The Raven and the Eagle Reward Honoring Parents

Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai taught: Concerning two commandments the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed the reward for fulfilling them. These are the lightest of the light and the weightiest of the weighty. The lightest of the light is (Deuteronomy 22:7): "You shall surely send away the mother and take the young for yourself, so that it may be well with you and you may prolong your days." The weightiest of the weighty is (Deuteronomy 5:16): "Honor your father and your mother... so that your days may be lengthened." Behold, they are equal in this world with regard to their reward. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: If concerning a matter that is the repayment of a debt, the lengthening of days is written, then concerning a matter that involves loss of money and loss of life, how much more so! And Rabbi Levi said: They stated something greater than this — greater is a matter that is the repayment of a debt than a matter that involves loss of money and loss of life. And Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai: Just as their reward is great, so are their punishments great. This is what is written (Proverbs 30:17): "The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother — the ravens of the valley shall pluck it out, and the young eagles shall eat it." Why shall ravens pluck it out and eagles eat it? The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Let the raven come, which is cruel to its young, and peck at it but not benefit from it; and let the eagle come, which is merciful to its young, and benefit from it. And how do we know that the raven is cruel to its young? As it is said (Job 38:41): "Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young cry out to God and wander about without food?" And it says (Psalms 147:9): "to the young ravens that cry out." When the raven gives birth, it gives birth to white young. And the male says to the female that another bird has come upon her, and they reject them and abandon them. What does the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He brings forth gnats from their dung, and they fly about and eat, and from that they turn black. This is what is written: "Who provides for the raven its prey." And how do we know that the eagle is merciful? As it is written (Deuteronomy 32:11): "As an eagle stirs up its nest." And it does not trust them because of other birds that pursue them. What does it do? "It spreads its wings, takes them up..." Thus: "the ravens of the valley shall pluck it out, and the young eagles shall eat it."