The Talmudic Formula for a Long Life

Hershey H. Friedman, Ph.D.

Professor of Business
Department of Business Management
Murray Koppelman School of Business
Brooklyn College, CUNY
Email: x.friedman@att.net

Abstract

The Talmud is one of the most influential books of Late Antiquity. Numerous passages in the
Talmud promise longevity for various behaviors. Thus, Benjamin the Righteous had 22 years
added to his life as a reward for providing a woman with charity and thereby saving her life and
the lives of her seven children. Rabbi Pereda had an enormous number of years added to his life
for a preternatural amount of patience when teaching a student. The author examines these
passages and provides an overview of what deeds were considered significant by the sages. The
Talmudic recommendations for long life are categorized into five general groupings.

Keywords: Talmud, Talmudic stories, longevity, Benjamin the Righteous, Rabbi Pereda,
compassion.
 Introduction

The Talmud is as relevant today as ever. Indeed, it is popular all over Asia (Friedman,

2016). Solomon (2009:xi) maintains: "The Talmud, frequently censored and occasionally banned

and burned by the Catholic Church, is one of the most influential, though seldom acknowledged

or properly understood, writings of Late Antiquity." What is the Talmud? Jewish written law is

contained in the Pentateuch (the Five Books of Moses, i.e., the Torah). The Talmud, Judaism's

Oral Law, primarily contains rabbinical discussions and commentaries on the Torah's written

text. The Talmud, compiled separately in academies in Israel and Babylonia, explains, expounds,

and elaborates on the Hebrew Bible and consists of the Mishna and Gemara. The Mishna,

originally an old oral tradition, was compiled and redacted by Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi (Nasi

means President, he was the President of the Sanhedrin), known as Rebbi, about the year 189

C.E. The Gemara, which consists mainly of commentaries and discussions on the Mishna, was

completed in approximately 500 C.E.

The scholars of the Mishna are called Tannaim (from c. 10 C.E. to 220 C.E.), and the

scholars of the Gemara are called Amoraim (from c. 200 C.E. to 500 C.E.). These Amoraim

analyzed, explained, and elaborated on the Mishna. Approximately 150 different Tannaim are

mentioned in the Mishna (Margolis, 2000: IX). By studying the Talmud, we examine the wisdom of

sages who lived during a span of 500 years. There were five generations of Tannaim and seven

generations of Amoraim in Babylonia (five generations in Israel). It is not clear how many different

Amoraim there were since many had several names. However, Gray (2008) feels that "over 2,000

Amoraim can be identified with tolerable certainty. The Talmud, though mainly concerned with

1
halachah (Jewish law), also provides a detailed record of the Jewish people's beliefs, philosophy,

traditions, culture, and folklore, i.e., the aggadah (homiletics), and is replete with legal, ethical,

and moral questions. The Midrash, a separate scripture, records the views of the Talmudic sages

and is mainly devoted to the exposition of Biblical verses. One of the many devices used by the

sages of the Talmud to encourage ethical behavior was stories (Friedman, 2016).

What is especially fascinating about the Talmud is that it consists of thousands of

arguments. The Talmudic scholars used adversarial collaboration as a way to argue productively.

They recognized that the only way to arrive at the truth is to study with a partner and disagree

respectfully; the goal is to find the truth, not win the argument. The Talmudic style of arguing

may have contributed to the ability of Jews to be creative thinkers in areas such as science, law,

and business (Friedman, 2014).

Z. H. Chajes (2005:195) states that the aim of the homiletic portion of the Talmud

(aggadah) was to inspire people to serve the Lord. Also, if the lecturer noticed that the audience

was not paying attention or was dozing off, he might tell stories which "sounded strange or

terrifying or which went beyond the limits of the natural and so won the attention of his audience

for his message." Maimonides (1135 - 1204) describes individuals who take the homiletics of the

Talmud literally as simple-minded fools since there are hidden inner meanings in the stories,

riddles, parables, etc., used in aggadah (Maimonides, Sanhedrin, Introduction to the Mishna,

Chapter 10). Eisen (2007) notes that many respected scholars viewed aggadah as a parable or

"rhetorical invention" for an educational or ethical purpose. Friedman (2015) posits that the

sages of the Talmud used many different devices to improve upon the law: They saw the law as

the floor to ethics.

2
 One device used by the sages to strengthen ethics was the use of divine punishment; this

enabled the Talmudic sages to encourage people to live a moral life. The courts cannot punish

individuals for every immoral act. For example, the punishment for lashon hara (literally, "evil

tongue" – slanderous, disparaging speech), according to the Talmud (Babylonian Talmud,

Arachin 15b), is tzaraat, a frightening skin disease; Miriam was punished with it for

badmouthing Moses for marrying a "Cushite woman" (Numbers 12: 1-15). The Talmud

frequently uses the term misah b'dei shomayim (death at the hands of Heaven) to describe a

divine punishment for certain misdeeds (Friedman, 2015). Thus, Elimelech, Machlon, and

Chilyon were punished by Heaven with death for leaving Israel for Moab during a famine even

though they had grain (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Bathra 91a).

There are many sins for which the punishment is kares which means that a person will

die prematurely. One sin that the Talmud mentions as resulting in a premature death is cutting

down a fruit tree. Thus, Rabbi Chanina stated: "My son Shivchas passed away prematurely for

no other reason than cutting down a fig tree before its time" (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Kamma,

91b).

