B"H
Thursday, Shevat 25, 5776 / February 3, 2016 – HAKHEL YEAR
In last week’s Parsha we read about the Giving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. At the end of this week’s Parsha Mishpatim, the Torah relates additional details which occurred at the Giving of the Ten Commandments.
The Fifth Commandment of the Ten Commandments is, “Honor your father and mother in order that your days will be lengthened on the land that G-d your G-d is giving you.” Later in Parshat Kedoshim (Leviticus 19:3) the Torah commands, “Your mother and father you shall fear.”
Q. Why, when the Torah commands to honor parents, it mentions first father and then mother, but when commanding to fear parents the order is reversed, first mother then father?
A.Our sages explain that by nature a child fears the father more than the mother, but respects the mother more. The Torah tells us that respect and fear for parents should be equal. Thus, when speaking of honor it mentions father first to make him equal to the mother and by fear it mentions mother first to say that she should be equal to the father.
The Talmudic sage, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said, “G-d made honoring parents even greater than honoring G-d. For concerning honoring G-d it says, ‘Honor G-d with your substance.’ Thus, if you have means you have to give to charity and if you don’t have the means you don’t have to give. But when it comes to honoring parents, even if you have very little and even if you have to go begging, you still have to honor them and help them.”
Rabbi Eliezer was asked by his disciples, “What is the extent of honoring father and mother?”
He replied, “Go and see what Dama ben Nesina of Ashkelon did. When his mother, who was feebleminded, hit him with her sandal in the presence of the entire council over which he presided, he only said to her, ‘Enough, mother.’ Moreover, when her sandal, with which she was hitting him, fell from her hand, he picked it up and handed it back to her, so that she would not get upset.”
The Talmud tells the following story. Rabbi Tarfon’s mother went for a walk on Shabbat and her sandal tore. Being Shabbat it couldn’t be fixed. What did Rabbi Tarfon do? He placed his hands under his mother’s feet, so she wouldn’t step on the stones and pebbles and walked with her this way until she came to her home.
The Talmudic sage Rav Yosef, upon hearing his mother’s footsteps, would say, “I must rise for the presence of the Shechina (G-d’s glory) which is approaching.” Parents and G-d are partners in the creation of the child. Honoring parents is honoring G-d!
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
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Mazel Tov wishes to Ed and Maydie Wolofsky on the marriage of their son
Robert Wolofsky to Sarah Klein last week on January 26, 2016.
From his friends at Cellutrak!