ORI GIN AL PA PER

Gerotrancscendence Through Jewish Eyes

Chaya Greenberger

Published online: 21 March 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012

Abstract The Swedish sociologist Tornstam perceives old age as the peak of humanmaturation whose favorable culmination is gerotranscendence. The latter is characterized

by breaking out of ones finite existence and uniting with a greater world with respect to

past, present, and future. Tornstam relates to gerotranscendent roots in Eastern cultures;

this study will examine how gerotranscendence finds expression in Jewish sources. Varied

Jewish texts speak to how the wisdom that accrues from life experience enables one to rise

above physical decline and enrich relationships via self, fellow man, and cosmos. Three

major biblical exemplars of gerotranscendors are depicted: Abraham, focusing on limitless

giving to fellow man; Isaac, overcoming psychological barriers of past paternal disap-

pointments; and Jacob uniting with his children and grandchildren through the blessing that

becomes a legacy for perpetuating the future of the nation. Practical applications of the

study for more meaningful aging are discussed.

Keywords Gerotranscendence Jewish roots Meaningful aging

Introduction

Lars Tornstam, a prominent Swedish sociologist, theorizes that old age is a distinct

developmental period of life. He purports that accumulated life experience together with

the realization that life is in its final stage, enables a maturational redefinition of ones

relationship to self, fellow man, and the cosmos (Fereshteh 2001; Tornstam 1987;

Tornstam 1989; Tornstam 2005). With respect to self, gerotranscendent individuals

become less preoccupied with their bodily selves and with material aspects of life in

general. They re-learn to appreciate the simplicities in nature as they did in their youth. In

terms of fellow man, they tend to increase investment in meaningful social relationships at

C. Greenberger (&)Department of Nursing, Jerusalem College of Technology, Machon Tal, Bet Hadefus 7,Jerusalem, Israele-mail: greenber@jct.ac.il

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the expense of superficial ones. In addition, gerotranscendors are typically less judgmental

and more forgiving. They perceive themselves a part of the grand cosmic scheme, linking

past and future, rather than as the center of the universe. Tornstam refers to this collective

redefinition of relationships as Gerotranscendence (Tornstam 1992; Tornstam 1996;

Tornstam 1997).

According to Tornstams theory, individuals can theoretically experience transcendence

before reaching old age, and others do not necessarily gerotranscend in old age,

depending on personality, life experience, and the socio-cultural milieu. Nevertheless, old

age is the most conducive stage to transcendence, as it reflects ultimate human maturation

(Tornstam 1997; Tornstam 2000). Scholars of gerotranscendence have found evidence for

the existence of this phenomenon through both quantitative and qualitative research

(Adams and Sanders 2010; Braam et al. 2006; Hyse and Tornstam 2009; Tornstam 1994).

Tornstam identifies elements of gerotranscendence in Eastern cultures such as Zen

Buddhism, with its emphasis on meditation, asceticism, and union with the cosmos

(Tornstam 1989). This study will expand the search for roots of gerotranscendence by

examining how it finds expression in Jewish sources.

The dualism of old age

Jewish texts hardly mince words regarding the potential ravages of old age. Some

examples: Ecclesiastics (12:3) poetically compares the dreaded bad days of human

deterioration to a war torn country grappling (among other things) with: tremors of the

household guards (e.g., the hands), contractures of the strong soldiers (e.g., the legs),

standstill of the wheat grinders (e.g., the teeth), and blackening of the chimneys

windows (e.g., the eyes). The Talmud1 (Shabbat 152b) compares youth to a crown of

roses and old age to the crown of thorns. King David beseeches G-d not to forsake him in

his old age, when his physical strength gives out (Psalms 71: 9).

And yet, old age is enumerated alongside wealth, power, beauty, honor, and progeny as

the spices of life (Mishna2 Avot, 6:8). The spice of old age is the soaring of the spirit.