In addition, the Talmud is replete with medical advice (Preuss, 1978; Rosner, 2000).

With one or two exceptions, this paper avoids Talmudic advice explicitly dealing with health.

Many of these recommendations have their roots in Greek medicine and/or folk medicine. This

paper focuses on advice that is more concerned with morality and ethics. This paper, however,

focuses mainly on longevity (with a few exceptions). Numerous passages in the Talmud promise

long life for various behaviors. That advice is usually related to living a life based on morality,

ethics, and righteousness.

This paper relies heavily on translations by Soncino and ArtScroll. The Soncino

3
translation of the Talmud is available for free on the Internet. They may be found at:

http://www.halakhah.com/ and http://ancientworldonline.blogspot.com/2012/01/online-soncino-

babylonian-talmud.html. Translations of the Talmud may also be found at the Sefaria website,

http://www.sefaria.org/. The names of the sages usually indicated the father's name; the "b."

means ben (Hebrew) or bar (Aramaic) meaning son. For example, Eliezer b. Shimon is Eliezer

the son of Shimon.

The Promise of Long Life in the Torah

The Torah promises a long, healthy life for those who follow its precepts (Exodus

15:26): "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in

His eyes, if you pay attention to his commandments and observe all his decrees, then I

will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord,

your Healer." The punishment for not obeying its laws is clearly explained in the

passages known as the Tochacha (admonition) (Leviticus 26:14 – 26:45; Deuteronomy

28:15 – 28:68). The warning for not obeying the laws of God is addressed to the

community as a whole. The punishments that will befall the Jewish people include

disease, drought and famine, war, persecution, living in terror, and exile.

There are two precepts where the Torah explicitly promises longevity to the

individual obeying them. In Deuteronomy (5: 16), the Torah states: "Honor your father

and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that your days will be

prolonged and so that it will be good for you in the land the Lord your God is giving

you." In Deuteronomy (22:7), the Torah asserts regarding sending away the mother bird

4
from the nest: "You shall certainly send away the mother and take the young for yourself,

so that it will be good for you and that you may prolong your days."

The Talmud says that Rabbi Yaakov saw the following incident:

A father said to his son: "Climb up the tower and fetch me some young
birds." The son climbed up the tower, drove the mother bird away, and
took the bird's offspring. On his way back, the son fell and died. Where is
the good life for this person and where is the long life for this person?
Instead, "so that it will be good for you" refers to the world that is wholly
good [World to Come], and "so that your days may be prolonged" refers to
the world that is infinitely long (Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 39b).

The son fulfilled two commandments that promise longevity. The Talmud

concludes that the reward promised for fulfilling these two precepts does not refer to this

world. What it refers to is the next world, the afterlife. The Talmud says, "Had Acher

interpreted this verse as Rabbi Yaakov, his daughter's son, he would not have sinned."

Acher had seen an incident such as the above and became a heretic because of this. Acher

means "the other"; his real name was Elisha ben Avuyah, and he became a heretic.

The sages accepted that it was impossible to explain why bad things happen to

good people and vice versa. This, after all, is the theme of Job. One famous statement by

Rabbi Yannai is: "It is not in our power to explain either the well-being of the wicked or

the afflictions of the righteous" (Avos 4: 15). Although the Talmud makes it clear that

rewards for fulfilling precepts and living a good life are not necessarily in this world, the

sages still believed that someone who lived a long life possessed some exceptional merit.

At least it was worth the effort to try to find out if the person did something special. A

common question asked by the disciples was: "On account of which meritorious practice

have you attained longevity?" (Bameh harachata yomim?)

5
 The Talmud consists of six orders and is further subdivided into 63 tractates

(masekhtot). This paper will examine Talmudic recommendations for longevity broken

down by tractate.

Tractate Berachos

As Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said to his children: "Come early and stay
late when going to the synagogue so that your life should be prolonged
(Babylonian Talmud, Berachos 8a).

Rabbi Yochanan, who lived in Israel, was surprised to hear that there were very

old people in Babylonia. He thought that longevity could only occur in Israel as the verse

(Deuteronomy 11:21) states regarding obeying the commandments: "In order to prolong

your days and the days of your children upon the land that God has sworn to your

forefathers." Once he was told that many of the Babylonians prolonged their stay in the

synagogue, he recognized that longevity was a reward for this. The merit of being in a

synagogue is similar to that of obeying the commandments in Israel.

A baal keri is someone who experienced a seminal emission. It does not matter

whether this happened involuntarily, during sexual relations, or on purpose. Such a

person becomes tamei (ritually impure) and has to immerse himself in a mikveh. A

mikveh is a ritual bath used for immersion and must have a volume of 40 seah (a seah is

the volume of 144 eggs; according to the strictest opinion, that of the Chazon Ish, a

mikveh must contain 151 U.S. gallons). Nowadays, most observant men do not purify

themselves from keri before learning Torah or praying (see http://matzav.com/brachos-

daf-22/).

Rabbi Yannai said: "I have heard that some are lenient in this matter [and
simply rinse themselves with nine kabim of water], and I have heard that

6
 others are stringent [and require full immersion in a mikveh of forty seah].
And anyone who is strict with himself in this matter shall have his days
and years lengthened (Babylonian Talmud, Berachos 22a).

Rabbi Yehuda suggests three things that prolong life. Note that two involve

health.

