Midrasch zu Dewarim 6:13

Our Rabbis were taught: It is said (Ex. 20, 12) Honor thy father and thy mother, and again it is said (Pr. 3, 9) Honor the Lord with thy wealth; Scripture compares the honor of father and mother unto the honor of Heaven. Again it is said (Lev. 19, 3) Ye shall fear every man, his mother and his father; and again it is said (Deut. 10, 20) The Lord thy God shalt thou fear; Scripture compares the fear of father and mother unto the fear of Heaven. Agam it is said (Ex. 21, 17) And he that curses his father or his mother shall surely he put to death; and it is said (Lev. 24, 15) Whosoever curseth his God shall hear sin. Scripture compares here the blasphemy of father and mother unto that of Heaven. However, as far as beating is concerned the comparison is impossible; and so also should it be according to the logic of law; for these three — Heaven, father and mother — are partner in the child.

What is more, there is a tradition to the effect that the object particle (et)⁸The et is a particle of the objective case and frequently, when employed in Scripture, has the meaning of “with,” thereby adding a new thought to the verse. The particle et gave rise to a method of biblical interpretation by implication. See B. Pesahim 22b, Jastrow. in the verse Thou shalt fear (et) the Lord thy God (Deut. 6:13) alludes to reverence for the scholars of the Torah as well as to fear of the Lord. This is so because there is no virtue comparable to the study of the Torah, as it is said: It is more precious than peninim (“innermost”) (Prov. 3:15); that is to say, it is more precious than the high priest who serves in the innermost part of the sanctuary.

(Fol. 22b) We are taught that Simon of Amsuni, and others say Nehemiah of Amsuni, was accustomed to interpret every Eth. When he reached the Eth of (Dev. 10, 20) Thou shalt fear the Lord, thy God, he refrained (did not interpret it). "Why, Rabbi," said his disciples to him, "what will become of those 'Eths' thou didst interpret?" Whereupon he answered: "Just as well as I will be rewarded for making those interpretations, so will I be rewarded for refraining in this case." But when R. Akiba came, he interpreted: "The Eth [of Thou shall fear the Lord, thy God], includes the scholars."