As Rabbi Yona Girondi (1581) purports in his medieval work Shaare Tesuvah (2:9), aging

crystallizes the urgency to get ones house in order as the consciousness of finitude closes

in. Rabbi Yehuda Liba ben Btsalel (Loew 1589) in his commentary on Avot (5:21)

attributes the dominance of the spirit to the freedom from the shackles and trappings of the

material world concomitant with aging. These ideas are not uniquely Jewish. Thomas,

Bishop of Brinton in the late 14th century for example, refers to a spiritual incline that

parallels the physical decline of aging as one goes from grace to grace, from good to

better, for perfection to greater perfection (cited in Cole 1992, p. 6). Rabbi Levi ben

Gershon a medieval commentator known as Ralbag, in his commentary on Proverbs

16:31 underscores the spiritual catharsis that accompanies aging as the basis for the

commandment to honor the elderly.

Jewish sources give legitimacy and even encouragement for the coexistence of middle-

aged pursuits during old age. Rabbi Joshua teaches: Just as one marries in youth, so

should one do so in old age; just as one has children in youth, so should one have them in

1 The Talmud is the comprehensive corpus of rabbinic discussion and the analysis of Jewish law, codifiedaround 500 C.E. It is divided into 37 tractates, providing an in-depth analysis of the Mishna and additionalmaterial of a narrative (aggadic) nature.2 The Mishna is the corpus of Jewish laws accumulated, compiled, and codified in approximately 200 C.E.,organized into 6 orders.

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old age as taught in Ecclesiastics (11: 6): Plant your seeds (e.g., bear children) in the

morning (e.g., in your youth), but continue to do so into the evening (e.g., in the

twilight of your life). In a similar vein, Rabbi Akivah teaches that just as one has studied

and mentored students in ones youth, so he should continue to do so in old age (Talmud,

Yevamot 52b). The specific middle-aged activities cited are however themselves self-

transcendental in nature, as they involve securing future biological and spiritual progeny.

The term zaken, the Hebrew word for old, is delineated as an anachronym for ze

shekanah chochmahone who has acquired wisdom (Talmud, Kidushin 32b). In some

instances, the word zaken and its plural zekenim refer to the leaders of the people, a

position earned by virtue of dual merit: years of life experience and amassed wisdom

(Exodus, 3:16; Numbers, 11:16; Deuteronomy 21:2 and 31: 8). Although Job (32:9)

iterates that it is neither the aged who are wise nor the elders who understand (Dulins

free translation, 1986), implying that age is no guarantee for wisdom, he paradoxically

claims that wisdom is typically possessed by the old and understanding (the ability to

apply wisdom to life situations) by the old old (Job 12:12). As Dulin (1986) points out,

the elderly are not a monolithic population, and age does not automatically insure

wisdom.

Proverbs (16: 31) in fact denotes old age as a crown reserved specifically for the

righteous, implying that the benefits of old age are not ubiquitous, but rather contingent

upon character and scholarly accomplishment. Ecclesiastics (12:1) implores: Remember

your Creator in your youth before reaching disdainful old age. Some of the commentators

(i.e., Plongian 1857; Salaman 1874) read this verse with a different twist: Remember your

Creator in youth and health in order to preempt the development of disdainful aging.

Cultivate both physical and spiritual well-being (practice health promotion and build moral

and spiritual collateral) so that you will be able to take the advantage of the opportunities

of old age. In a similar vein, Psalms (92:15) proclaims that the righteous will flourish

and be rejuvenated in their old age. Kli Yakar (1889) perceives the latter to be a spiritual

rejuvenation, as is apparent from his reading of Ecclesiastics (7:9): A wise individual

should not say the first days [years of youth] were superior over the last days [years of old

age], for this is tantamount to giving preference to the material over the spiritual.

The Elements of Gerotranscendence

Redefining Self

The Talmud (Chagigah 14:1) offers the following analogy: Old age is suited for study, as is

youth for the martial arts. Similarly, we find in Proverbs (20:29): The glory of the young is

their physical prowess and that of the elderly, their wisdom. Although spirituality is not

meant to be the monopoly of the elderly, the enhancement of mental and spiritual potential

is perceived as natural to the aging process as is the decrease in brute physical strength.

