The Fifth Commandment

With Father's Day approaching as a Rabbi I am frequently asked, "Do you observe the holidays of Thanksgiving, Mother's Day and Father's Day?"

The fifth of the Ten Commandments implicitly suggests awareness of one's origin, cognizance of one's raison d'etre, and grateful acknowledgment of one's resources.

I am disgusted by the things my mother has done. She is old now and needs me, but there is nothing in her life that deserves respect. How can I respect her without losing my dignity?

The connection between "Honor your father and your mother" and "Do not covet... anything of your fellow's": both straddle the distinction we commonly make between the human and the divine, the physical and the metaphysical, between desire and deed

I remember hearing a comedian describe his feelings on finally having children: "I was less willing to put up with fools. I was like, 'I don't need this, I can make my own people now...'"

The devoted family, an anchorage amid confusion, is rapidly disappearing. It is time to return to the values which created bonds of respect between children and parents.