As we approach one of the most spiritually elevating holidays, Shavuot, the day when the Jews assumed the mantle of the Torah and were initiated as a nation, the words of the Ach Pri Tevuah, the first Lisker Rebbe, are especially poignant. Reb Tzi Hersh of Liska expounds on two of the Ten Commandments: Thou Shall Honor Your Parents and Thou Shall Not Desecrate the Sabbath. These two are basically conjoined, as most of the commentaries illuminate, because the onus of honoring one’s parents can be invalidated if it comes into conflict with keeping the Sabbath. For example, if parents request that their child desecrate the Sabbath in any way, naturally the child should refuse. The child is still required to honor his parents in other ways, always keeping the Torah as his compass as to what is and is not permitted. 

The Ach Pri Tevuah expands on the theme, however.  He states that the majority believes that a person is the sum total of his parents. He can never surpass them, certainly not in spirituality. And yet the opposite is true, because there are three components to the creation of man: the mother, the father and G-D. If the parents are not religious, a person can still cling to the third sector and even exceed the level of religiosity and piety of someone born into a religious family who isn’t striving for self-improvement.

Therefore the Torah states that yes, honoring one’s parents is of supreme importance, but keeping the Sabbath is preeminent and is the duty of every Jew, even those not born to religious parents.
This Shavuot, let us all cling to the third partner, God, and lift ourselves up with good deeds towards our fellow man and greater devotion Above. And may we keep the Torah before our eyes in all our undertakings and merit benevolence from On HIGH as our just reward.

Shavuot 5763 | Back to Rabbi's Messages