Parents do not have control over the estates or other assets of their children, however, nor do they govern their economic life as within the Roman system. This was never part of Jewish law. If we look at the place of the older generation in the tanaitic and later amoraic literature, we find older parents continuing to occupy positions of honor and limited power.
We might expect a discussion of old age when the Mishnah deals with the priesthood, particularly the High Priest. Could an aged priest continue to function? This question is not raised. We do hear of the need to keep a sleepy High Priest awake during the night of Yom Kippur (M. Yoma 1.7), but this is not related to age. A priest who has defiled himself has to be removed from his duties,® but nothing is said of retirement. Blemished and presumably aged priests continue to be supported, whereas those who have defiled themselves are not(M. Zev 102a). In some playful discussion of old age, years are not specified(M. Kid 4.14). An“old woman” is defined as one for whom“three periods had passed without any flow”(M. Nid 1.5), whereas in other places“an old woman” is left undefined.’
The term zaken describes mature individuals appointed as judges in the court system. Judges hand down their decisions in capital cases with the oldest speaking last(M. San 3.2). The judges sit in front, with qualified students arranged behind them to be called if a judge became disqualified; but nothing is said about age (M. San 3.4).
(1.1), as also in Yoma(1.3; 1.5) and Sotah(9.1). In Pirkei Avot two statements juxtapose youth and age:
11