Rabbi Yehuda said: "There are three things that if prolonged, result in the
prolonging of the days and years of a person. They are: prolonging one's
praying; prolonging one's meals; and prolonging the time spent in the
privy" (Babylonian Talmud, Berachos 54b-55a).

The prolonging of prayer is similar to the idea above that the reward for spending

time in a synagogue was a long life. The Talmud explains the benefit of stretching out a

meal. This provides one the opportunity of feeding a poor person who might happen to

pass by. This is similar to the idea of charity resulting in a long life. The Talmud

discusses the advantages and disadvantages of spending too much time in the privy.

Straining oneself can cause hemorrhoids and is not a good idea. However, people who do

not hurry while in the privy and do not strain themselves, will prolong their lives.

Sumchus says: "Whoever prolongs the pronunciation of the word echad (it
means one) at the end of the first verse of the Shema, has his days and
years prolonged" (Babylonian Talmud, Berachos 13b).

The entire verse is (Deuteronomy 5: 4): "Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the

Lord is One." In this manner, a person stresses the unity of God.

The Amen response is said after a blessing. The Talmud wanted people to

pronounce it carefully and not hurry or slur it. Ben Azzai maintains that mispronouncing

the Amen could shorten life, and enunciating it could prolong life.

Ben Azzai says: "Whoever responds with an orphaned Amen [the person
answered the Amen without hearing the blessing itself but only others who
are responding Amen – Rashi; alternate explanation—he waits a long time

7
 before answering the Amen], his children will become orphans. Whoever
responds with an Amen chatufah [Rashi – mispronounced as E'men] his
days will be snatched away; with a curtailed amen [not clearly
pronouncing the "N" of Amen—Rashi], his days will be curtailed. But if
one draws out the Amen response, his days and years will be prolonged"
(Babylonian Talmud, Berachos 47a).

The Talmud states that an am haaretz (ignorant, uncultured person who does not

observe many Jewish laws). A person classified as an am haaretz is not trusted for certain

religious obligations and is not counted as part of a zimmun (Babylonian Talmud,

Berachos 47b). If three people eat together, they are obligated to make a zimmun which

are introductory blessings said before the Grace after Meals (Birkat HaMazon). There is

an opinion that one who did not study Gemara may not be counted as part of a zimmun.

Rami bar Chama refused to count in a zimmun Rabbi Menashiah bar

Tachlifa who could repeat Sifra, Sifre, and Mishna. When Rami b. Hama
died, Rava said: "Rami bar Chama died only because he would not count
Rabbi Menashiah b. Tachlifa for zimmun." [He was punished for not
treating Rabbi Menashiah properly]. The Talmud asks the following
question. But it has been taught: "Others say that even if one has learned
Scripture and Mishnah but has not ministered to the disciples of the wise,
he is an am haaretz. The answer given is that Rabbi Menashiah bar
Tachlifa was different because he used to minister to the Rabbis (and
knew Gemara), and it was Rami bar Chama who did not make a proper
investigation about him. According to another version, Rabbi Menashiah
used to hear discussions from the mouth of the Rabbis and commit them to
memory. He was therefore like a rabbinical scholar (Babylonian Talmud,
Berachos 47b).

"Ministering to the disciples of the wise" refers to the study of the Gemara. A

person who has learned Scripture and Mishna will not understand the reasoning behind

the laws and is therefore considered an am haaretz. It is clear that Rami bar Chama was

punished for not paying the proper respect for Rabbi Menashiah and treating him like an

am haaretz. Incidentally, the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 199:3) states that the

8
practice is to allow an am haaretz to be part of the zimmun. We want them to be part of

the Jewish people, so we do not want to hurt their feelings by marginalizing them.

Rabbi Yehuda said: "There are three things that shorten the days and years
of a person. To be given a Torah scroll to read from and to refuse [out of
arrogance]; To be given the cup of benediction over which to recite Grace
and to refuse [i.e., he does not want to bless his host]; and to assumes airs
of authority" (Babylonian Talmud, Berachos 55a).

The idea that arrogance shortens one's life is repeated several times; humility, on

the other hand, is the key to long life.

Tractate Shabbos

What is the meaning of the verse (Proverbs 3:16): "Length of days is in

her [Torah's] right hand; in her left hand are wealth and honor?" Can it
mean that in her right hand there is length of days but no wealth or honor?
Obviously not! Rather, the verse means that for those who deal with her
right-handedly, there is length of days and, all the more so, wealth and
honor. But for those who deal with her left-handedly, there is wealth and
honor, but not length of days (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbos 63a).

Rashi translates "right-handedly" to either mean studying Torah intensely and

trying to understand the underlying reasons for its teachings, or it can mean studying

Torah for its own sake. "Left-handedly" implies the opposite: Either superficial study of

Torah or studying Torah for ulterior reasons.

One who does not eulogize a sage appropriately will die young. This punishment

is "measure for measure"; a person who does not care about a sage's premature death will

cause Heaven not to care about his life.

Whoever acts lazily over the eulogy of a sage, his days will not be
prolonged, measure for measure. For it says (Isaiah 27:8): "According to
its measure of sin, you contended with them …" (Babylonian Talmud,
Shabbos 105b).

9
 The verse from Isaiah is interpreted homiletically to mean that God punishes

"measure for measure."

Whoever is steeped in sexual immorality, old age hastens upon him

(Babylonian Talmud, Shabbos 152a).

