Midrasch zu Schemot 21:17

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.

2) "He has cursed his father and his mother": What is the intent of this? Because it is written (Shemoth 21:19) "And he who curses his father and his mother shall be put to death," I might think that he is not liable until he curses both of them; it is, therefore, written "He has cursed his father; ("He has cursed) his mother" — either one. A proselyte, then, is liable for (cursing) his mother, but not for (cursing) his father, (there being no "fatherhood" for a proselyte.) These are the words of R. Yossi Haglili. R. Akiva says: "He has cursed his father and his mother": One who is liable for (cursing) his father is liable for (cursing) his mother. One who is not liable for his father is not liable for his mother. R. Akiva concedes that a shtuki (an illegitimate child of unknown fatherhood) is liable for (cursing) his mother even though he is not liable for (cursing) his father.

5) (Vayikra 20:9) "For a man, a man": What is the intent of this? To include a daughter, a tumtum, and a hermaphrodite. "who curses his father and his mother shall be put to death": This tells me only of his father and his mother. Whence do I derive the same for (one who curses) his mother without (cursing) his father, or his father without his mother? From "He has cursed his father and his mother," in any event. These are the words of R. Yoshiyah. R. Yonathan says: ("His father and his mother) implies both together or each by itself unless Scripture explicitly states "together" (as it does in the case of kilaim).

(Lev. 20:9:) “For anyone whatever who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.” So too is it stated (Exod. 21:17), “He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.” Solomon said (in Prov. 20:20), “[If someone] curses his father or mother, his light will go out [at the approach of darkness].” Our masters said, “Because Ham saw his father's nakedness, even though he did not utter a curse at him, he and his descendants have been alienated until the end of the whole world. How much the more so for one who does curse his father!” Scripture says (in Prov. 24:20), “For there will be no future for the evil one, the lamp of the wicked goes out.” Come and see the honoring of father and mother, how dear it is before the Holy One, blessed be He; for the Holy One, blessed be He, does not withhold the reward, either from the righteous or from the wicked. Where is it shown? From Esau the wicked. Because he honored his father, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him all this honor. R. Eleazar says, “Esau the wicked shed three tears, [one] from his right eye, one from his left eye, and the third was attached in his eye and did not run down. When? When Isaac blessed Jacob, as stated (in Gen. 27:38), ‘and Esau lifted up his voice and wept.’” Come and see how much prosperity the Holy One gave him. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 80:6), “You have fed them the bread of tears and have had them drink a shalish of tears.” Shalosh (three) is not written but shalish (a third), because there were not three (shalosh) whole ones. So if the Holy One, blessed be He, recompensed this wicked one, because he honored his father, how much the more [will He do so] in the case of one who honors his fathers and fulfills other commandments. The Holy One, blessed be He, said (in Job 41:3), “’Who has welcomed (hiqdim) Me that I should repay him; everything under the heavens is Mine’; who is this one who has advanced (hiqdim) honor to his father, and I have not given him children?” And so it says in Job (11:5-7), “O that God would speak […]; And that He would tell you the secrets of wisdom…! Would you discover the mystery of God…?” To what is Job comparable? To whoever is put in a collare,⁴²The Latin word denotes a band or chain, in particular one put around the neck of a prisoner. and said, “I know what is within the palace⁴³Lat.: palatium. of the king.” They said to him, “Free yourself from the collare, and we shall know that you are speaking the truth.” So also Job was clothed in seven kinds of boils and in need of alms, as stated (in Job 19:21), “Have pity on me, have pity on me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has afflicted me.” And [yet] he says, “I have gotten to the bottom of the works of the Holy One, blessed be He.” Thus it is stated (in Job 23:5), “I would know words He would answer me and understand what He would say to me.” His companions said to him (in Job 11:7), “Would you discover the mystery of God…?” (Job 12:14:) “Behold, whatever He destroys will not be rebuilt, whoever He shuts in cannot be set free.” Who, after he had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and had overthrown them, who has rebuilt them? Who, after he is shut the ground in front of Korah and his assembly, can reopen it? No creature can fathom His works, as stated (in Eccl. 7:13), “See the work of God; for who can make straight what He has made crooked?” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In this world the people are afflicted because of the evil drive; but in the world to come I will remove the evil drive from them.”⁴⁴Above, 7:14. It is so stated (in Ezek. 36:26–27), “then I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh [and give you a heart of flesh]. And I will put My spirit within you….”