"Honor your father and your mother" (Exodus 20:12). The fifth of the Ten Commandments seems straightforward enough, but the Mekhilta immediately asks: what does "honor" actually require? A person might reasonably think that honoring parents means speaking to them respectfully, greeting them warmly, addressing them with dignified titles. Honor through words.
The Mekhilta rejects this limited reading. The proof comes from a parallel verse: "Honor the Lord from your wealth" (Proverbs 3:9). The same Hebrew word — kavod, honor — appears in both verses. When the Torah tells you to honor God, it means with your material resources, your actual wealth. Tithes, offerings, the first fruits of your harvest. Not words. Substance.
The Mekhilta applies this directly to parents. Just as "honor" toward God means tangible material support, "honor" toward parents means the same. Food. Drink. A new garment. The commandment requires children to provide for their parents' physical needs — to feed them, clothe them, ensure they lack nothing.
This interpretation transforms the fifth commandment from an emotional directive into an economic obligation. It is not enough to feel respect for your parents. It is not enough to speak kindly to them. You must put resources on the table. A child who addresses his parents with beautiful words while they go hungry has not fulfilled the commandment.
The rabbis read the Torah as a unified text, where the same word carries the same weight wherever it appears. "Honor" means the same thing whether directed at God or at the people who brought you into the world. In both cases, it costs something.