The Parent & Child Reunion

I love asking tough Torah questions to learned Rabbis to see if they really know their stuff! One question that often gets them: "Which Mitzvot in the Torah promise long life as a reward?" They almost always answer, Kibud Av v’Ame & Shiluach Hakeyn (honoring parents & shooing away the mother-bird). That’s right, but it’s also wrong!

There is a third Mitzva, found in our Sedra, which also promises arichat yamim; long life, & that is the Mitzva of "Even Shlema," the requirement to have honest weights & just measures (25:13-15).

What is the connection between these three Mitzvot?

The link between honoring one’s parents & living longer makes perfect sense. If we take good care of father & mother, attending to their needs when they get older & may be incapable of fending for themselves, then our children will see what we did for our parents, & they, in turn, will follow our example & hopefully do the same for us. This will invariably help us to live longer.

The same dynamic applies to the law of shiluach hakeyn. As the Ramban explains, this act of kindness to a member of the animal kingdom helps to instill a higher level of compassion within us, so that we will surely care for our flesh-and-blood mother (& father) & treat them, too, with loving kindness when they need our assistance.

But what about the weights & measures? How does this third commandment link up to the other two?

The mitzva of even shlema, I suggest, is not just about being scrupulous in our business dealings. It is about the overall virtues of integrity & honesty. We must do that which is right & fair in all our actions, not only in the workplace. And if we are to be truly honest, we will surely acknowledge the massive debt we owe to our parents.

Did they not do anything & everything for us in our tender years? Did they not shower us with love, sacrifice for us, place all their hopes & dreams in us? When we were small & vulnerable, they protected us, fed us, guided us. And now, when age has reduced their capabilities, it is our turn to do the right thing & see to their needs.

Fascinating, is it not? The Hebrew word "even" - stone or weight - is a combination of the two words "av" & "ben;" parent & child! When we honestly & fairly weigh our debt to Ima & Abba, & do the right thing, not only will their lives be lengthened; ours will also certainly be blessed.