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1)

(a)

1. ... "Shomrei ha'Bayis" - are the flanks and the ribs;
2. ... "Anshei he'Chayil" - the calves;
3. ... "ha'Tochnos" - the teeth and ...
4. ... 'ha'Ro'os ba'Arubos", the eyes.

(b) When Rebbi Yehoshua told the Emperor that he did not attend the debates (with the Tzedokim) because 'the mountain is snowy, it is surrounded with ice, the dogs are not barking and the teeth are not grinding' - he meant that the hair of his head had turned white as well as his beard and mustache, his voice no longer had the volume that it once had, and his teeth were no longer operative.

(c) When the Bei Rav said that they were searching for something that they did not lose - they meant that, when a person ages, he walks bent, conveying the impression that he is looking for something - even though he did not lose anything.

(d) Walking on two legs is better than walking on three (two plus a stick), and woe to the youth that has sadly passed and will never return.

(a) If youth is a crown of rose, then old age is a crown of thistles.

(b) Chewing one's food well - will result in firm footsteps.

(c) Until the age of forty it is better to *eat more* and to drink less; from forty years and onwards, one should rather *drink more* and eat less.

(d) That Guza'ah, who was a Tzedoki, insulted Rebbi Yehoshua ben Korchah (which means bald) by referring to him as 'a bald goat'; Rebbi Yehoshua referred to him as a 'Saris' (a eunuch) - which is what Guza'ah means. Ultimately, Rebbi Yehoshua ben Korchah said to him 'Hadras Panim Zakan (a beard); Simchas Lev, Ishah; "Nachalas Hashem Banim" (Tehilim). Baruch ha'Makom she'Mena'acha mi'Kulam'!

(a) When Rebbi Shimon ben Chalafta said 'Sela'im Na'asu Gevo'im, Kerovim Na'asu Rechokim, mi'Shetayim Na'asu Shalosh, Mesim Shalom ba'Bayis Batel' - he meant that what had once been small hillocks had now become mountains, and what had once been near had now become far (or that when a man becomes old, he has to take larger steps from weakness); his two legs had become three and his Ever Tashmish was no longer functional (the significance of this statement is not clear).

(b)

1. ... "Delasayim ba'Shuk" - refers to man's waste-disposal system;
2. ... "bi'Shefal Kol ha'Tachanah" - to his stomach (which grinds the food).

(c) When old age sets in - even a bird will arouse a person from his sleep.

(d) Shlomoh Hamelech also refers to the sound of singers singing, which sounds to an old man like someone speaking.

(a) Barzilai ha'Gil'adi complained - that his mind (the ability to distinguish between good and bad) had weakened; that he could no longer taste his food and drink, and that he could no longer discern the voices of the singers.

(b) According to Rava, Barzilai ha'Gil'adi was not old enough for such radical changes; however, old age had sprung upon him prematurely, because he was a Ba'al Ta'avah (a licentious man).

(c) The older Amei ha'Aretz grow, the more senile they become; whereas the older Talmidei-Chachamim get, the more wise they become.

(d)

1. ..."Gam mi'Gavo'ah Yir'u" - means that an old man is afraid to negotiate a small bump in the street, because it looks to him like a tall mountain.
2. ... "ve'Chatchatim ba'Derech" - means that all kinds of fear beset an old man when he is traveling.

(a)

1. ... "ve'Yanetz ha'Shaked" - refers to the thigh;
2. ... "ve'Yistabel he'Chagav" - to the buttocks.

(b) Rav sighed, when Rav Kahana read the Pasuk "ve'Safer ha'Aviyonah" - because it means that the physical desires of man wane, and he recalled his own waning desires.

(c) Men run after women, because that is how Hashem created man (otherwise, he would run away from that 'flask which is full of Tzo'ah and which has an opening full of blood' (as the Pasuk in Tehilim writes: "Ki Hu Tzivah ve'Nivra'u" - ("Hu Tzivah va'Ya'amod", the conclusion of the Pasuk - refers to the act of conceiving children, which man would otherwise find disgusting, and would refrain from performing).

(d) The Pasuk "Ki Holech Adam el Beis *Olamo*" - teaches us that every Tzadik has his own individual dwelling in the World to Come.

(a) A man who indulges too much in Tashmish ha'Mitah in his younger years - becomes weak in his old age.

(b) After a man dies, the worms feel like needles pricking one's flesh.

(c) We learn from the Pasuk "Vaya'as le'Aviv Evel Shiv'as Yamim" - that one's own Soul mourns one's death for seven days.

(d) When a person dies and there is no-one to mourn for him - one pacifies his mourning Soul by bringing ten men to the location where he died (In fact, Rav Yehudah did this for someone who died and had no-one to mourn for him. After seven days, the dead man appeared to him in a dream and thanked him).

7)

(a) One opinion learns from "Ach Besaro Yich'av Alav, ve'Nafsho Alav Te'abel" - that the Soul knows what is being said about it until the flesh has decomposed; the other learns from "ve'Yashuv he'Afar el ha'Aretz Ka'asher Hayah" - that it knows what is being said about it only until the grave has been filled.

(b) We learn from the Pasuk in Koheles "ve'ha'Ru'ach Tashuv el ha'Elokim Asher Nesan'ah" - that we are obligated to return our Souls to Hashem clean (without sin) like He deposited them with us (this obligation applies throughout our lives, and can ultimately be fulfilled by doing Teshuvah - as we shall see shortly).

(c) It can be compared, says the Gemara, to a King, who deposited royal robes with his servants. The wise ones folded them carefully and put them away; the foolish ones wore them for working in. Eventually, when the King called for his robes, the wise servants returned them clean, whereas the foolish ones returned them dirty. The King rejoiced with the wise ones; he ordered the robes to be returned to His treasury (under His Throne of Glory) and the wise servants to be sent home (to Gan Eden) ["Yavo ve'Shalom, Yanuchu Al Mishkevosam", in the reverse order] . But He was angry with the foolish servants, and ordered the clothes to be sent to the laundry (to Gehinom) and the servants to prison (in darkness - deprived of the light of Olam ha'Ba) ["Ein Shalom, Amar Hashem la'Resha'im" & "ve'Es Nefesh Oyvecha Yekal'ena Besoch Kaf ha'Kela", also in the reverse order].

9)

(a)

1. Domeh - is the Angel in charge of the Spirits after they leave their bodies.
2. The Souls of the Resha'im are not allowed to rest, whereas those of the Beinonim are.

(b) It's all very well quoting Koheles, Rav Achai reprimanded the grave-diggers, but one needs to know Mishlei too; and in Mishlei it is written "ve'Rekev Atzmos Kin'ah" - from which we see that it is only those people who are jealous in this world whose body decomposes; those who live without that malaise, remain whole after they die.

(c) When Rav Nachman invited Rav Achai to leave his grave, Rav Achai quoted a Pasuk in Yechezkel "vi'Yeda'atem Ki Ani Hashem, be'Pischi es Kivrosechem" - only Hashem has the right to lead the dead out of their graves, and no-one else.

(d) "Ki Afar Ata, ve'El Afar Tashuv" - refers to a short while before Techi'as ha'Mesim, when everybody, even those who did not experience jealousy in their lifetimes, will revert to dust, before coming back to life.

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