Kiddushin 32 - Difference Between Honor and Reverence Towards one's Parents

What is proper reverence for one's parents, and what is adequate honor?

Reverence means that the son may not sit in his father's place; he may not contradict his father in words in his presence – but he may offer challenges to his father's position until a conclusion is reached.

Honor means that he must give his father food and drink, dress and cover him, bring him in, and take him out.

The same applies to his mother.

The son is not required to pay for his parents' needs out of his pocket but merely to expend the effort.

Art: The Artist's Father, Reading "L'Événement" by Louis-Auguste Cézanne

Kiddushin 31 - Honoring one's Parents

Rabbi Tarfon had an elderly mother whom he treated with such respect that whenever she wanted to climb into bed, he would bend down, and she would climb on him into it; whenever she descended, she would descend on him to reach the floor.

Rabbi Tarfon came and lauded his own performance of the mitzvah to his colleagues in the study hall. They told him: You have not yet reached half of the honor one can bestow upon his parents. Has your mother ever thrown a bag of money into the sea in your presence, and you did not shame her?

Art: Portret van Rembrandts moeder by Gerrit Dou

Kiddushin 30 - Teaching Torah to one's Grandchildren

Rabbi Chiya bar Abba encountered Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, who had hurriedly thrown a sheet upon his head and was bringing his grandchild to the synagogue for this Torah lesson. He asked, "What is all this rush about?"

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi replied,  - is it a small thing to fulfill that which is written in the Shema prayer, "You shall make them known to your children and grandchildren," and next to this, "The day that you stood before Hashem your God at Chorev?" We see from here that teaching Torah to one's grandchild is tantamount to receiving Torah at Sinai.

Art: Moses On Mount Sinai by Jean-Leon Gerome

Kiddushin 29 - Things that father has to do for his son

The father's obligations that involve his son are: to circumcise him, to redeem him if he is a firstborn (by paying fives coins to a Kohen), to teach him Torah, to take a wife for him (that is, to help him find a wife and assist him in preparations for marriage) and to teach him a craft. Some say the father must teach him to swim in the water.

Rabbi Yehudah says, "Anyone who does not teach his son a craft has taught him banditry. Talmud: "Can you really think so? - Rather, as if the father taught him banditry."

Art: Insulted Jewish Boy by Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy

Kiddushin 28 - Slander

The courts once had this power that if one called another a slave, he would be put under a ban, and if he called him a "mamzer" (bastard), the courts could flog him.

If one calls another a bad person (Rasha), courts do not get involved, but the one slandered can compete with the offender in business, even unfairly. What about the law of not taking revenge? It does not apply if one is hurt or humiliated in public. However, since it is uncertain if the above ruling is accepted, one should refrain from revenge even in this situation.

Art: A Prize Fight, From the National Sports Of Great Britain

Kiddushin 27 - Acquiring Movable Properties

While acquiring a field "by dint of," one may also specify the acquisition of movable properties, wherever they may be, in which case no additional act of acquisition is required.

In the same way, one may combine the sale of land with the gifting of movables. The land may even be sold to one person, while the gift of movables goes to the other.

In all these cases, complete money payment must be made before the movables are acquired.

"Devolving of the oath" happens when the Torah requires an oath for one item and a related item requires an oath by devolving.

Art: The Money Counter by Pompeo Massani

Kiddushin 26 - Methods of Acquisition

A large animal (cow or horse) is acquired by handing over its reins, and a small animal (sheep) by drawing it near.

Rabbi Shimon says that only lifting the animal acquires it. Then how does Rabbi Shimon acquire elephants? By having them step on bundles of vines.

Real property may be acquired using money, a document, or a proprietary act such as locking the gate. Movable property may be acquired only by "drawing it near." To protect buyers, the Rabbis abrogated the power of money to acquire so that sellers would guard the sold goods after receiving the money.

Art: Royal Elephant At The Gateway To The Jami Masjid Mathura by Rudolf Ernst