Musar for Pesachim 226:10
ארבעה אין הדעת סובלתן אלו הן דל גאה ועשיר מכחש וזקן מנאף ופרנס מתגאה על הציבור בחנם ויש אומרים אף המגרש את אשתו פעם ראשונה ושניה ומחזירה
Our Rabbis taught: There are three whose life is not life; the [over.] compassionate, the hot-tempered, and the [too] fastidious; whereon R'Joseph observed: And a these [qualities] are found in me. Our Rabbis taught: Three hate one another, viz. : dogs, fowls, and Parsee priests;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Guebers, [Aliter: 'partners' v. Strashun].');"><sup>11</sup></span>
Orchot Tzadikim
The second thing that can stir the heart to repentance is when old age comes upon a person and he sees the weakening of his strength, then he understands what must ultimately be his fate, and he will remember his end, and he will return to God, and He will have mercy upon him. And he who does not return in repentance at the time of old age, his punishment will be double, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, "There are four kinds of men that the mind of man cannot bear, and these are they: A poor man who is arrogant, a rich man who deceives, an old man who is lecherous, and a community leader who lords it over the congregation without reason" (Pesahim 113b). And when a man sees that his days are passing, and that his constitution is growing weaker, and that this is the beginning of the journey that he is taking to his Eternal Home, and that he is travelling day and night, it would be a matter of great astonishment if such person did not set his heart upon preparing provisions for his great and distant path. This only happens if he has little faith.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy