“Honor Thy Father And Mother That You May Endure Long On The Land The Almighty Gives To You.” Exodus 20: 12
I was forty nine when my mother died and at the end of one of the worst periods in my life, so much so that she wisely resigned me into the hands of the Most High, and despite her own suffering which was immense, did not take her last breath until she was sure I was there. She held on until she truly believed I, her youngest child, was going to be alright. Still I spent the last forty eight hours of my mother’s life, pleading with her to stay: I played her favorite songs, refusing to leave her side, even climbing into her bed despite what the nurses might say, resting my head on her frail chest as if I was five again. But no sooner than I stepped out of the room, she whispered to my husband with a labored and failing breath: “tell her to let me go.”
It was time indeed: “No man has authority over the lifebreath–to hold back the lifebreath; there is no authority over the day of death.” Ecclesiastes 8:8 YHWH is Merciful however to let some of us know and even express with assurity when our time is come.
I spent the next months in one phase of mourning and the next considering again and again, that even in my forties this woman who was my mother refused to leave this earth, despite her great daily suffering until she felt I was strong enough. I spent the next months realizing that no one on this earth would ever love me like that again, that there’s no love on this earth like a mother’s love and I was utterly and summarily bereft.
Even now I know our parents’ great love is the reason the fifth commandment is the only one that comes with the promise of life in a land like no other in the heavens and earth. Indeed the fifth commandment promises Zion generationally. It intimates indeed that by honoring our father and mother alone we fulfill all that is necessary to keep that good land.
And of course when thought about, the explanation is readily available: most of our parents spend their lives conditioning us to live the Most High’s commands. Since we could walk and talk, they paved the way for us to love and honor YHWH, to not steal, lie or murder and of course what parent isn’t horrified to hear about their grown child’s adulterous ways? My mother raised me to show honor and integrity in all I did…to be a good daughter, granddaughter, sister, friend and wife and was the first to tell me if she thought in any I was failing. The miracle came when my dear husband (an orphan too) after months of watching me mourn finally had me understand that just because my parents were no longer here that I was still a daughter, and the fifth commandment was alive and robust in my life. Like a fruit in season every season, everyday was I still obligated to rise and do that which I knew would still make my mother proud. Whether it was studying the law of the Most High, humbling myself and making amends with family, and truly putting myself to pleasing HIM…everyday I put myself to being a good daughter and YHWH saw my heart and was pleased.
Afterall honoring our parents is the way of our people. This is seen in the way Joseph instructed the sons of Yisrael to carry his bones into the Promised Land (Genesis 50:25-26). It’s also another way we identify the New Testament and its god as being a book of heresy and as written in Daniel, “the great words spoken against the Most High,”: not only does JC speak to his mother with impunity (“what do you have to do with me woman,” John 2:4) when a would be follower comes to inquire about him but saying first he must bury his father, the idol most heinously replies let the dead bury their dead (Matt 8:22) again breaking the commandment to honor thy father and mother but also the traditions of our people.
“And Moshe took with him the bones of Joseph, who had exacted an oath from the children of Yisrael saying, YHWH will be sure to take notice of you then you shall carry up my bones from here with you.” Exodus 13:19
In some manner by honoring my mother now, even though she is no longer here, despite the fact that before I was awakened I didn’t always honor her; and despite these curses and the fact that my mother didn’t always honor her mother and on since the first of my parents was taken off the slave ships (after all only evil doers are scattered) I think myself atoning by honoring her now where I stand…and by this commandment like Moshe I carry their bones with me, hopeful to reach again, that good land.