כבד את אביך ואת אמך (יתרו כ:יב)

The Yehudi HaKodosh of Pershischa zt’’l was delivering a Shiur to his students when he suddenly came upon a difficult question on the Sugya (subject) they were learning.  He became very engrossed in his thoughts, grappling with the question and trying to figure out an answer. One of his students, an orphan from his father, was quite hungry, so he figured it could take the Yehudi Hakadosh a while, so he decided to run home to grab a bite between the shiur.

He ran to his mother’s home, which was nearby, and quickly ate something to satiate his hunger.  When he was done, his mother asked him a favor to climb up to the attic to bring her something.  But the bachor (lit. bachelor) excused himself, saying he must return to the Yeshiva before his Rebbi continued the Shiur.

On the way back to Yeshiva, the bachor regretted his actions, thinking, “The whole purpose of learning Torah is to act upon its mitzvahs – commandments.  By leaving his mother’s request unfulfilled, he just lost an opportunity to honor his mother – one of the Ten Commandments!  He spun on his heels and ran back to help his mother, only to return to Yeshiva.

As soon as the bachor entered the room, his teacher awoke from his trance with a huge smile on his face.  He asked the bachor, “What mitzvah did you perform? Because I see that the holy Amora Abaya – one of the main Talmud-era personalities – escorted you back!”.

The bachor related that he performed the mitzvah of כיבוד אם by helping his mother. The Yehudi Hakodosh explained to his talmidim that Abaya was orphaned from both parents at a very young age.  Whenever someone performs the mitzvah of honoring one’s father and mother, Abaya descends to this world and escorts the person while performing the mitzvah since he never merited performing the mitzvah.

“Abaya also escorted this bochur and came into the Yeshiva and answered the difficult question on the Sugya that was hard for me to figure out,” concluded the Yehudi Hakadosh.