Midrash3 (Shir Hashirim Rabah 1:1) comments upon the nature of three literary works

of King Solomon, each written in a different periods of life. Song of Songs, a lyrical love

story, was written in Solomons youth; Proverbs, a sensible, pragmatic blueprint for

3 MIdrash is a body of rabbinic literature focused upon interpreting the written scriptures. Major portions ofmidrash were compiled by the second century C.E. (Midrash aggadah relates to narrative rather than legalexegesis of the text, often relating to moral lessons that may be gleaned from the scriptures.)

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navigating lifes practical challenges, is a product of Solomons middle age, whereas

Ecclesiastes is the philosophy of Solomon the seasoned old man, redefining his focus on

life in a nutshell: Vanity of VanitiesAll is vanity. This is a negation of the material

that is fleeting together with an affirmation of the eternal value of things spiritual: fear G-d

and do his commandments, for this is the whole of man (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Physical

existence from the vantage point of old age is a framework for spiritual endeavor; in this

context, Cole (1992, p. xxxiii) brings the message of Akavia Ben Mhallel: remember

where you are ultimately headed (which is easier to do the closer one gets to the end of

ones days on earth) and you will not come to sin (Avot:3:1).

Redefining Relationships with Fellow Man

Midrash (Mechiltah BShalach 15:5) relates that G-d appeared to Israel on Mount Sinai as

an old man fraught with mercy, ostensibly because on Sinai G-d attributed to Himself the

thirteen Attributes of Mercy. The association of being old with being mercifully sensitive

to the human conditiondisplaying tolerance, patience, forgiveness (which are among the

Attributes)renders the latter is characteristic as of human aging, as man is meant to

emulate G-d. In this regard, the Talmud (Tractate Berachot 28:1) relates the story of a

precocious young scholar, Rabbi Elazar Ben Azaria, whose hair turned prematurely gray at

age eighteen upon his appointment as head of the Academy. It is sandwiched in between

two recollections: (1) the concern of the Rabbis wife regarding how he would command

respect, given his young age; and (2) the open admissions policy he instituted immediately

upon assuming his positions. With regard to the former, it is obvious that his hair grayed so

as to give him the semblance of an elder worthy of the honorable appointment. In terms

of the latter, perhaps the instant metamorphosis was a reward for Rabbi Elazars coura-

geous behavior, not expected of a young man of his age. Unlike his predecessor who

prescreened applicants, he non-judgmentally welcomed all into the institution of learning.

Communal responsibility is a pillar of Jewish tradition; participation in communal

affairs is obligatory across the entire life span. Prayer is ideally conducted in a house of

prayer with a minimum quorum of ten (a minyan) (Berachot 7b). Study is encouraged in

the company of a chevrutah, a partner in learning, who potentially serves as a sounding

board and confidante (Taanit 7a; Midrash Yalkut Shimoni Parshat Vayetzeh 247:118).

Visiting the sick and consoling the bereaved, as well as participating in ceremonial rites of

passage are religious commandments (Babah Metziah 30b; Ketubot 17: 1). Retirement

from the work force actually raises expectations as more leisure time is available for

meaningful social activities.

The elderly are never retired from the community of commitment, which is an

interdependent intergenerational community. Witness the Levites who retire from physical

responsibilities at age 50, yet continue on as members of the choir and orchestra in the

sanctuary for the remainder of their lives (Book of Chronicles I: 2425). Dulin (1986) cites

biblical Naomi as a classic example of intergenerational commitment. Naomi tragically lost

her only two sons shortly after being widowed. Out of genuine concern for her daughter-in-

law Ruth toward whom she feels a useless burden, she selflessly begs they part ways and

Ruth seek her own fortune. Ruth steadfastly refuses, and as fate would have it, Naomi

orchestrates a rendezvous that ultimately leads to Ruths marriage to Naomis distant rel-

ative. As the story comes full circle, Ruth bears a child, Naomi becomes its nursemaid, and

the child is actually called the son of Naomi. Ruths selfless embracement of Naomi into her

community eventually results in tables turning as Ruth herself becomes dependent upon

Naomi, hence the creation of generational interdependence. Naomis gerotranscendence is

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initially manifested in the desire to disengage from Ruth for the latters sake, but ends with

her reengagement, climaxing in the rearing the next generation.

