Reply To: If your father was Trump AND Trump was Jewish

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Lilmod Ulelamaid
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Geordie – I don’t know if you can necessarily draw that conclusion. First of all, maybe Avraham Avinu was being extra machmir. After all, the Avos were not obligated in any halachos besides 7 Mitzos b’nei Noach, and kibud av v’aim is not one of those.So I would imagine that in his case, it was not an obligation. Second of all, there was no concept of Jews or non-Jews yet.

What we can learn from this is that it is definitely recommended, but I’m not sure that it’s commanded. Unless there is a source that specifically says that we learn from here that it’s a halacha. Is that what Rav Frand said?

Whether or not we learn it from here, it could very well be that there is a concept of kibud av v’eim even when the parents are not Jewish. In the case of a ger, the parents aren’t really his parents halachically, but since (I think) one of the reasons for kibud av v’eim is “hakaras hatov” for giving you life, it might apply to not-Jewish parents as well. It certainly is good middos even if it’s not mamash halacha.

When I distinguished between Jews and non-Jews, I was thinking of the Loshon Hara issue and not about kibbud av v’eim.

You have a very good point, Geordie, that kibud av v’eim should apply either way (whether it’s halacha or good middos).