The sages believed that sexual immorality prematurely ages a person. Rava felt that

Barzillai of Gilead, who described himself as very old (II Samuel 19:36), aged prematurely

because of his libertine lifestyle; he was 80-years old.

Several stories in the Talmud demonstrate the power of charity to provide one with a long

life. The phrase "charity will save from death" occurs twice in Proverbs (10:2; 11:4). The

following two stories demonstrate that charity could prolong one's life regardless of what the

stars had to say. This is the Talmudic way of saying that people can escape their destiny by

giving charity. In Talmudic times, almost everyone believed in astrology, and it was seen as a

science. Rabbi Yochanan asserted: "The celestial signs (mazal) have no influence over Israel"

(Babylonian Talmud, Shabbos 156a). Not everyone agreed with him when it came to such

matters as intelligence or wealth (see ArtScroll, Shabbos 156a, note 49). All scholars, however,

believed that predisposition or not, people had free choice and could channel their energies to

doing good. Thus, someone born under Mars did not have to become a murderer but could

become a surgeon.

It is probably a lot easier to convince ignorant people that charity is stronger than the

influence of celestial bodies on human affairs than teaching them that astrology is nonsense.

Shmuel was an expert in astronomy/astrology (back then, the two were not separate disciplines).

It was essential to teach people about free choice and not believe that the stars controlled their

10
fate. These two stories are presented in the Talmud as proof that Israel is immune from the

influence of the stars and planets.

Shmuel and Avleit [Avleit was an astrologer] were once sitting together
watching people go to the swamp to cut reeds. Avleit said to Shmuel,
"That man over there is going to go to the swamp, but he won't return
because a snake is going to bite him, and he will die." Shmuel said: "If he
is a Jew, he will return." While they were sitting, the man returned. Avleit
stood up and threw off the man's pack of reeds. He found among the reeds
a snake that had been cut in two pieces. Shmuel said to the man: "What
did you do to be saved from death like that?" The man replied: "Every
day, all of us pool all our bread together and then share it. Today, one man
had nothing to contribute, and he was ashamed. I, therefore, told everyone:
'Today I am going to collect the bread.' When I got to him, I pretended to
take something from him so that he would not be ashamed." Shmuel said
to him: "You have done a good deed." Shmuel went out and lectured:
"Charity saves one from death" (Proverbs 10:2), and not just from an
unnatural death, but even from death itself (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbos
156b).

From Rabbi Akiva we also learn that Israel is free from planetary
influence. For Rabbi Akiva had a daughter whom the astrologers told him
that a snake would bite her and die on the day she entered her bridal
chamber. He was perturbed about this. On the day of her wedding, she
took her brooch and stuck it into the wall, and by chance, it penetrated the
eye of a snake killing it. The following morning, when she took the brooch
out, the dead snake came trailing after it. Her father asked her: "What did
you do?" She replied: "A poor man came to our door in the evening, but
everybody was busy at the banquet, and there was none to attend to him.
So I stood up and took the portion which was given to me and gave it to
him. Rabbi Akiva said to her: "You have done a good deed." Thereupon
Rabbi Akiva went out and lectured: "Charity saves one from death"
(Proverbs 10:2), and not just from an unnatural death, but even from death
itself (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbos 156b; based on translations by
Soncino and ArtScroll).

A similar story is told in the Midrash Rabbah (Genesis 52:1). Rabbi Meir went to

the town of Mamla and noticed that everyone there was young; no one reached old age.

He told the people that they must descend from Eli and therefore die at a young age. He

told them to give charity, and this would prolong their lives.

11
Tractate Eruvin

Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rav: "In towns built on hills and
valleys, men and animals age prematurely (Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin
56a).

Not everyone agreed with Rav that walking on hills and valleys would cause one

to age prematurely (Rosner, 2000: 321). There are certainly risks for older people in

living in such places.

Rabbi Pereda had a pupil whom he taught his lesson four hundred times
before the latter could master it. On a particular day, having been
requested to attend to a religious matter, he taught him as usual, but the
pupil could not master the subject. Rabbi Pereda asked: "What is the
matter today?" The student replied: "From the moment the Master was
told that there was a religious matter to be attended to, I could not
concentrate my thoughts, for at every moment I imagined, now the Master
will get up or now the Master will get up." Rabbi Pereda replied: "Give
me your attention, and I will teach you again." And so he taught him
another four hundred times. A bath kol (Heavenly voice) issued forth
asking Rabbi Pereda: "Do you prefer that four hundred years shall be
added to your life or that you and your generation shall be privileged to
have a share in the World to Come [Paradise]?" He replied: 'That I and my
generation shall be privileged to have a share in the world to come." The
Holy One, blessed be He replied: "Give him both." (Babylonian Talmud,
Eruvin 54b).

Numbers are often used in the Talmud figuratively (Chajes, 2005: 224-232); it is the

Talmudic way of saying he lived a very long life. Chajes shows how various numbers are used in

the Talmud figuratively (in our society, numbers such as a thousand or million – e.g., "I told you

a thousand times…." – are also used this way). Rabbi Pereda did indeed have great longevity

and even saw the tenth generation of Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah (Hyman,1987:1033). Another

reason is given for his unusual longevity in Megillah 27b.

