In tonight's class we move from kibbud av v'em as a lofty ideal to a challenging reality exploring a short Talmudic story about how a child is to cope with conflicting demands from the parents and reflecting on the difference between halacha (law) and agadda (reality)

Source sheet here

In the second part of our series on the mitzva of honouring parents we consider a remarkable passage in the Talmud Yerushalmi that approaches the mitzva from multiple angles and raises the question of whether care for one's parents should be viewed as 'repaying the debt' for everything that they have done for the child

Source sheet here

We begin a four part series on Kibbud Av v'Em , the mitzva of honouring one's parents.

Where to start? One of the most beautiful yet challenging and complex parts of our lives and an area of Torah which we often don't critically examine past a young age. The material is fascinating and nuanced - accessible Gemara with a blend of halacha / aggada / midrash and Tanakh.

Tonight's class begins with a discussion of the nature of kibbud av v'em as a mitzvah, what distinguishes it from other areas of halacha and what are the particular challenges of honouring one's parents in our generation

We then begin to look at the opening sugya in Masekhet Kiddushin which highlights themes of the challenges of conflicting obligations (to one's parents, spouse and children) and consider the gemara's comparison of honouring one's parents to honouring Hashem.

Source sheet here. A couple of recording bugs: for the first couple of minutes, heavy rain can be heard in the background of the recording. At the very end of the class, the last thirty second of the recording is cut off. The poem by Yehuda Amichai being read at the end of the recording is at the end of the source sheet (above)