Redefining Cosmic Relationships

The energizing effect of connecting with past and future generations emerges from the

insightful dialog brought in the Midrash (Tanchumah Kedoshim 8:6) between a Roman

Caesar who took notice of a very old man planting a fig tree. The Caesar asked why he toils

on an investment whose profits he will in all likelihood not live to reap. He replied: just as

his father and forefathers planted for him so he does for his offspring, no matter whether he

will personally or vicariously enjoy the fruits of the tree. Similarly, the vicarious experi-

ence of witnessing the achievements of childrens milestones, biological, or spiritual (e. g.,

students), is a crown for the elderly (Proverbs, 17:6), investing them with a sense of

generational continuitybeing part of a historic cosmic whole. By the same token,

however, the absence of a positive relationship with progeny can be detrimental to the

gerotranscendental experience (Sadler et al. 2006).

Elements of gerotrancedencescence resound from the dialog that transpires between

King David and his patron Barzilai, recounted in Samuel II (19: 31). Barzilai, an octo-

genarian, is invited by the King to move to the palace, as a reward for his loyalty and

support. The former declines the Kings invitation, rhetorically enumerating his reasons:

Am I still able to appreciate the difference between good and bad (e.g., find material

indulgences pleasurable), discriminate between the tastes of various foods and find joy in

hearing the voice of singers? Dulin (1986) cites these verses as evidence of the negatives of

old age, as Barzilai bemoans his fate. Classic rabbinic literature attributes the deterioration

of Barzilai in old age to overindulgence in his youth, bringing in contradistinction the

acuity of Rabbi Judah the Princes 92-year-old housekeeper (Shabbat 151a). Regardless of

the interpretation we adapt, there is an additional insight to be gleaned here. Barzilai does

find meaning in his old age. Proclaiming that he would only be a burden in the palace, he

has two requests: to live the remainder of his days as an integral part of his own village,

with its familiar physical and social surroundings, and upon death, be buried there with his

fathers and forefathers; to have his son Kimhum taken to the palace in his stead. In fact,

King David wills his son Solomon to continue to care for the descendants of Kimhum.

Decreased interest in physical pleasure (self), the desire to deepen long-rooted relation-

ships at the expense of new superficial ones (fellow man), and the vicarious pleasure in

knowing that his descendants will enjoy a royal life (cosmos) are emerging gerotran-

scendent themes in this encounter.

The Ages of old Age

Throughout history and across cultures, there have been simplistic categorizations of lifes

stages in which all of old age is perceived as monolithic and others in which several sub-ages

are delimited (Cole 1992). As Dulin (1986) points out, the prophets Ezekial (9:6) and Jeri-

miah (6:1; 51:22) address old age as one unit. The Mishna (Avot 5:21), however, delineates

five chronological periods within old age, each reflecting different elements of gerotran-

scendence. The seventieth decade, designated the threshold of old age, is characterized by

accrued wisdom (ziknah). Age 7080 is marked by distinct physical signs of aging,

specifically, gray (literally, whitening) hairsayvahwhich can also be read as yes-

hivathe concentrated engagement of ones energies in intellectual and spiritual pursuit,

typically surrounded by students in the academy of learning. The ninth decade of life is

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marked by gevurotinner strength and fortitude of character. The octogenarian typically

is more tolerant and accepting of fellow humans from walks of life other than his own and is

empowered to continue growing in the face of the losses that naturally accompany old old

age (HaCohen 2010). It is remarkable that the Mishna also characterizes the fourth decade of

life by strength, but the use of the word koach rather than gevurah is employed, indi-

cating a reference to brute physical strength rather than spiritual fortitude.

