כיבוד אב ואם א

It is stated that one's father and mother give the levush — the garment — to his soul. The soul itself is the intellect (saichel), as Rabbainu wrote (Likutay Moharan vol. 2, Torah 5). It follows that all of one's intelligence and comprehension is received through the garment that one receives from one's father and mother. And to whatever degree illumination is added to that garment, so does the light of one's soul — that is, one's wisdom (chachmah) — increase correspondingly. This is therefore the reason one is obligated to honour them: because through the honour one gives them, illumination is thereby added to their souls, as is explained in the discourse entitled "Dirshu" (Likutay Moharan, Torah 37), on the rabbinic teaching: "Be careful regarding an elder who has forgotten his learning, to honour him" — and "Be careful regarding the children of the unlearned (amay ha'aretz), to honour them, for from them Torah will emerge." See there. The general principle is this: the root of everything is honour (kavod), and every thing yearns toward its root. Therefore, through honour, the soul begins to awaken and reveal itself. See there. And this is the meaning of the verse: "Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be lengthened." For "length of days" (arichas yamim) refers to the attainment of wisdom (chachmah), as Rabbainu explains in numerous places, in accordance with the verse, "Wisdom gives life" (הַחָכְמָה תְּחַיֶּה). That is: through the honour one gives them, their soul grows — and through this, the garment that was drawn to one from them shines all the more brightly — and then one merits to comprehend and receive wisdom through that garment, as explained above. This is the meaning of "length of days."