Halachaהלכה

Honoring Parents vs. Shabbat Observance

Rashi's interpretation of the textual juxtaposition in Leviticus and the Talmudic discussion in Yevamot establishes that the obligation to honor parents does not override the prohibition against violating Shabbat. Both parent and child are equally bound by God's commandments, and no human authority can compel the transgression of divine law.

אַתָּה וְאָבִיךָ חַיָּבִים בִּכְבוֹדִי

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Source 1 · Rishonim

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Rashi on Leviticus 19:3

רש"י על ויקרא י״ט:ג׳

Rashi on Leviticus 19:3

Kedoshim

Rashi explains the juxtaposition of “each person shall fear his mother and father” with “and you shall observe My Sabbaths” as teaching that, although one must fear parents, if a parent tells a child to violate Shabbat, the child must not obey: “I am the Lord your God”—both parent and child are obligated to honor God.

אני ה' אלהיכם. אַתָּה וְאָבִיךָ חַיָּבִים בִּכְבוֹדִי, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא תִשְׁמַע לוֹ לְבַטֵּל אֶת דְּבָרַי. אֵיזֶהוּ מוֹרָא? לֹא יֵשֵׁב בִּמְקוֹמוֹ וְלֹא יְדַבֵּר בִּמְקוֹמוֹ וְלֹא יִסְתֹּר אֶת דְּבָרָיו, וְאֵיזֶהוּ כָבוֹד? מַאֲכִיל וּמַשְׁקֶה, מַלְבִּישׁ וּמַנְעִיל, מַכְנִיס וּמוֹצִיא (קידושין ל"א):

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Source 2 · Modern

External

Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank (Har Tzvi OC 123)

הר צבי, או"ח סי׳ קכ״ג

Har Tzvi OC 123

The passage considers deriving that honoring parents does not override Shabbat from the command to revere one’s parents alongside the requirement to observe Shabbat, explaining this as a case where a parent says, “Slaughter for me and cook for me,” while noting the possibility that the prohibition is violated by telling someone else to do it.

On this pageThe passage considers deriving that honoring parents does not override Shabbat from the command to revere one’s parents alongside the requirement to observe Shabbat, explaining this as a case where a parent says, “Slaughter for me and cook for me,” while noting the possibility that the prohibition is violated by telling someone else to do it.

Har Tzvi OC 123 — page scan on HebrewBooks

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Source 3 · Modern

External

Rav Menashe Klein (Mishneh Halachos 5:285)

משנה הלכות, ח״ה סי׳ רפ״ה

Mishneh Halachos 5:285

The passage cites the discussion in Yevamot that honoring parents does not override Shabbat, based on “ איש אמו ואביו תיראו ואת שבתותי תשמורו,” and records the Chizkuni’s question regarding a wicked father who commands his son to violate Shabbat and its unresolved answer.

On this pageThe passage cites the discussion in Yevamot that honoring parents does not override Shabbat, based on “ איש אמו ואביו תיראו ואת שבתותי תשמורו,” and records the Chizkuni’s question regarding a wicked father who commands his son to violate Shabbat and its unresolved answer.

Mishneh Halachos 5:285 — page scan on HebrewBooks

Page 393

Rav Menashe Klein Mishneh Halachos is not freely available in text. This PDF surfaced in our research. Please use the feedback buttons below to help us improve.

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Source 4 · Modern

External

Rav Ovadia Yosef (Maayan Omer 4:5:1)

מעין אומר בשם הרב עובדיה יוסף, ח״ד פ״ה סי׳ א׳

Maayan Omer 4:5:1

The passage states that a father’s command to do something from which he derives no benefit is not the Torah-mandated honor of parents and cannot override even a prohibition; thus, the example of the father commanding impurity and forbidding the return of a lost object was not stated arbitrarily.

On this pageThe passage states that a father’s command to do something from which he derives no benefit is not the Torah-mandated honor of parents and cannot override even a prohibition; thus, the example of the father commanding impurity and forbidding the return of a lost object was not stated arbitrarily.

Maayan Omer 4:5:1 — page scan on HebrewBooks

Page 116

Ma'ayan Omer carries the oral rulings of Rav Ovadia Yosef, recorded in his name by R. Yehuda Naki. Ma'ayan Omer is not freely available in text. This PDF surfaced in our research. Please use the feedback buttons below to help us improve.