Age 90100 is a turning point in a social sense, characterized by disengagement. The

Mishnah defines this age by the term lasuach, the ambivalent meaning of which is bent

over or in solitary communion (with self and/or ones Creator) spending all ones time in

prayer and study (Berachot 26:b; Midrash Shmuel 42). By this age, waning strength is

almost ubiquitous, but along side of this, comes waxing spirituality, although typically of

an asocial nature. In a similar vein, Joan Erickson (1997) relates to the very old as in a

separate stage of development characterized by retreat from the word. Contemplation is

meaningful being, no less than doing (Moody 1986).

Reaching the age of 100 is in the words of the Mishna, synonymous with departing the

world. This phrase literally means death. However, an alternate interpretation of this

characterization is that by age 100, an individual embodies ultimate spirituality, disen-

gaged from the physical world (Schneerson 1997). Essentially, the individual is depicted as

coming full circle, to a new meaningful existence. This approach to aging finds expression

in other classic and medieval traditions, but differs sharply from the upward downward

slope of being professed by the culture of modern industrialized world in which old age

leads to physical decline and decreased or absent material productivity, all of this syn-

onymous with existential decline. Post-modern living is characterized by a sobering

understanding that material prosperity is not the penultimate fulfillment of life (Cole 1992).

This has opened up new legitimacy for gerotranscending the finite material self.

Biblical Exemplars of Gerotranscendence

The Midrash (Rabah, Genesis 65:9) recounts three cryptic petitions, one by each Patriarch:

Abraham petitioned G-d for visible signs of old age; Isaac for its pangs; and Jacob for

illness as a precursor of impending death. The trilogy relates to the three spearheads of

gertranscendence (self, other, and cosmos).

Abraham

The book of Genesis (24:1) depicts Abrahams old age in the following manner:

Abraham was elderly, entering into (alternate reading: with) the days and G-dblessed Abraham with everything. There is a rich corpus of commentary on this

ambiguous verse; much of it echoes gerotranscendent themes. The Midrash (Rabbah 59:6)

depicts Abraham as entering into the notorious days of old age, so vividly depicted in

Ecclesiastics 12. G-ds blessing is Abrahams escape from their potential devastation, as a

reward for a life of limitless generosity to fellow man. Rabbi Yehuda Leib Alter, an early

20th century biblical commentator, (Sefat Emet 1996) comes to a similar conclusion,

although he reads the days as those of Abrahams prior life, days with which he

entered old age, each fully exploited for personal growth and exemplary behavior. For

Abraham, transcendence was a way of life and gerotranscendence was its culmination. In a

similar vein, Friedman (2010) brings the Slonimer Rebbes interpretation of Psalms 90

teach us the counting of the daysas elucidating this very conceptlearning to appre-

ciated and utilize each day.

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Rabbi Zadok of Lublin Pri-Zadok (1858) interprets the days as a reference to the days

of old age, full of great spiritual potential. Ktav-Sofer (1873) stresses that Abraham in fact

experienced the frailties of the days of old age but G-d blessed him with the ability of

focus on the needs of others, precluding his own from becoming a preoccupation. The

blessing of altruism turned into an alternate channel for enjoying riches when his ability to

bodily enjoy physical pleasures diminished. Shelah-Horowitz (1802) points out that

Abraham in his old age, although a prosperous businessman, shed the natural craving for

additional wealth. He thus freed himself to channel all his energies into teaching his

disciples how to live a giving moral life.

