Hi, i just have one question about the reward that the gemara talks about
the gemara says that the reward for the mitzva of "shiluach ha ken" or "kibud avahem" will be in the olam haba. if is that so, which is the chidush of the Torah when comments about this reward? is it not obvious and we all know that as general concept, all the mitzvos has their reward in the olam haba?
and why the Torah has to add this information only for these mitzvos? because despite that what the Gra (in your Insights) says about this topic the question still remains on the basis that a lot of mitzvos has this nature of being more easy to do for some people and more difficult for other kind of people but, "davka" the Torah adds these words in these mitzvos?...
thank you very much..
Daniel Gros, Santiago, Chile
Firstly the Torah does not tell us elsewhere the reward for Mitzvos and we could definitely assume that the reward would be in this world. For example when we say the second part of Krias Shema we discuss the possibility of reward and punishment in this world for our behavior. Similarly the punishments of Kareis and Mita Biydei Shamayim are according to many opinions in this world. Therefore the fact that Mitzvot are rewarded in the next world is itself a novelty. Ramban (Ekev) explains that individuals are rewarded in the next world even though the public can receive reward in this world.
However the reason that this reward is cited regarding these two specific Mitzvot is suggested by Maharal and Kli Yakar. Maharal (Tiferet Yisrael 41) explains that these two Mitzvos refer to maintaining existence, since "a father and mother are the reason for a person's existence" and similarly sending away the mother bird allows her to continue procreating elsewhere and maintain existence, and therefore he receives a renewed "existence" in the next world.
Kli Yakar suggests that respecting those who give birth to offspring demonstrates belief in Hash-m who created the original man who begat children and therefore this practice deserves a long life, as he is expressing his believe in the source of all life.
Yoel Domb