Halachic Highlights

Question: Is a son ever obligated to stop learning Torah to perform kibud av va’eim?

Short Answer: Yes, depending on the situation, a son must sometimes stop learning Torah in order to perform kibud av va’eim, especially if the task will only take a few minutes.

Short Answer: Most poskim rule that a child cannot disagree or contradict a parent, regardless of whether the discussion is about Torah/halachah or other topics. However, there is room to be lenient if the child disagrees with the parent (i) not in the parent’s presence, (ii) with the parent’s permission, or (iii) in a questioning manner instead of a disagreeing or objecting manner.

Question: Must a child listen to a parent who commands the child to bring the parent a cigarette or other unhealthful/dangerous food items?

Question: May a child sit in a parent’s seat in shul?

Short Answer: A child is prohibited from sitting in a parent’s seat in shul unless the parent has switched seats and no longer sits in this seat or unless the parent doesn’t mind.

Question: Is it ever permitted for a child to say the name of his parent?

Short Answer: Even though some do not allow a child to mention his parent’s name after a preface such as “my father, so and so,” many poskim allow a child to say his parent’s name with such a preface or even without a preface for purely identification purposes.

Question: Should one recite a b’rachah on the mitzvah of kibud av v’eim? If no, why not?

Short Answer: No brachah is recited on the mitzvah of kibud av v’eim. Multiple reasons are provided for this omission.