more on #5

the difficulties of affluence
someone mentioned a cousin, born filthy rich who died penniless (drugs, alcohol) in the street,
then she though better of it and said that his brother was ok

From kohelet we see that the childraising theories, how much to give a child, how much to challenge him, have been in conflict forever. KD had a hard life and seemed to do better than his son, but he died relatively young for Bible times, and he died "old," a rare adjective. The stress took a toll. He complained, when still young, when writing t'hilim, of eye problems. The other important Biblical figure, Yitzchak, who was blind, according to medrashim (which I can't stand) was damaged by events at the akeida, sacrifice that wasnt'. Maybe it was stress, like KD. I remember knowing, for a short time, a blind woman who lost her sight after the death of a brother. Post traumatic stress is physical.