Jerusalem Talmud Kiddushin 4:12:3

משנה: רִבִּי נְהוֹרַאי אוֹמֵר. מַנִּיחַ אֲנִי כָּל־אוּמָנִיּוֹת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם וְאֵינִי מְלַמֵּד אֶת בְּנִי אֶלָּא תוֹרָה. שֶׁאָדָם אוֹכֵל מִשְּׂכָרָהּ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְהַקֶּרֶן קַייֶמֶת לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא וּשְׁאָר אוּמָנִיּוֹת אֵינָן כֵּן. שֶׁאִם נִכְנַס אָדָם לִידֵי חוֹלִי אוֹ לִידֵי זִקְנָה אוֹ לִידֵי מִידָּה שֶׁל יִסּוּרִין וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַעֲסוֹק בִּמְלַאכְתּוֹ הֲרֵי הוּא מֵת וּמוּטַּל בָּרָעָב. אֲבָל הַתּוֹרָה אֵינָהּ כֵּן אֶלָּא מְשַׁמְּרַתּוּ מִכָּל־רַע בְּנַעֲרוּתוֹ וְנוֹתֶנֶת לוֹ אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָה בְּזִקְנוּתוֹ. בְּנַעֲרוּתוֹ מַה הוּא אוֹמֵר. וְקוֹיֵי יי֨ יַחֲלִיפוּ כֹחַ יַעֲלוּ אֵבֶר כַּנְשָׁרִים יָרוּצוּ וְלֹא יִיגָּעוּ יֵלְכוּ וְלֹא יִיעָפוּ. בְּזִקְנוּתוֹ מַה הוּא אוֹמֵר. עוֹד יְנוּבוּן בְּשֵׂיבָה דְּשֵׁנִים וְרַעֲנַנִים יִהְיוּ. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר בְּאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם. וְאַבְרָהָם זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים וַיי֨ בֵּרַךְ אֶת אַבְרָהָם בַּכֹּל. מָצִינוּ שֶׁעָשָׂה אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ אֶת כָּל־הַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ עַד שֶׁלֹּא נִיתְּנָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע אַבְרָהָם בְּקוֹלִי וַיִּשְׁמוֹר מִשְׁמַרְתִּי מִצְוֹתַי חֻקּוֹתַי וְתוֹרוֹתָי. MISHNAH: Rebbi Nehorai says: I am leaving aside all trades in the world and teach my son only Torah²⁶²This really is frowned upon, Avot 2:2" href="/Pirkei_Avot.2.2">Mishnah Avot 2:2, Avot 4:5" href="/Pirkei_Avot.4.5">4:5., for a man eats from its rewards in this world and the capital remains for the future world. But with other trades it is not so, for if a person is afflicted with sickness, or old age, or a measure of suffering, and cannot continue in his trade, he dies, abandoned, from hunger. But the Torah is different, it guards him from all evil in his youth and gives him a future and hope in his old age. What does it say about his youth? “Those who trust in the Eternal will renew strength, they rise on wings like an eagle, they run without effort, they walk without tiring.²⁶³Isaiah.40.31">Is. 40:31.” What does it say about his old age? “They still bear fruit in old age, fat and invigorated they will be.²⁶⁴Psalms.92.15">Ps. 92:15.” So it says about our father Abraham, peace on him: “Abraham was old, came into days, and the Eternal blessed Abraham with everything.²⁶⁵Genesis.24.1">Gen. 24:1.” We find that our father Abraham kept the entire Torah before it was given, as it is said: “As a reward because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My watch, My commandments, My laws, and My teachings.²⁶⁶Genesis.26.5">Gen. 26:5.”