The blessing of everything bestowed upon Abraham in old age is perceived by Ktav-

Sofer (1873) as the ultimate perfection of character, which can only take place with the

cumulative maturation of old age. Rabbi Yehuda Leib Alter, on the other hand, perceives

the blessing as the ability to be excited by the natural wonders of the world, each day anew,

as if a child, experiencing them for the first time. Degel Efraim (1809) points out that

Abrahams blessing was not that he actually had everything but that he perceived a sense of

wholeness as if he had everything. It is remarkable in this light that the text of the blessing

referred to in this verse is perhaps purposefully sandwiched in between two experiences of

great loss, which undoubtedly diminished Abrahams wholeness from an objective point of

viewSarahs death and the bachelorhood of Isaac.

Getting back to Abrahams petition for physical signs of old age, it becomes clear that it

was not in order to command honor for honors sake but rather to firmly establish his

credentials as a distinguished elder. False modesty was not in order; the goal-oriented

Abraham was determined to maximize his impact as a spiritual mentor.

Abrahams spiritual development progressed geometrically, reaching a peak in old age

(Imrai Yosher commentary on Midrash Rabbah 58:1). The Midrash gleans this from the

unusual construction of the verse denoting the years of his life: Abraham lived 100 years

and 70 years and 5 years; in each consecutively smaller interval of time, he achieved

equally as much as in the larger prior interval; hence his age is reported in three distinct

numbers rather than a single summative one.

Isaac

Isaacs old age, in contrast to Abrahams, is not depicted as blessed and is, moreover,

intertwined with visual disability. And it came to be when Isaac became old his eyes dulled

and he was unable to see (Genesis 26:1). This recollection is sandwiched in between the

recounting of his son Esaus marriage to Canaanite womena source of deep anguish

and Isaacs decision to bless Esau nonetheless. A righteous old fathers blessing was a

coveted gift, assumed to have prophetic properties. The redundancy of the verse regarding

Isaacs diminished sight implies dual meaning. With respect to seeing, Isaac becamephysiologically blind. With respect to perceiving, Isaacs harsh perception of Esau as ablack sheep softened. Mellowing, in a sense dulling, in old age, Isaac became less

judgmental and more able to appreciate the good qualities of Esau, even in the shadow of

the hurt of his wayward behavior. In fact, Isaacs decision to bless him arouse from the

hope that the blessing in and of itself would facilitate Esau to bring out his best (Yeshivat

Or Etzion 2011).

On another plane, however, Isaac nevertheless felt great remorse over his failure in

properly rearing Esau. Isaac petitions G-d in his old age for the pangs of blindness.

Introspectively approaching the end of his terrestrial life, he perceives blindness as a

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crucible of atonement for his shortcomings as a father, enabling him to enter the afterlife

untainted (Midrash Rabba, Genesis 65:9).

Jacob

Jacobs old age is unique among the Patriarchs in that it revolves not only around children

and disciples, but around grandchildren as well. According to Maimonides,4 a grandfather

is responsible for the spiritual guidance of his grandchildren no less than his children. This

is part of ones accountability to future generations, ensuring that the tradition is passed on.

This Patriarch received the honorable nickname of sabah (grandfather) of Israel

(Midrash Rabbah, Genesis 73:2) because of his special relationship to his grandchildren

(Lifshitz 2011). He refers to his grandchildren Efraim and Mehansheh (sons of Joseph) as

his own children. He furthermore gives them priority by blessing them before his own sons,

and in a most exalted manner: May the Angel who protects me from all harm, bless the

boys; may those who speak of them always do so in the context of my name and the names

of my fathers Abraham and Isaac and may they multiply on the earthWith your namesshall future generations bless their children, saying: May G-d render you akin to Ephraim

and Menashe (Genesis 48:16; 48:20). Jacobs ultimate wishes were clearly focused: His

grandchildren would be a vehicle through which the past generations would live on in the

memory of descendents and ultimately, that the grandchildren themselves would become

part of the collective history of the nation. Every Jewish father unto eternity will bless his

children using their namesakes!

