Leviticus 19:3

Let every man revere his mother and his father, and keep the days of My Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.

I have already told you in the parasha of Mishpaṭim [comment on Exodus 21:2] that every commandment is self-contained, but that nevertheless, there are associations among the commandments that account for their juxtaposition in the verses. The parasha of Qedoshim begins with the commandment, each of you will revere [plural] his mother and father . Scripture has already said [Exodus 20:12] that whoever honors his parents will enjoy long life; consequently, whoever dishonors his parents shortens his life, and Scripture accordingly tells us to fear our parents as well as to honor them. The verse mentions the mother before mentioning the father, because a child at first recognizes only his mother. Later, he recognizes his father. Afterwards he recognizes the Sabbath (it is incumbent upon a child to observe the Sabbath, unlike the remaining festivals). Eventually he will come to recognize his God, Who rested on the seventh day. The next logical obligation is “Do not turn to the idols” [:4]. We know from tradition what constitutes “reverence” of one’s parents. Scripture employs brevity by using only one instance of the word ’ish to signify Each of you [Hebrew: ’ish ’ish]. The plural form of the verb revere informs us that anyone who sees the law being broken must teach and compel the lawbreaker to change. The same principle applies to keeping the Sabbath, since the plural form you shall observe is used.

I am God your God You shall do as I do, Who rested from all labor.

ואת שבתותי תשמורו, just as in the Ten Commandments the command to honour parents appeared next to the commandment to observe the Sabbath, honouring parents is almost on a par with honouring the Creator Himself, the Torah placed these two commandments next to one another here too. This is the plain meaning of the text.

The Torah now begins to explain in detail the commandment to honour father and mother, by writing that everyone is to relate with reverence to his mother and father respectively. These words teach that in addition to providing for aged and economically unstable parents with food, drink and clothing, the children (adults by then) must not look down on their parents who in the meantime have become economically dependent on their children. Our sages spelled this out in Kidushin 31 where they said: “sometimes someone feeds his father the most delicious and expensive dishes while the manner in which he does this contributes to the son’s losing his share in the hereafter, whereas on the other hand, a son could earn his share in the hereafter even by expecting his father to perform physically hard labour.” In the latter case, the son explains to the father lovingly why he cannot offer him luxuries but he treats him with love and concern and listens to his father’s words of advice. Having dealt with the implications of the fifth of the Ten Commandments, the Torah now turns to the fourth of the Ten Commandments, that of Sabbath observance, and writes:

ואת שבתותי תשמורו, words which do not only refer to the Sabbath of Creation, but to a variety of “Sabbath” legislations such as the “Sabbath” of the land known as sh’mittah, as well as the Sabbath of “money,” i.e. the demand for the lender to forego repayment of past due debts by the debtor at the end of the sh’mittah year. Al these types of “Sabbath” legislation are testimony to the fact that the Creator Who legislates such laws was the originator of the universe, hence His right to demand such obeisances from His creatures.