Commentaire de citation sur Les Proverbes 16:31

Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai: Beauty, strength, riches, honor, wisdom, [old age], gray hair, and children are becoming to the righteous, and becoming to the world,
As it is said: “Gray hair is a crown of glory (; it is attained by way of righteousness” (Proverbs 16:31,
And it says: “The ornament of the wise is their wealth” (ibid. 14:24),
And it says: “Grandchildren are the glory of their elders, and the glory of children is their parents” (ibid. 17:6),
And it says: “The glory of youths is their strength; and the beauty of old men is their gray hair” (ibid. 20:29),
And it says: “Then the moon shall be ashamed, and the sun shall be abashed. For the Lord of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and God’s Honor will be revealed to his elders” (Isaiah 24:23). Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya said: these seven qualities, which the sages have listed [as becoming] to the righteous, were all of them fulfilled in Rabbi and his sons.
Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya was a colleague of Rabbi Judah Hanasi. He and another rabbi were part of a group called “the holy assembly” for one of two reasons. Either they split their day into three parts, one third in study, one third in prayer and one third working. Alternatively they worked during the summer and learned Torah all winter.
Similar to the previous mishnah, this mishnah employs mostly verses from Proverbs.
Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya lists seven qualities that when possessed by a righteous person, are beneficial to him and beneficial to the whole world. In this list I have placed the words “old age” in parentheses, for they should not be part of the source. Old age is synonymous with “gray hair” (my apologies if this insults those who have gone prematurely gray). Furthermore, if this were part of the list there would be eight qualities and not seven. It is obvious from the end of the mishnah that there are supposed to be only seven.
1. Beauty although we may not like to admit this, good-looking people are more admired and listened to than not good-looking people. The righteous person’s good looks benefit him and the rest of the world for others will listen to his sage advice.
2. Strength with strength the righteous person will be able to vanquish the wicked.
3. Wealth to be used to support the poor.
4. Honor when the righteous person is honored, others will listen to his words.
5. Wisdom to learn what it is that God wants him to do.
6. Gray hair with gray hair and the accompanying onset of old age comes the important quality of experience, which is so essential to any teacher.
7. Children who will hopefully inherit his righteous ways.
In order to facilitate the understanding of the texts brought as support, I have highlighted the appearance of each of these qualities in the various verses.
At the end of the mishnah Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya testifies that all of these characteristics were fully present in Rabbi [Judah Hanasi], the editor of the Mishnah, and his sons.

The Tanhuma writes about the haftorah, “King David was old and advanced in years” [1:1]. Where do we find someone who is worthy to be old and hoary? Scripture answers, “it is attained by the way of righteousness” [Proverbs, 16:31].¹⁴The first part of this verse is, “Gray hair is a crown of glory.” That is to say, one who gives charity lives long. Concerning this, we find that it says about Abraham our Patriarch, “to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right” [Genesis, 18:19]. He gave charity and therefore he was worthy to be old, as the verse says, “Abraham was old, advanced in years” [Genesis, 24:1]. It is also written here, “David administered justice and equity to all his people” [II Samuel, 8:15]. Therefore, he was worthy to attain old age, as the verse says, “King David was old and advanced in years” [I Kings, 1:1]. King Solomon showed this in the Book of Ecclesiastes, “cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it” [Ecclesiastes, 11:1]. That is to say, give your bread to the poor, just like somebody who throws it in the water and he gives up on it. You should give charity in the same way and not for the reward. Give up hope and only give it out of goodness. “For after many days, you will find it” [Ecclesiastes, 11:1].¹⁵Tanhuma, Hayyei Sarah, 4. That is, you will have the opportunity to give for many days. This means, you will find your reward from your giving of bread to the poor and you will have many good days. When a person gives charity in the expectation that he will be rich and have much wealth then God gives him much wealth. However, when a person gives charity out of goodness, he lives long.

מפני שיבה תקום, while it is in order to show respect and deference to someone whose experience in life is based on his age, this does not compare to the respect and deference that we must show to