With an eye to the past and out of a deep longing for bygone generations, Jacob requests

of Joseph to take an oath that he will bury him in Hebron alongside his ancestors. With an

eye to the future, Jacob desperately attempts to reveal to his progeny, prior to his death, the

prophecy of ultimate redemption that is destined to occur in messianic times. His sense was

that such knowledge would be an inspiration in difficult times to come (Pesachim 51:1).

Although Divine intervention denied his request, the strong desire for this revelation

reflects a Jacobs deep-set identification with future of his descendants.

It becomes clear from the above why Jacob petitioned G-d for illness. He feared that

sudden death would deprive him of the opportunity to set his house in order. His illness

gave him and his family awareness of the urgency of the matters at hand. It provided a

preparatory period, culminating in the majestic legacy Jacob leaves for his descendants.

Applying Gerotranscendence to the Quest for Meaning

The quest for meaning crosses all cultures and religions throughout history (Adams and

Sanders 2010; Cole 1992; Friedman 2008; Jung 1933; Moody 1986), pointing to its uni-

versality as an intuitive human trait. More specifically, Carl Jung (1933) claims that an

individual must connect with the infinite; this is built into his finiteness. If religion is

disregarded, then spirituality takes its place. The quest for meaning becomes more critical

as individuals age. Cole iterates that: All societies establish systems of meaning that help

people orient themselves toward the intractable limits of human existenceso that one isnot broken on the rock of old age (Cole 1992, xxii). The practical importance of

gerotranscendence lies in its potential to enhance meaning in old age, in the wake of

multiple losses and the approach of death.

4 Giant medieval Jewish scholar whose opus magnum was the Yad Hazakah in which he classified andexplained the entire legal corpus of the Talmud.

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Although it is beyond the scope of this discourse to provide a comprehensive manual for

facilitating gerotransencendence, some operative suggestions rooted in this discourse will

be herein presented. Facilitators can be formal and informal caregivers or peers and family

members. Gerotranscendence is versatile enough to be relevant to elderly across the gamut

of sub-old ages and in different environments. The latter include private homes, nursing

facilities, hospitals, or hospices. Old age is full of death and full of life (as Ronald

Blythe puts it, cited in Cole and Gadow 1986, p. 3). This paradox is a guiding light for the

work of gerotransendence; legitimacy is given to ponder, talk, and prepare for death and all

the same to seize each day for its meaningful experiences.

Getting to know the elderly and what is meaningful for them is an important first step

for a facilitator. This can be combined with a life review, which clarifies for the elderly

individual significant events of the past. One of the earliest records of an effective life

review is found in Jacobs blessing to his sons, as he recalls an event of the past and mends

it for the present and future. The blessing he gave to Simeon and Levi was their dispersion

among the tribes of Israel so as to dilute the zealousness that typified their tribes. This was

to prevent a repetition of acts of vengeance similar to those the two brothers perpetrated on

the city of Shechem in the wake of their sister Dinahs defilement (Genesis 49:7) .

Review of the past, provided it impacts on the present by broadening ones relationship

to self, other, and cosmos, has gerotranscendental significance (Wadensten and Haggludd

2006). It can be fruitful even for the terminally ill (Jenko et al. 2010). Life review can

sensitize the elderly to past accomplishments, which can be used in the present to hand

down a legacy to future generations, enhancing feelings of self worth. Paradoxically, it can

bring to the surface previous failures, missed opportunities, conflicts, spoiled relationships,

and extraneously imposed traumas. These can also be fertile soil for gerotranscendance,

provided they can be integrated into the coherent whole of life (Butler 1963). Personal

failures and missed opportunities may be turned around by viewing them in light of present

successes of children or grandchildren, to which the elderly contribute inspirationally,

monetarily, or instrumentally. Relationships can sometimes still be mended if the involved

individuals are among the living, by asking for forgiveness or offering it gratuitously to a

significant other. If the individual is deceased, atonement is a possibility. Dedicating a

poem, donating a religious object or endowing a piece of medical equipment in his/her

memory are just a few of the options that can be pursued, some of the latter are suggested

by Friedman (2005a). Making traumatic experiences coherent presents an enormous

challenge. Holocaust survivors, for example, are not uniformly successful in accom-

plishing this task. Some, however, are remarkable in their ability to be consoled by the

triumph of their survival, others by their tenacious faith, and still others from knowing that

future generations will carry on the banner of Jewish pride forward into history. Torah

scrolls written in the memory and honor of the victims and establishing funds for Holo-

caust research are additional examples.