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Related sources· 8 found, not yet verifiedSign in to verify

Maayan Omer 8:2:11scan
וכבר דרשו חז״ל ]יבמות ה׳ ע״ב[, איש אמו ואביו תיראו ואת שבתותי תשמורו אני ה׳, כולכם חייבים בכבודי. ולכן בכל דבר שיש בו מצוה לא ישמע לאביו, שכבוד המקום קודם ע״כ. ונראה שסובר כדברי הרמב״ם ]פרק ו׳ מהלכות ממרים[, שאפילו אמר
Maayan Omer 5:9:9scan
היינו כשאומר לו אביו אל תחזיר אבירה אלא עסוק בכבודי, אבל אל תחזיר בחנם לא אצטריך קרא וכו׳. ע״ש. וכן כתב בחידושי הרשב״א ]יבמות ו ע״א[, שעיקר מצות כיבוד אב ואם אינה אלא בדבר שיש בו לאביו הנאה, כגון מאכילו ומשקהו מלבישו
Kitzur Shulchan Arukh 143:11unverified
אָמַר לוֹ אָבִיו לַעֲבֹר עַל דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, בֵּין עַל מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה בֵּין עַל מִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, אֲפִלּוּ עַל מִצְוָה שֶל דִּבְרֵיהֶם, לֹא יִשְׁמַע לוֹ, דִּכְתִיב, אִישׁ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו תִּירָאוֹ וְאֶת שַׁבְּתוֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, סָמַךְ שַׁבָּת לְמוֹרָא אָב וָאֵם, לוֹמַר, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִזְהַרְתִּיךָ עַל מוֹרָא אָב וָאֵם, אִם אָמַר לְךָ חַלֵּל אֶת הַשַׁבָּת אַל תִּשְׁמַע לוֹ. וְכֵן בִּשְׁאָר כָּל הַמִצְוֹת.
from our library copy — not yet checked against the original
Bava Metzia 32a:5unverified
מַתְנִי׳ מְצָאָהּ בָּרֶפֶת – אֵין חַיָּיב בָּהּ. בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים – חַיָּיב בָּהּ. וְאִם הָיְתָה בְּבֵית הַקְּבָרוֹת – לֹא יִטַּמֵּא לָהּ. אִם אָמַר לוֹ אָבִיו ״הִיטַּמֵּא״, אוֹ שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ ״אַל תַּחְזִיר״ – לֹא יִשְׁמַע לוֹ. בְּבֵית הַקְּבָרוֹת לֹא יִטַּמֵּא לָהּ. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: מִנַּיִן שֶׁאִם אָמַר לוֹ אָבִיו ״הִיטַּמֵּא״, אוֹ שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ ״אַל תַּחְזִיר״ שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁמַע לוֹ? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אִישׁ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו תִּירָאוּ וְאֶת שַׁבְּתוֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ אֲנִי ה׳״, כּוּלְּכֶם חַיָּיבִין בִּכְבוֹדִי.
from our library copy — not yet checked against the original
Beit Yosef, Yoreh De'ah 240:27unverified
אמר לו אביו לעבור על ד"ת וכו' בסוף פ"ב דמציעא (לב.) תנן אמר לו אביו היטמא או שאמר לו אל תחזיר אבידה הרי זה לא ישמע לו ומייתי לה בגמרא התם ובפ"ק דיבמות (ה.) מדכתיב איש אמו ואביו תיראו ואת שבתותי תשמורו אני ה' כולכם חייבים בכבודי:
from our library copy — not yet checked against the original
Yevamot 6a:4unverified
דְּתַנְיָא, יָכוֹל אָמַר לוֹ אָבִיו: הִיטַּמֵּא, אוֹ שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ: אַל תַּחְזִיר, יָכוֹל יִשְׁמַע לוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״אִישׁ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו תִּירָאוּ וְאֶת שַׁבְּתוֹתַי תִּשְׁמוֹרוּ״, כּוּלְּכֶם חַיָּיבִין בִּכְבוֹדִי. מָה לְהָנָךְ שֶׁכֵּן הֶכְשֵׁר מִצְוָה.
from our library copy — not yet checked against the original
Mishneh Torah, Robbery and Lost Property 11:19unverified
רָאָה אֶת הָאֲבֵדָה וְאָמַר לוֹ אָבִיו אַל תַּחְזִירֶנָּה יַחְזִיר וְלֹא יְקַבֵּל מִמֶּנּוּ. שֶׁאִם קִבֵּל מֵאָבִיו נִמְצָא בְּעֵת שֶׁקִּיֵּם מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל (שמות כ יב) (דברים ה טז) "כַּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיךָ" בִּטֵּל עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל (דברים כב א) "הָשֵׁב תְּשִׁיבֵם" וְעָבַר עַל (דברים כב ג) "לֹא תוּכַל לְהִתְעַלֵּם":
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Mishneh Torah, Rebels 6:12unverified
מִי שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ אָבִיו לַעֲבֹר עַל דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה בֵּין שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ לַעֲבֹר עַל מִצְוַת לֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה אוֹ לְבַטֵּל מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁל דִּבְרֵיהֶם. הֲרֵי זֶה לֹא יִשְׁמַע לוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יט ג) "אִישׁ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו תִּירָאוּ וְאֶת שַׁבְּתֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ". כֻּלְּכֶם חַיָּבִין בִּכְבוֹדִי:
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