B"H
Tuesday, Iyar 9, 5782 (24th day of the Omer)/ May 10, 2022
Happy Mother’s day!! “But it was two days ago? He must be in a different time zone…” you say.
Well, let me explain. The true indicator of honoring ”Mother’s Day,” is when the day after Mother’s Day, and the day after.. and all days of the year are also Mother’s Day! Unfortunately, for many, Mother's Day is just that, “Mother for one day.” A one day a year event.
Celebrating Mother’s day one Sunday of the year, may leave some with the false notion that mothers are to be remembered and honored only one day a year. There is nothing farther from the truth than this.
The mitzvah to honor parents is one of the Ten Commandments and it applies every day of the year and every minute of the day.
One can only imagine the destructive state the world would be in if some of the other commandments, such as, "Do not steal" and, "do not commit murder," would be observed only one day a year! Can one imagine, "Do not murder day! Or, "Do not steal day?" What about the rest of the year?
According to the Torah, Mother's Day (and for that matter Father's Day) is every day of the year.
Did you know that honoring parents is the only mitzvah of the Ten Commandment for which G-d promises a reward; "Honor your father and your mother, that your days shall be long upon the land which the L-rd your G-d gives to you."
According to our sages this reward is measure for measure, for by taking good care of our parents, we cause that their life is extended, thus we too, are rewarded, measure for measure, with extended life.
The Talmud relates many wonderful stories about our sages whose level of observance of this mitzvah was way above the requirement and yet the sages said that they have not fulfilled half of this mitzvah.
The Talmud tells a story of a gentile who let go a business deal in which he would have made a tremendous profit. But this would have required him to wake his father in order to retrieve the key to the safe where a precious stone was stored. In reward, G-d paid him back with a much more profitable deal.
Today may not be "Mother's Day" on the secular calendar but it sure is on G-d's calendar! A visit or call to mother and father, for those who are blessed to have them, is one of the greatest mitzvot any time!
For those whose parents are not alive, we can always perform a mitzvah in their honor.
Our sages teach that there are three partners in the creation of a child: father, mother and G-d. Each one of the partners deserves our honor, respect and gratitude.
Honoring parents teaches our children beautiful values, so that they too will honor their parents (that’s us!) in the same way.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY, SUCCESSFUL AND WONDERFUL DAY