Jewish%20thought for Shabbat 303:9

ואף ברזילי הגלעדי אמר לדוד (שמואל ב יט, לו) בן שמנים שנה אנכי היום האדע בין טוב לרע מכאן שדעותן של זקנים משתנות אם יטעם עבדך את אשר אוכל ואת אשר אשתה מכאן ששפתותיהן של זקנים מתרפטות אם אשמע עוד בקול שרים ושרות מכאן שאזניהם של זקנים מתכבדות

'and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird', — even a bird will awake him from sleep; 'and all the daughters of the music shall be brought low — even the voices of male singers and female singers sound to him like a whisper. And thus too did Barzillai the Gileadite say to David: 'I am this day fourscore years old: can I discern between good and bad'? This shows that the opinions of old men are changeable [changed]; 'can thy servant taste what I eat or drink'? this shows that the lips of old men grow slack;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., fall apart and cannot enjoy the taste of food. ');">²²</span> 'can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. XIX, 35. ');">²³</span> this proves that the ears of old men are heavy.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They are hard of hearing. ');">²⁴</span>

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