The Purpose of Youth and the Nature of Vice

He continues in the Scripture. Therefore he says that, even if you should ever be angry, do not lead the 'anger' into the 'heart', so that the 'anger' does not become a disposition. And if you should have a desire having suddenly become in the desiring part, do not carry it into the mind and the reasoning faculty; for it will be a disposition and no longer a passion or a pre-passion, but wickedness. 11,10b And lead away evil from your flesh: 'And from your flesh lead away the evil' (Eph 4:22). And unbridledness seems to be a wickedness of desire; therefore 'lead it away from your flesh'. And it is possible also thus: if 'the anger departs from your heart', you do not practice evil through the members and the body; the one being angry strikes many times and threatens and intends to murder. When therefore 'the anger departs from your heart', those things happening through actions which are evil also pass away.

11,10c.12,1abc For youth and thought are vanity; and remember your Creator in the days of your youth, until the days of your wickedness do not come (Eccl 12:1). 11,10c If the young man does not 'walk' 'in the ways blameless', nor does he do the other things which he was appointed to do, he is in 'ignorance'. It is also said in proverbs by this wise man: 'Folly spreads from the heart of a youth' (Prov 22:6). 'Ignorance' is disguised by 'youth'. If indeed anyone exceeds the movement of 'youth' and moves like an old man as if in 'youth', he has much 'ignorance'. 'That I may give cunning to the innocent, and perception and understanding to the young child'. If 'perception and understanding are given to the young child' by wisdom, it is evident that he has cast away 'ignorance'. When he does not have knowledge, he is in thoughtlessness. For this reason also in the Psalms such things were joined to 'youth': 'Do not remember the sins of my youth and my ignorances' (Ps 25:7). See that 'youth' is most receptive to these things and possesses them. Therefore 'rejoice', so that you may not have 'folly'; therefore 'walk', so that you may not have 'vanity' and 'evil of the flesh'.

Regarding Ecclesiastes 12:1, therefore, in the day of your youth, remember who created you. God is the one who 'created' Eccl 12:1; it is not that God 'creates' vices in me. For this reason, observe that He 'created you in youth,' not so that you might have 'ignorance,' not so that you might be thoughtless, not so that you might be unlearned, but so that, being receptive to knowledge, you might take it up.

Until the days of your vice arrive Eccl 12:1. If he means by 'vice' this thing which is contrary to virtue and brings boastfulness to the one possessing it, he says: 'until the days of your vice do not come,' meaning as long as you are receptive to virtue and 'vice'—do not expect 'vice,' and do not prepare yourself for it. For when you possess virtue, 'vice' has no place in you. In the very young, there is the power of both, virtue and 'vice'; but in those who have surpassed the new age, such that they no longer bring the character of infants, there is no 'vice' in that soul, but only virtue. And the infant and the diligent man both flow with 'vice,' but they are different in how they are apart from 'vice.' For the diligent man, by disposition, has what is contrary to 'vice'—and this is practical virtue, the virtue of a single whole—and opposites cannot coexist; but in the infant, not having 'vice' is not a disposition, but an absence of 'vice.' If, therefore, he means 'vice' as this worst condition, 'until the days of your vice do not come,' walk 'blamelessly' Eccl 12:1 regarding what has been commanded to you. Furthermore, does 'until they come' mean as if they are 'coming' by necessity? No, but rather as if 'vice' is being urged upon us. If I say that as long as the body of the living thing is healthy, disease does not 'come,' I am not saying it is necessary. Again, I say that as long as someone is an infant, unlearningness does not 'come' to him. I say this differently: for age hinders; it is not age that prevents disease or health, but the expression of the opposites. If, however, he means 'vice' as he means harm—for harm can be both injury and punishment—before it 'comes'...