“Honor your father and your mother, so that your days will be lengthened upon the land that Hashem, your G-d, gives you” (Shemot 20:12)
“Honor your father and your mother, as Hashem, your G-d, commanded you, so that your days will be lengthened and so that it will be good for you upon the land that Hashem, your G-d, gives you” (Devarim 5:16)
The Midrash expounds on the words, “The prince of the Tribe of Naftali offered.” Why is specifically Naftali’s offering mentioned? Because Naftali honored his father, more than he was obligated to. His father would send him to any destination, and Naftali swiftly executed his order. His father was very satisfied with his behavior and praised him profusely. Therefore, Naftali is called a swift doe (Bamidbar Rabbah 14:10).
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai asserts, “How great is honoring one’s parents: Hashem compared their honor to His honor and their fear to His fear” (Yalkut Shimoni Mishlei 80, 932).
“Hear, my child, the discipline of your father” (Mishlei 1:8) – this refers to the commandments you received at Har Sinai, regarding honoring your father. “And do not forsake the teaching of your mother” – this refers to what you were commanded at Sinai regarding honoring your mother. If you behave accordingly, you will be honoring both your father and your mother (Shochar Tov, Mishlei, 1).
“Remember the Shabbat day to sanctify it, and honor your father and your mother so that your days will be lengthened.” What is the connection between these two commands? As long as a person honors his parents, he does not stumble in the sin of violating the Shabbat, or any other sin. The entire world belongs to Hashem, yet all He asks is that one honor his parents and fear them, just as he honors and fears Hashem (Tanna d’vei Eliyahu Rabbah 27).
The Gemara relates the following story (Pe’ah 1:5), which depicts the extent of Rabbi Tarfon’s respect for his mother. One Shabbat, his mother went outside to take a walk, when her shoe broke. Rabbi Tarfon placed his hands beneath the soles of her feet and asked her to walk on them all the way home.
There are things which a person does and eats the fruits in this world, and the capital is reserved for him in the World to Come. They are: Honoring one’s parents… (Shabbat 127a)
Rabbi Huna was asked how far the mitzvah of honoring one’s parents extends. He said, “Look at what an idolater in Ashkelon, named Dama ben Netina, did for his father. The Chachamim once wanted to execute a business deal with him, for which he stood to gain sixty thousand coins, but the key to his safe lay under his father’s head. He refused to wake up his father, regardless of the profit he would lose.
Rav Yehudah says in the name of Shmuel that Rabbi Eliezer was asked how far the mitzvah of honoring one’s parents extends. He, too, referred to the unusual level of respect which Dama ben Netina displayed toward his father. The Jewish Sages wished to purchase a stone for the ephod, which cost sixty thousand coins. Rav Kahana states it cost eighty thousand coins. The key to his safe lay under his father’s head, and he would not wake him up. The next year, Hashem rewarded him with a red heifer in his flock. Rabbi Chanina surmised, “If this is the reward for one who is not obligated in the mitzvah of honoring one’s parents, imagine the reward for one who is obligated” (Kiddushin 31a).