12
Tractate Pesachim

It was taught in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya: "Anyone

who concludes the Havdalah blessing [that marks the end of the Sabbath]
with, 'Blessed are You, God, who sanctifies Israel and separates between
holy and secular,' will have his days and years prolonged. But the law does
not accord with him." (Babylonian Talmud, Pesachim 104a-104b).

The law does not follow the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya, and we

conclude the blessing: "Blessed are You, God, who separates between holy and secular."

This is the opinion of Shmuel; Rav's opinion was the blessing is concluded with "Who

sanctifies Israel." Interestingly, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya tried to buttress his

opinion with the promise of long life.

Tractate Rosh Hashanah

According to the Talmudic tradition (Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 18a), Abaye

and Rabbah were descendants of Eli, the High Priest. This family was cursed with a short life

(see I Samuel 2:33). The Talmud, however, notes that Abaye lived to the age of 60 because he

occupied himself with Torah and deeds of loving-kindness. The Talmud points out that the Torah

begins and ends with an act of loving-kindness by God. At the beginning (Genesis 3:21), God

makes garments from animal skins for Adam and Eve; at the end (Deuteronomy 34:6), God

buries Moses (Babylonian Talmud, Sotah, 14a). The Talmud makes clear that gemilut chasadim

(performing acts of chesed) is superior to tzedaka (charity) (Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 49b).

After all, rich and poor, the dead and the living benefit from chesed. Moreover, even poor people

can be kind and perform gemilut chasadim.

13
 Rabbah and Abaye were of the house of Eli. Rabbah, who engaged
himself in Torah, lived forty years. Abaye, who immersed himself both in
Torah and deeds of loving-kindness, lived sixty years (Babylonian
Talmud, Rosh Hashanah, 18a).

There was a family in Jerusalem whose members used to die at the age of
eighteen. They came and told Rabban Yochanan b. Zakkai. He said to
them: "Perhaps you are from the family of Eli, to whom it was said (I
Samuel 2:33), "and all the increase of your house shall die young men."
Go and study Torah, and you may live. They went and studied the Torah
and lived, and they used to call that family the family of Rabbi Yochanan
after his name (Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah, 18a).

Studying Torah prolongs one's life. The commentaries provide a reason why Rabban

Yochanan b. Zakkai did not also recommend that the family engage in deeds of loving-kindness

together with Torah. The Chida (Pesach Einayim) answers that the family was already involved

in acts of loving-kindness.

Tractate Megillah

Rabbi Zakkai was asked by his disciples: "On account of which

meritorious practice have you attained longevity? He replied: "Never in
my life have I urinated within four cubits of a place where prayers have
been said, and I never coined a nickname for my fellow, and I never
neglected to recite the Kiddush of the Sabbath day [recited on Friday night
before the Sabbath meal to sanctify the Sabbath] over wine" (Babylonian
Talmud, Megillah 27b).

In Talmudic times, there were no toilets, so people urinated anywhere. It was not easy to

find a place outdoors on a path in a big city like Nehardea to pray (see Babylonian Talmud,

Megillah 27b). Most nicknames tend to mock someone. Rabbi Zakkai was careful not to use any

sobriquets to be safe. Technically, one may recite the Sabbath Kiddush on bread; wine, however,

is preferable. The reward for making Kiddush on wine is also wealth. When Rabbi Zakkai died,

14
he left his children 3,000 barrels of wine as their inheritance (Babylonian Talmud, Megillah

27b).

Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua was asked by his disciples: "On account of
which meritorious practice have you attained longevity?" He replied:
"Never in my life have I used a synagogue as a shortcut, nor have I ever
stepped over the heads of the holy people, and I never lifted my hands to
say the priestly blessing without first reciting a benediction" (Babylonian
Talmud, Megillah 27b).

The tragic story of Abdan and Rabbi Yishmael ben Yosi discussed in Babylonian

Talmud, Yevamos 105b provides additional insight into the issues involved in disregarding the

dignity of the students and appear to be "stepping on their heads." it is disrespectful to use a

house of prayer as a shortcut. In ancient times, the students sat on the ground while listening to

the lecture. Someone who walked around the seated students to reach his place appeared to be

stepping on the heads of the students. One who did this seemed to be arrogant. The solution was

to arrive early or to remain outside the circle where the students sat. In any case, Rabbi Elazar b.

Shamua was a humble individual and had a great deal of respect for his colleagues. Rabbi Elazar

b. Shamua was a Kohen (priest). Today, all priests make the blessing – "Blessed art thou... who

hast sanctified us with the sanctity of Aaron" – before the priestly benediction.

Rabbi Pereda was asked by his disciples: "On account of which

meritorious practice have you attained longevity? He replied: "Never in
my life has anyone ever preceded me to the house of study, nor did I ever
recite the Grace after Meals before a Kohen (priest), and I never ate the
meat of an animal from which the priestly gifts had not been given"
(Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 27b-28a).

He is the same Rabbi Pereda cited above. If he taught his student a subject 400 times, it is

not surprising that he spent a great deal of time in the house of study. Rabbi Pereda was

15
respectful of priests even if they were not as scholarly as he and allowed them to recite the Grace

after Meals. Today, we say the Grace to ourselves, but the honor of reciting the zimun (invitation

to others to join in the blessing) is given to a priest. The priestly gifts are the foreleg, jaw, and the

maw of the sacrifice (Deuteronomy 18:3).