Therapeutic options for gerotranscendence among elderly who want to remain com-

munally engaged include participating either instrumentally or financially in a worthy

charitable cause. Friedman (2005a) engaged her elderly congregation in adopting from afar

an Ethiopian child who immigrated to Israel in Operation Moses. The project electrified the

congregation, infusing them with pride, purpose, involvement, and responsibility for fellow

man.

For those elderly who prefer to disengage, there are other possibilities for transcen-

dence. If they are religiously oriented, private prayer, contemplation, and meditation can be

encouraged. Reading classic or contemporary literature about aging or exemplars of

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meaningful aging, possibly coupled with writing a diary or a personal commentary are

avenues for solitary gerotranscendental growth.

Gerotranscendence manifested through connecting with the past and future can be

achieved in a number of ways. Their appeal may vary, depending upon the individuals

inclinations and the culture-social milieu in which they live. Possibilities for connecting

with the past include reconstructing family trees, seeking after a lost relative, reminiscing

about deceased family members, and collecting their memoirs or memorabilia. With

respect to future generations, the elderly may choose to give certain objects they cherish to

a particular member of the younger generation during their lifetime, appoint them to a

certain position of responsibility in their place, or meet with them on a regular basis to

tolerant intergenerational discourse, study or prayer.

A special challenge looms in facilitating gerotranscendence among the cognitively

impaired. The activities delineated above are in part not relevant for these individuals.

However, it is possible to create spiritual experiences for them through the media of music,

touch, and eliciting significant memories. Facilitators need to keep in mind that these

individuals differ greatly among themselves and within themselves at different periods,

with respect to what they grasp and through which medium. There is really no substitute

here for trial and error. Most important, it must be kept in mind that just like the broken

tablets had a place in the holy ark along side the whole ones (Talmud Berachot 8b), these

individuals needs have to be considered along with all the others (Talmud Berachot 8b),

they in there own way quest for meaning (Friedman 2005b).

Summative Remarks

The biblical texts and exemplars examined in this discourse can be useful for professionals

and laymen as an avenue for the study and facilitation of the various elements of gero-

transcendence. They can serve as a backdrop for the activities described in the previous

section. Each of the three patriarchs, it will be recalled, related to a different dimension of

gerotranscendence: Abrahams selfless engagement, Isaacs cathartic disengagement and

paternal reengagement, and Jacobs multigenerational connectedness. Additional tran-

scendental insights were drawn from other biblical personalities, such as Naomi and Ruth

and Barzilai, as well as exemplary Talmudists. It is important to keep in mind that the

exemplars are ideal prototypes that while an excellent source of inspiration for emulation,

are not meant to be perceived as a dictum to be copied, lock, stock, and barrel. Different

individuals, with varied life experiences and personalities will naturally gravitate to aspects

of gerotranscendence they find meaningful and empowering in old age.

This work focuses predominantly on Jewish sources, but there are undoubtedly elements

of gerotranscendence in other traditions. Hopefully, this will serve as an inspiration for

others to examine additional traditions in order to broaden both the understanding and the

ability to utilize transcendence as a vehicle for enhancing meaning in the lives of the

elderly.

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Gerotrancscendence Through Jewish EyesAbstractIntroductionThe dualism of old age

The Elements of GerotranscendenceRedefining SelfRedefining Relationships with Fellow ManRedefining Cosmic RelationshipsThe Ages of old AgeBiblical Exemplars of GerotranscendenceAbrahamIsaacJacobApplying Gerotranscendence to the Quest for MeaningSummative Remarks

References