הלכה: רִבִּי נְהוֹרַיי אוֹמֵר. מַנִּיחַ אֲנִי כָּל־אוּמָנִיּוֹת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם וְאֵינִי מְלַמֵּד אֶת בְּנִי אֶלָּא תוֹרָה. שֶׁכָּל אוּמָנוּת אֵינוֹ עוֹמֶדֶת לוֹ לְאָדָם אֶלָּא בִּימֵי נַעֲרוּת בִּזְמַן שֶׁכּוֹחוֹ עָלָיו. אֲבָל אִם בָּא לִידֵי חוֹלִי אוֹ נִכְנַס לִידֵי זִקְנָה אוֹ לְמִידָּה שֶׁלִייִסּוּרִין וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת מְלָאכָה הֲרֵי הוּא מֵת בְּרָעָב. אֲבָל הַתּוֹרָה אֵינָהּ כֵּן אֶלָּא מְכַבְּדַתּוּ וּמְשַׁמְּרַתּוּ מִכָּל־רַע בְּנַעֲרוּתוֹ. וְנוֹתֶנֶת לוֹ אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָה בְּזִקְנוּתוֹ. בְּנַעֲרוּתוֹ מַהוּ אוֹמֵר. וְקוֹיֵי יי֨ יַחֲלִיפוּ כֹחַ יַעֲלוּ אֵבֶר כַּנְּשָׁרִים יָרוּצוּ וְלֹא יִיעָפוּ יֵלְכוּ וְלֹא יִיגָּעוּ. וּבְזִקְנוּתוֹ מַה הוּא אוֹמֵר. עוֹד יְנוּבוּן בְּשֵׂיבָה דְּשֵׁינִים וְרַעֲנַנִים יִהְיוּ. וְכֵן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא בְּאָבִינוּ אַבְרָהָם שֶׁשִּׁימֵּר אֶת הַתּוֹרָה עַד שֶׁלֹּא בָאָת לָעוֹלָם. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע אַבְרָהָם בְּקוֹלִי וַיִּשְׁמוֹר מִשְׁמַרְתִּי מִצְוֹתַיי חֻקּוֹתַיי וְתוֹרוֹתָיי. אַף גִּידְּלוֹ וּבֵירְכוֹ בְּנַעֲרוּתוֹ וְנָתַן לוֹ אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָה בְּזִקְנוּתוֹ. בְּנַעֲרוּתוֹ מַהוּ אוֹמֵר. וְאַבְרָהָם כָּבֵד מְאוֹד בַּמִּקְנֶה בַּכֶּסֶף וּבַזָּהָב. וּבְזִקְנוּתוֹ מַהוּ אוֹמֵר. וְאַבְרָהָם זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים וַיי֨ בֵּרַךְ אֶת אַבְרָהָם בַּכֹּל. HALAKHAH: ²⁶⁷Tosephta 5:16–17; a shortened version in the Kiddushin.82b">Babli, 82b, and Masekhet Sopherim 17:1.“Rebbi Nehorai says: I am leaving aside all trades in the world and teach my son only Torah.” For all trades support a person only in his youth as long as he is in possession of his powers. But if a person is afflicted with sickness or a measure of suffering, and cannot continue working, he dies from hunger. But the Torah is different, it honors him and guards him from all evil in his youth and gives him a future and hope in his old age²⁶⁸G has here an amplification that looks redundant.. What does it say about his youth? “Those who trust in the Eternal will renew strength, they rise on wings like an eagle, they run without effort, they walk without tiring.²⁶³Isaiah.40.31">Is. 40:31.” What does it say about his old age? “They still bear fruit in old age, fat and invigorated they will be.²⁶⁴Psalms.92.15">Ps. 92:15.” So you find about the patriarch Abraham who kept the Torah before it came into the world²⁶⁹G lacks “into the world”. The text of L should be interpreted as “came into this world”, not excluding the doctrine of pre-existence of the Torah in the abstract prior to Creation., as it is said: “As a reward because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My watch, My commandments, My laws, and My teachings.²⁶⁶Genesis.26.5">Gen. 26:5.” Also it made him great and blessed him in his youth and gave him a future and hope in his old age. What does it say about his youth? “Abraham was very wealthy with livestock, silver, and gold.” And about his old age, what does it say? “Abraham was old, came into days, and the Eternal blessed Abraham with everything.²⁶⁵Genesis.24.1">Gen. 24:1.”