Sometimes you get the feeling that the Talmud has something on its mind it wants to explore. Page 152  of Shabbos is about old age and references from Ecclesiates and Rabbinic statements about aging.   Near the bottom of the page, Reb Yitzchak quotes Ecclesiatsts which states: ” All things in childhood are and youth are vanity”  According to Reb Yitzchak it means the “things he does in his youth blacken his face”

This immediately  reminded me of  all the rock stars from 50-60 years ago. In their youth they were sleek, muscular, with flowing hair and great complexions.  Think of Mick Jagger, James Taylor and the list goes on.  These guys lived hard. They played hard. Think of all the drugs, late nights, wild parties. But when we see them now…. its a little scary. The faces are sunken, ashen or bloated and disfigured.   The Rabbis must have been to a Dead Concert of the Talmudic times when they composed this page.