Rabbi Nechunyah ben HaKanah was asked by his disciples: "On account
of which meritorious practice have you attained longevity? He replied:
"Never in my life have I derived honor from the humiliation of my fellow,
nor has my fellow's curse gone up with me onto my bed [he forgave
everyone who wronged him before going to sleep], and I have been
generous with my money" (Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 28a).

Before going to sleep, Rabbi Nechunyah would forgive anyone who caused him distress,

even people who cursed him.

This is another version of the above.

Rabbi Nechunyah ben HaKanah was asked by Rabbi Akiva: "On account
of which meritorious practice have you attained longevity? He replied:
"Never in my life have I accepted presents, nor have I ever insisted on
exacting retribution when wronged, and I have been generous with my
money" (Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 28a).

Rabbi Nechunyah's servants attacked Rabbi Akiva for having the nerve to ask such a

question. It appeared to Rabbi Nechunyah's servants that he begrudged Rabbi Nechunyah his

long life. Rabbi Akiva had to climb up a tree to save himself. When Rabbi Nechunyah

recognized that Rabbi Akiva was a scholar, he told his servants to leave him alone. It is written

(Proverbs 15:27): "One who hates gifts will live." People who hate gifts will certainly hate any

kind of ill-gotten gains (see the commentary of Rashi on Proverbs 15:27). Moreover, one who

hates gifts trusts in God (Metzudas David on Proverbs 15:27).

16
 Rebbi was asked by Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha: "On account of which
meritorious practice have you attained longevity? He replied: "Do you
begrudge me my life?" Whereupon Rebbi said to him: "This is Torah, and
I need to learn." He replied: "Never in my life have I gazed at the face of a
wicked person" (Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 28a).

This is derived from the verse in II Kings 3:14: "And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts

lives, before Whom I stand, surely, were it not that I respect the presence of Jehoshaphat, the

king of Judah, I would not look toward you nor see you." The prophet Elisha did not want to

look at the face of an idolater. It appears that by not looking at evildoers, one makes it evident

that they are not worthy of any respect. Gazing at someone is a mark of respect or love.

Rabbi Zeira was asked by his disciples: "On account of which meritorious
practice have you attained longevity?" He replied: "Never in my life have
I displayed anger in my house, nor have I walked in front of one greater
than myself, nor have I meditated on the Torah in filthy alleys, nor have I
walked four cubits without learning Torah and wearing Tefillin, nor have I
slept in the house of study, either a long or a short sleep, nor have I
rejoiced in the downfall of my fellow, nor have I called my fellow by his
nickname, (or, as some report, surname if it had a bad connotation)"
(Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 28a).

Rabbi Zeira was an Amora; the others mentioned above were all Tannaim. Many of these

ideas were suggested by others. Rabbi Zera was careful not to show any anger even at home,

and certainly not with outsiders (see the commentary of Meiri). Rabbi Zera was constantly

engaged in learning Torah to the point where he would not walk four cubits without

contemplating Torah (see ArtScroll, note 38). It is stated in Proverbs (24:17): "When your enemy

falls, do not rejoice, and when he stumbles, let your heart not exult."

17
Tractate Moed Katan

Rava stated: "The length of a person's life, the number of children one has,
and the amount of sustenance are not dependent on merit but instead on
mazal. For take Rabbah and Rabbi Chisda. Both were righteous rabbis;
one master prayed for rain, and it came, the other master prayed for rain,
and it came. Yet Rabbi Chisda lived to the age of 92 years, and Rabbah
only lived to 40. In Rabbi Chisda's house, they celebrated 60 weddings; at
Rabbah's house, there were 60 bereavements. At Rabbi Chisda's home,
there was bread of fine flour for dogs, and it went to waste; whereas, at
Rabbah's house, there was bread of barley flour for people and not enough
of it could be found (Babylonian Talmud, Moed Katan, 28a)

The commentaries (e.g., Tosafot) note that the Talmud states elsewhere that "The

celestial signs (mazal) have no influence over Israel" (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbos 156a). Most

of the sages did feel that one could escape his/her destiny. As we shall see, charity and prayer

both have the ability to change one's destiny. The ArtScroll commentary (note 38) states that

"Rava considers mazal only a factor, albeit the main one, in determining a person's fate. He

agrees that its effect can be mitigated, at least in part, by one's deeds." Given that the opinions of

more than 2,000 individuals (who lived over a period of 500 years) are expressed in the Talmud,

it should not be surprising that there are many different opinions. This is why it is necessary to

take a global view of the Talmud.

Tractate Kiddushin

The Torah (Leviticus 19:32) states: "You shall rise in the presence of the elderly and

honor the presence of a zaken [translated by the rabbis as sage, even a young one]." The law

requires that one stand up for either an older person or a sage. The punishment for not rising for

one's teacher is losing one's knowledge and dying young. The penalty is "measure for measure"

18
and no one will ever stand for such a disrespectful individual since he will not make it to old age

and will not be a sage (Anaf Yosef).

Rabbi Elazar said: "Any Torah scholar that does not rise before his teacher
is called a wicked person, will not live long, and will forget his learning …
(Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 33b).

Tractate Bava Bathra

This story demonstrates how one act of charity resulted in 22 years of additional life for

Benjamin the Righteous. The idea that charity can override destiny is illustrated in other parts of

the Talmud.

