"Honor your father and your mother"

485. "Honor your father and your mother" (Shemot 20:12). Rabbi Chiya opened the discussion with the verse, "And a river went out of Eden..." (Beresheet 2:10). "And a river," is the spring of the fountain which flows constantly and never stops, and whence the whole Garden of Eden is watered. And this spring of the holy fountain is called 'father' because it maintains the Garden.

486. Rabbi Aba said that Eden itself is called 'father,' because it issues from a place called "Ayin" (lit. 'naught'), THE KETER OF ARICH ANPIN, OF WHICH NO ONE CAN CONCEIVE. It is therefore called 'father.' We have already explained that the place whence everything issues is called 'Atah' (lit. 'you'), and is called 'Av' (lit. 'Father'), as it is written, "You are our father" (Yeshayah 63:16).

487. Rabbi Elazar said, The words "Honor your father" allude to the Holy One, blessed be He, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN; "your mother" alludes to the Congregation of Yisrael, NAMELY, MALCHUT; the particle "Et" before "your" alludes to the Supernal Shechinah, WHICH IS THE NUKVA, IS FROM THE CHEST ABOVE OF ZEIR ANPIN. Rabbi Yehuda said that "Honor your Father" is unspecified, and "your mother" is unspecified, because they account for everything, THEY SIGNIFY CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, AND ALSO ZEIR ANPIN AND THE NUKVA, SINCE THE WORDS ARE NOT SPECIFIC, and the article "Et" adds all that is above and all that is below, BOTH ABA AND IMA, AND MALE AND FEMALE.

488. Rabbi Yosi referred to Rabbi Aba's remark that the place whence everything begins is called 'you,' for we have learned that what is hidden and has no beginning, OF BESTOWING MOCHIN, is called 'he,' NAMELY, THE THIRD PERSON. The place whence there is a beginning, OF BESTOWING MOCHIN, is called 'you,' and is also called 'father,' and it is all one. Blessed Be His Name forever and ever. Amen.

489. Rabbi Chizkiyah said, Assuredly, they are all one. "Honor your father," indicates the Holy One, blessed be He, NAMELY, ZEIR ANPIN; "your mother," indicates the Congregation of Yisrael, NAMELY, MALCHUT, for we have learned from Rabbi Shimon that the verse "You are the children of Hashem your Elohim" (Devarim 14:1) alludes to the place called 'children,' WHICH ARE MALE AND FEMALE. Therefore, the verse, "Honor your father and your mother," includes all, MEANING ABA AND IMA, above and below. Rabbi Yitzchak said that it includes one's teacher of the Torah, who ushers one to the World to Come. Rabbi Yehuda said that THE TEACHER is included in the Holy One, blessed be He.

490. We have learned that the first five commandments IN THE RIGHT SIDE are all inclusive. In these five commandments the second five OF THE LEFT are engraved, five within five. How? The first commandment, "I am Hashem your Elohim" (Shemot 20:2) corresponds to, "You shall not murder," for as we learned, these two are under one principle. For one who murders diminishes the image and likeness of his Master, because according to the scripture, "in the image of Elohim made He man" (Beresheet 9:6), and, "And upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man" (Yechezkel 1:26).

491. Rabbi Chiya said, It is written, "Whoever sheds man's blood by man, his blood shall be shed" (Beresheet 9:6). He who sheds blood is considered as if he diminishes the supernal image and likeness above, meaning that he does not diminish the image of the man BELOW, but another image, and this is the interpretation of the verse, "Whoever sheds man's blood by man, his blood shall be shed." The damage he does by shedding blood reaches the supernal man. Why? "...For in the image of Elohim made He man." Therefore, they are interdependent, THE FIRST COMMANDMENT DEPENDS ON "YOU SHALL NOT MURDER."

492. "You shall have no other Elohim beside Me," corresponds to, "You shall not commit adultery." THE ADULTERER is false to the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, which is impressed upon man, a sin including many other sins and entailing corresponding punishments. He who is unfaithful in this, is unfaithful towards the King, as it is written, "They have dealt treacherously against Hashem, for they have begotten strange children" (Hoshea 5:7), and, "You shall not bow down to them, nor serve them." One is the result of the other. THUS, "YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER ELOHIM" IS CONNECTED WITH, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY."

493. "You shall not take the name of Hashem your Elohim in vain," corresponds to "You shall not steal." For a thief is inclined to swear falsely because he who steals also lies, as it is written, "Whoever is partner with a thief is his own enemy, he hears the adjuration of witnesses, but discloses nothing" (Mishlei 29:24).

494. "Remember the Shabbat day to keep it holy," corresponds to, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor," for, as Rabbi Yosi said, the Shabbat day is called 'a witness,' and man should bear testimony to the verse, "in six days Hashem made heaven and earth." And Shabbat comprises everything. Rabbi Yosi said that he who bears false witness against his neighbor lies against the Shabbat, which is the true witness, and the verse, "You will show truth to Jacob" (Michah 7:20), refers to the same motive which is expressed in the verse, "Wherefore the children of Yisrael shall keep the Shabbat" (Shemot 31:16). Therefore, he who lies against the Shabbat lies against the whole Torah. Hence, they are interdependent. THUS, "REMEMBER" IS CONNECTED TO "YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE..."

495. "Honor your father and your mother," corresponds to, "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife." According to the explanation of Rabbi Yitzchak, "Honor your father," refers to one's own father; for when he who covets a woman begets a child, the child will honor another who is not his own father. It is written, "Honor your father and your mother," and, "neither shall you desire your neighbor's house, his field" (Devarim 5:18). The second part OF THE FORMER is, "that your days may be long in the land which Hashem your Elohim gives you," MEANING that whatever is given to you shall be yours, and you shall not covet another. Assuredly, they are interdependent. THUS, "HONOR..." IS CONNECTED WITH "YOU SHALL NOT COVET."

496. These first five COMMANDMENTS ON THE RIGHT SIDE include the second five. Therefore, "From His right hand went a fiery law for them," (Devarim 33:2) for all was included in the right, and the Torah was proclaimed in five voices. Rabbi Yehuda said that the whole TEN UTTERANCES were folded in such a way that five were within five, corresponding to the five Books of the Torah.

497. Rabbi Elazar explained that in the Ten Utterances were engraved all the laws of the Torah, all the decrees and punishments, all the laws concerning purity and impurity, all the branches and the roots, trees and plants, heavens and earth, seas and depths, for the Torah is the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He. As the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is engraved in the Ten Utterances, the Ten Utterances are the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He. So is the whole Torah engraved in them, and the whole Torah is thus one Name, the Holy Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, indeed.

498. Blessed is the one who is worthy of the Torah, for he will be worthy of the Holy Name. Rabbi Yosi said that he will be worthy of the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, as He and His Name are one. Blessed be His Name, forever and ever. Amen.