankles of his rebbe, neither in Torah learning nor in purity of character. If you asked my rebbe's rebbe about his rebbe, he would have said the same. If you extrapolate this backwards even a few generations, it becomes very difficult for us to have any idea of the greatness of the Vilna Gaon, who lived only 250 years ago, let alone of the Avot, the Patriarchs.

"Ever since that supernal moment when G-d spoke to our ancestors at Sinai, our spiritual journey has been ever downward. And this is why my children give me respect, because they see me as closer to Sinai than they. I am one generation closer to the giving of the Torah!

“You, on the other hand, believe that you share common ancestry with the ape. So why should your children respect you? You are one generation closer to the ape than they are! They see themselves as a step up the ladder of the 'ascent of man.' In their view, it is you who should give them respect."

“It was after the plague…”

Rashi comments that Hashem commanded a census after the plague, like a shepherd who counts his flock after it has been ravaged by wolves. The plague was a result of the profligacy of the Jewish men with the Midianite women. That census continues down the generations. The fact that we survive against a tide of physicality is because our holy zeides and their zeides lifted their souls — instead of their faces….