The following incident is related of Benjamin the Righteous, who was a

supervisor of the charity fund. Once, a woman came to him in a year of
scarcity and said to him: "My master, sustain me." He replied: "I swear by
the Holy Temple Service that there is not a penny in the charity fund." She
said: "My master, if you do not sustain me, a woman and her seven
children will perish." He rose and sustained her out of his own pocket.
Some time afterward, he became dangerously ill. The angels addressed the
Holy One, blessed be He, saying: "Master of the Universe, You have said
that he who preserves one soul of Israel is considered as if he had preserved
the whole world; shall then Benjamin the Righteous who has preserved a
woman and her seven children die at so early an age?" Immediately
Benjamin's decree was torn up. It has been taught that 22 years were added
to his life. (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Bathra 11a).

Tractate Avos

Hillel said: "He who makes worldly use of the crown of the Torah shall
perish" (Avos 1:13; Avos 4:5).
Rabbi Yehoshua said: "The evil eye [greed], the evil urge [to gratify one's
lusts and desires], and the hatred for mankind take a person out of the
world" (Avos 2:11).
Rabbi Eliezer HaKappar said: "Envy, lust, and thirst for honor take a
person out of the world" (Avos 4:21).

19
 One is not permitted to benefit from the Torah and treat it as a shovel or tool to receive

honor or make money. Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabbi Eliezer are describing different kinds of

selfishness, egomania, and self-centeredness.

Tractate Menachos

Resh Lakish said, He who puts on the tefillin will live long, for it is
written (Isaiah 38:16): "The Lord upon them, they shall live, and
altogether therein is the life of my spirit; may You heal me and cure me"
(Babylonian Talmud, Menachos 44a-44b).

This was part of King Hezekiah's Song of Thanksgiving when he was healed from

a severe illness. Resh Lakish interprets "The Lord upon them" homiletically to mean

wearing tefillin (phylacteries).

Rabbi Tarfon asked a question, and a student responded in a way that caused

Rabbi Tarfon embarrassment.

R. Tarfon remained silent, and at once the face of Yehuda ben Nehemiah
brightened with joy. Thereupon R. Akiva said to him: "Yehuda, your face
brightened with joy because you have refuted an elderly sage; I wonder
whether you will live a long life" (Babylonian Talmud, Menachos 68b).

Rabbi Akiva said this to his student, Yehuda b. Nehemiah, who had refuted Rabbi Tarfon

(Babylonian Talmud, Menachos 68b). Some see this as a curse. However, the more likely

explanation is that he was making a statement. Rabbi Akiva knew the consequences of students

disrespecting their colleagues. Rabbi Akiva's 24,000 students died in the period between

Passover and Shavuos (Babylonian Talmud, Yevamos 62b). The Talmud provides a reason they

were punished: "They all of them died at the same time because they did not treat each other

with respect." Not showing respect for an elderly sage was much worse. In any case, he died

20
shortly thereafter. The Talmud states that this incident happened shortly before Passover and

Rabbi Yehuda was no longer alive by Shavuos.

Tractate Tamid

The following are two of ten questions Alexander of Macedon asked the elders of the

Negev.

Alexander said to the elders: "What shall a man do to live?" They replied:
"Let him kill himself." They asked: "What should a man do to kill
himself?" They replied: "Let him enliven himself" (Babylonian Talmud,
Tamid 32a).

What is meant by "kill himself" is by working hard and not saying that the work is

beneath his dignity. It also means not indulging in luxuries and "killing himself" by being very

studious. Some interpret "kill himself" as referring to humility. The term "enliven himself"

means to live it up, i.e., become lazy, indulge in luxuries, and not study Torah. Rashi, in his

commentary, explains this to mean being arrogant. Rashi states that one who enlivens himself by

being arrogant and affected will cause the envy of others and will thereby shorten his lifespan.

Discussion

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview as to which behaviors, according to

the Talmudic sages, result in a long life. It appears that the Talmudic recommendations for long

life may be categorized into five general groupings.

1. Being Benevolent and Altruistic

--Giving charity or providing food for the poor

--Engaging in deeds of loving-kindness (chesed)
--Making sure that the priestly gifts were given to the priests before partaking of meat. This can

21
be seen as a form of charity for the priests.
--Being generous with one's money
--Shortens life: greed

The sages felt that being generous with one's wealth and helping the poor would prolong

one's life.

2. Being Compassionate, Respectful, and Humble

--Showing respect to priests and allowing them to recite the Grace

--Having respect for people
--Respect for other people and not giving them nicknames
--Not showing disrespect for colleagues by walking over them to reach one's place; being a
humble person
--Forgiving people who have aggravated us before going to sleep
--Never showing anger even to members of one's household
--Showing respect for colleagues by never walking in front of them
--Standing for one's teacher
--Being humble
--Not exacting retribution
--Not rejoicing in the stumbling of another human
--Shortens life: disrespect for people
--Shortens life: arrogance
--Shortens life: being an ingrate to one's host
--Shortens life: sexual immorality and lust
--Shortens life: misanthropy
--Shortens life: living an extravagant lifestyle

This category is very similar to the first. It deals with having a compassionate, respectful,

and humble personality. One has to respect all people and not be arrogant or misanthropic.

Leading an extravagant lifestyle will also adversely affect one's lifespan.

