Honor Your Father and Mother: Contemporary Issues, Ancient Obligation - part 1

Two biblical obligations define our relationship with our parents: kavod and yirah. Yirah doesn't mean fear, implying distance, it means reverence.

How honoring and revering parents has changed over the years as a result of societal and other changes

If halacha says that a parent can yield the honor due to them that means that there are times where sometimes it is in the best interest of a parent to forgive the honor due to them.

When a child is young and more receptive it's much easier to teach them derech eretz and respect for elders.

Two approaches to understanding the reason behind kibud av v'em (in addition to being intuitive)

A person, as an independent adult has the right to make decisions that are best for themselves even if it goes against his/her parents' wishes but it must be done respectfully.

Sometimes caring for a parent becomes too much for a child or the parent and compromises the parent's dignity. In such situations the Shulchan Aruch rules that one should have someone else care for the parent.


Provided courtesy of rabbisilber.com