Scattered Thoughts on Prolonging Life (Aurelius - Meditations 4:50)

The Stoic Jew

Synopsis: For better or for worse I decided to record today’s episode when my mind was feeling a bit scattered … and it shows. We begin by reading Aurelius’s “unphilosophic” thoughts about how to put death in perspective, which we compare to the Torah’s stance as spelled out by the Rambam. We then read Epictetus’s counterpoint to the Rambam which leaves us in a quandary, and we compound that quandary with an excerpt from Barbara Ehrenreich’s thoughts on diminishing returns in the efforts to prolong life at the expense of living. Where do we end up? With exactly what is advertised in the title: scattered thoughts.

This week's Torah content has been sponsored by R.R. in appreciation for all the growth and insight that she has gained from these shiurim. To that I say, "Thank YOU, R.R., for helping make that possible!"

Sources:
- Aurelius, Meditations 4:50
- Epictetus, Discourses 3:10
- Rambam: Mishneh Torah, Sefer ha’Mada, Hilchos Deios 4:1
- Barbara Ehrenreich, Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer
----------
If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle/Chase QuickPay and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.

If you would like to sponsor an article, shiur, or podcast episode, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.
----------
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss
Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmschneeweiss
"The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com
"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
"The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com
Guide to the Torah Content of Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/2021/04/links-to-torah-content-of-rabbi-matt.html

Support the show