3. Sincere, Meaningful Prayer

--Praying
--Prolonging the "echad" in Shema, thus stressing that there is one God
--Pronouncing Amen clearly; mispronouncing might shorten one's life
--Praying in a clean place
--Ritual immersion in a mikveh after keri before praying
--Not showing disrespect for a synagogue by using it as a shortcut
--Wearing Tefillin

22
 Sincere prayer is also associated with longevity. This includes treating the synagogue

with respect, wearing Tefillin when praying, praying in a clean place, and pronouncing words

correctly, especially the Amen.

4. Loving and Studying Torah

--Studying Torah
--Constantly thinking about Torah
--Studying Torah intensely and in-depth and for its own sake.
--Showing respect for a house of study by not sleeping in it
--Reward for being a teacher with great patience
--Being first to arrive in the house of study
--Shortens life: Using Torah for one's own advantage

The Torah is the foundation for leading the right kind of lifestyle. A common theme in

the Talmud is that studying Torah leads to practice. Torah must be studied intensely and without

ulterior motives. The Talmud asserts that the Angel of Death has no power over someone

engaged in learning Torah and cannot kill him (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbos 30b).

5. Miscellaneous

--If one is a priest, reciting the benediction first before saying the priestly blessing
--Making the Sabbath Kiddush on wine
--Not accepting presents
--Working hard
--Spending time in the privy
--Shortens life: laziness

Some of the miscellaneous items may be tools used by the sages to encourage certain

activities and behaviors, e.g., making Kiddush on wine and reciting the benediction before

saying the priestly blessing. Some deal with health. It is certainly not healthy to spend too little

time on the privy. One who is lazy and refuses to do hard work will be a burden on society and

be unable to help others.

23
Conclusion

An individual who wants to use the wisdom of the Talmudic sages to derive a philosophy

of life that will result in longevity should strive to lead a life of caring, compassion, and concern

for others. Indeed, the values emphasized by Hosea (2: 21-22) lead to long life: righteousness,

justice, acts of loving-kindness, mercy, and faithfulness:

And I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in

righteousness (tzedek) and with justice (mishpat), and in loving kindness
(chesed), and with mercy (rachamim). I will betroth you to me in
faithfulness (emunah). And you shall know the Lord.

Reave (2005), in her extensive literature review dealing with leadership asserts:

The spiritual values of integrity, honesty, and humility, and the spiritual
practices of treating others with respect and fairness, expressing caring
and concern, listening responsively, appreciating others, and taking time
for personal reflection have all been linked to quantifiable positive effects
for organizations and individuals.

These values mentioned by Reave (2005) are similar to those that the Talmudic sages

felt would contribute to a long life. A growing body of research today demonstrates that

"improved mood, better physical health, and increased longevity" are correlated with generosity

and compassion (Renter, 2015). Giving time by being a volunteer and donating money can

reduce stress and improve one's health. Stephen Post, the founder of the Institute for Research

on Unlimited Love, also cites several studies that have found that doing good results in better

health and longer life (Dombrowiak, 2015). Bill Gates said the following at the World

Economic Forum's 2008 meeting in Davos: "There are two great forces of human nature — self-

interest and caring for others" (Grant, 2013). The Talmud makes it very clear which force

results in a long, healthy life.

24
 References

Chajes, Z. H. (2005). The student's guide through the Talmud. Translated by Jacob Schachter.
New York: Yashar Books.

Dombrowiak, D. T. (2015, September 17). Expert shares proof that doing good is good for our
health. Community West Foundation. Retrieved from
http://www.communitywestfoundation.org/blog/expert-shares-proof-that-doing-good-is-
good-for-our-health

Eisen, C. (2007). Maharal's Be'er ha-Golah and his revolution in aggadic scholarship — in their
context and on his terms. Hakirah, 4, Winter, 137-193.

Friedman, H. H. (2016, June 28). The remarkable women of the Talmud. SSRN. Available at
SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2801822

Friedman, H. H. (2015, June 2). 'Let justice pierce the mountain': Morality, ethics, and law in the
Talmud. SSRN. Available at
SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2613759 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2613759

Friedman, H. H. (2014, July 27). The art of constructive arguing: Lessons from the Talmud.
SSRN. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2472735 or
http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2472735

Grant, A. (2013, April). In the company of givers and takers. Harvard Business Review.
Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2013/04/in-the-company-of-givers-and-takers

Gray, A. M. (2008). Amoraim. In Encylopedia Judaica. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Publishing.
Available at:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0002_0_01018.html

Hyman, A. (1987). Toldoth Tannaim ve’Amoraim. In Hebrew. Jerusalem, Israel: Machon Pri
Ha’aretz.

Margolis, M. (2000). Encyclopedia l'chachmei haTalmud v' hagaonim. In Hebrew. Tel Aviv,
Israel: Yavneh Publishing House.

Preuss, J. (1978). Biblical and Talmudic medicine. New York: Sanhedrin Press.

25
Reave, L. (2005). Spiritual values and practices related to leadership effectiveness. Leadership
Quarterly. 16, 655-687.

Renter, E. (2015, May 1). What generosity does to your brain and life expectancy. U.S. News &
World Report. Retrieved from http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-
wellness/articles/2015/05/01/what-generosity-does-to-your-brain-and-life-expectancy

Rosner, F. (2000). Encyclopedia of medicine in the Bible and the Talmud. Northvale, NJ: Jason
Aronson, Inc.

Solomon, N. (2009). The Talmud: A selection. New York: Penguin Books.

26