Yitro: Chapter 28

"Honor your father and your mother"

Synopsis

Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Aba explain that "father" is the spring of the holy fountain which feeds the river from Eden, and that Eden itself is called "father." Rabbi Shimon adds that the words "Honor your father" refer to the Holy One, Zeir Anpin, and "your mother" refers to the Congregation of Yisrael, Malchut. From here the discussion turns to the first five of the Ten Utterances, showing us that they include the second five within them; then they are paired and analyzed at some length. Rabbi Elazar explains that all the laws of the Torah are engraved in the Ten Utterances, for the Torah is the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He.